On May 21, during World Product Day, I had the pleasure of giving a talk at a local product management meetup in Hamburg, Germany. The topic? Something that’s been close to my heart (and my day-to-day work): QA hacks for product managers.
Let’s face it—many of us work in teams where dedicated software testers or QA engineers aren’t always available. Whether you’re in a startup, a lean team, or just moving fast, the responsibility of ensuring product quality often falls on everyone—but especially on product managers.
So the big question is: How do we maintain high-quality standards without a dedicated QA team?
That’s exactly what I covered in my session, and I want to share those insights with you here.
Why QA is a Product Manager’s Responsibility
As product managers, we’re often the glue between design, development, and business. But we also need to be champions of quality. If we’re not thinking about quality early and often, bugs will slip through, users will get frustrated, and your product’s reputation can take a hit.
In my talk, I focused on practical, real-world strategies I’ve used to embed quality into every stage of the product development process—even in teams without formal QA.
My Top QA Hacks for PMs
Here are the key takeaways from my talk:
1. Make QA Everyone’s Job
Create a culture where quality is shared, not siloed. From engineers writing testable code to designers thinking about edge cases, everyone plays a part. As a PM, I make it a point to raise this mindset during sprint planning and retros.
2. Use Lightweight Testing Frameworks
You don’t need a full-blown testing department to catch bugs. I shared examples of how lightweight checklists, exploratory testing, and even session-based testing can go a long way. These approaches are easy to implement and can fit right into agile workflows.
3. Leverage Tools to Catch Issues Early
I highlighted a few tools that I’ve found incredibly useful—everything from visual regression tools to automated linters. Even simple tools like bug tracking templates and QA-focused Slack bots can drastically reduce issues before they hit production.
4. Plan for Quality From the Start
The earlier you think about quality, the less time you spend fixing things later. During product discovery and backlog grooming, I always make space to identify risks and edge cases—and encourage the team to do the same.
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need a QA Team to Deliver Quality
Quality is everyone’s job—but as PMs, we need to lead by example. By embedding QA practices into our workflow and fostering a quality-first mindset, we can build better products, faster.
If you’re a product manager working in a lean or agile environment, I hope these tips help you take control of QA—without waiting for a dedicated testing team to show up.