QA Engineer Learned to Manual Test First After Automation Habit Delayed Deliveries

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A QA engineer received repeated feedback from teammates and their lead that automating tests before completing manual testing was slowing down sprint delivery. The engineer initially dismissed the concern but later recognized the flaw: automation was being applied in the right spirit but the wrong sequence. The key lesson drawn was that manual testing must always precede automation, with the two treated as separate milestones on the project board and estimated independently during planning. Prioritizing tasks by business impact rather than technical interest was also identified as critical to maintaining sprint momentum. The reflection is part of a 20-episode series translating real performance review feedback into practical guidance for QA professionals.

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