Automating the New York Times Crossword

The New York Times digital crossword has more subscribers than the population of Iceland. The team responsible for this media mainstay add new features all the time. They release new games, like Spelling Bee and Letter Boxed. They introduce new features, like leaderboards and vertical streaks. They add engaging bonuses like milestone animations to the crossword. How does a team doing so much, with a product so renowned, ensure that they're building in quality with every new release? Join Phil Wells, a software engineer in test for the Games team, as he discusses that very topic. Phil addresses the negative feelings some teams might feel with delivering anything but a perfect product. He'll talk about the software quality practices his team uses to squash those feelings. He'll explain some of the tools they use to ensure that everyone feels confident and happy with their software delivery. Test practitioners will leave knowing that their job is a process of continual shame elimination. And they'll have a few new tricks to help them get the job done.