DEV Community

Cover image for Why Does Manual Testing Feel Like Running on a Treadmill?
Shashank Arora
Shashank Arora

Posted on

Why Does Manual Testing Feel Like Running on a Treadmill?

Hey there!
If you’ve stumbled across this post, you’re probably someone who cares about software testing and delivering high-quality products. At Nota AI, we’re obsessed with finding smarter, faster ways to test modern web applications—especially in an era where software is evolving faster than ever.

In this blog series, created in collaboration with chatGPT, we’ll explore pain points in today’s testing world and talk about where things are headed, with tips, insights, and tools that can make your life a little easier. Let’s dive right into one of the biggest challenges QA teams face today: manual testing.


1. Let’s Be Real About Manual Testing

Ever feel like you’re constantly testing the same things, yet somehow always scrambling before release?

Manual testing can feel like running on a treadmill: you put in the work but never seem to reach the finish line. And with today’s fast-paced releases, keeping up gets harder and harder.

Been there? Testing features, finding bugs, fixing them—and then, right when you think you’re done, something breaks again. Exhausting, right?


2. Too Much to Test, Too Little Time

Let’s talk time. How many late nights or weekends have you spent trying to finish testing before a release?

As dev teams speed up (thank you, Agile! and now AI!), there’s less and less time to do manual testing thoroughly. But here’s the thing: the pressure to deliver doesn’t mean you have more time to do it. You’re left rushing, and the worry sets in: Did I miss something?

It’s not a great feeling—and let’s be honest, manual testing simply doesn’t scale fast enough.


3. You Can’t Test Everything Manually

Now, think about this: What happens when a feature needs to be tested across different devices and browsers—every single release cycle?

Manual testing? It’s overwhelming. You can only test so much, and that’s the problem. Things will get missed. You can’t possibly catch every edge case when the workload keeps growing, especially when you're racing against time.

Sound familiar? Missed bugs, broken features, and of course, more stress—that’s the price of relying only on manual testing.


4. Automation: Your Ticket Off the Treadmill

So, what’s the solution? Automation. But let’s be clear: it’s not about replacing you—it’s about freeing you up.

Imagine this: Instead of running the same manual tests, you’re focusing on what matters—like exploratory testing—while automation handles the routine stuff. AI-powered tools can help even more by learning from past tests and creating new ones as your app evolves. It’s testing that gets smarter over time.

Automation doesn’t mean losing control; it means gaining time and confidence.


5. Ready to Get Off the Treadmill?

If automating everything feels daunting, start small. Pick one or two time-consuming tests to automate—maybe that login form you always test.

Then, the next time something breaks, automation will catch it for you. The best part? You’ll spend less time repeating tests and more time on the interesting, challenging parts of your job.


Let’s talk about the future: Automation helps you move faster, without sacrificing quality. It’s not about replacing manual testing—it’s about working smarter. Ready to start?

Top comments (0)