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EuroSTAR Conference

Europe's Largest Quality Engineering Conference

Track Talk, T17

I Wish I Would Know Earlier in My Career

Pekka Pönkänen

15:45 - 16:30 CEST, Tuesday 16th June

During my decade long career in software testing, I’ve encountered a wide range of challenges: testing strategies, automation approaches, release cycles, communication styles, and some truly wild projects.

Younger Pekka was eager to dive into everything: reading heavy project documentation, testing every feature as it came out of the oven, running long regression suites in the middle of the night, and fixing screaming red automation tests just to make tomorrow look brighter.

Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. And sometimes, I hesitated to step up in a project when it was most needed, simply because it felt like “crossing the role description.”

In this talk, I’ll share the lessons I wish I had known earlier: what happens when QA stops assuring and starts assisting, when to take risks and when to hold back, how shifting responsibilities across teams reduces bottlenecks, and why it’s more important to focus on what truly moves the business forward.

What I’ve learned is that QA isn’t just about grinding through endless JIRA tickets or chasing 100% automation coverage. It’s about enabling teams, accelerating value, and making a real impact.

And I’ll leave you with a question: what would you teach your younger self if you had the chance?

What you will learn

  1. Classical “Quality Assurance” isn’t the only way forward
  2. Let data guide where quality efforts matter most
  3. Strong communication accelerates strong teams

Session Details

  • Intermediate
  • 45mins
  • Includes 15min Q&A
  • Leading/mentoring people
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Check out this video from Pekka Pönkänen to hear more about his talk on I Wish I Would Know Earlier in My Career.

We look forward to welcoming you to EuroSTAR 2026.

Session Speakers

Pekka Pönkänen

Wolt, Finland

Pekka Pönkänen works at Wolt as a QA Competence Lead and has over 15 years of experience in the IT industry, with the past decade dedicated to software testing. He has built strong expertise in product companies, particularly in the development and quality of native mobile applications.

Pekka is motivated by the idea that quality is not just a technical requirement but a holistic user experience. He believes that communication and empathy are also important elements of successful software development. In addition, accessibility and cybersecurity are areas that inspire him to keep pushing the field forward.

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