Whenever we start thinking about testing our applications, the same questions always come up:

• How many tests are enough?

• Should I only write end-to-end tests?

• Are unit tests enough?

• What about the test pyramid — am I even doing it right?

Well, here’s the easy (and annoying) answer: it depends. But one thing is always true — when we have good tests, we have more robust systems.

That’s a fact.

You can’t rely solely on QA to catch everything. You can’t even rely on yourself. As developers, we naturally follow the “happy path” and often overlook edge cases. That’s why having automated tests in place is so crucial — they protect your system and give you immediate feedback when something breaks.

🧱 Start Small, Start Smart
You might be thinking:
"I have a huge project, and we don’t even have the initial test setup correctly!"

Don’t worry — I’ve been there. And the best way to get started is to start simple.

Begin by defining which types of tests you want to introduce first. My suggestion? Start with small unit tests.

Focus on functions that are heavily used across your codebase — maybe a validation function or a core utility. These are the areas where a single change can ripple through your entire application.

Let’s say someone decides to refactor one of those key functions.
Without tests, how will you know the behavior hasn’t changed? How long will it take before a user notices something’s broken — or worse, before production crashes?

🚨 Tests Catch Problems Immediately
Once you have a basic test setup and start covering the most critical parts of your system — and assuming you’ve integrated those tests into your CI/CD pipeline — something magical happens:

You get immediate feedback.

If something breaks, you’ll know right away. And when that happens, you can fix the issue before it reaches production, not after a flood of user complaints.

🧠 TDD: Think Before You Build
Now let’s talk about TDD — Test-Driven Development.

TDD means writing your tests before you write the actual implementation. Yeah, I know — it sounds backwards. But there’s a reason why so many seasoned devs advocate for it.

When you write tests first, you force your brain to:

• Think about edge cases before coding.

• Fully understand the task before jumping in.

• Consider how users might misuse or break your feature.

• Anticipate security and data issues upfront.

In short, you’re not just writing code — you’re designing behavior.

🤔 Should You Do TDD?
That’s a tough one. I won’t give a blanket “yes,” because it depends on your project, your team, and your deadlines.

But you should absolutely consider trying it.

At first, it might feel unnecessary or slow. But as your system grows, you’ll start realizing something important:
Every single test you wrote is holding your system together like glue.

Even if you don’t start with full-on TDD, writing tests right after completing a task is still a huge win. You’ll build confidence and avoid regressions later.

💬 Testing is Culture — But Also Survival
In some companies, testing is seen as a cultural thing — something dev teams “believe in.” But it’s more than that.

It’s a survival strategy for long-term projects. It’s what keeps your app stable as new features get added and refactors happen.

Testing (and TDD in particular) isn’t just about code quality — it’s about peace of mind.

🚀 Final Thoughts
If you’ve never tried TDD before, give it a shot. Pick a small feature this week, and try writing the tests first. You might be surprised how much clarity it gives you — and how much time it saves you later.

Thanks for reading — and happy testing!