Ask ten developers about QA and most will mention it right before deployment. For us, it starts long before a single line of code is written.

At Athago, we don’t treat quality assurance as a checklist item at the end of the sprint. We treat it as a discipline that shapes how the software is architected, how it’s written, and how it’s delivered. This approach didn’t come from theory—it’s the result of working on real-world projects where reliability wasn’t optional.

QA begins with how we plan

Before any development starts, we define what success looks like. That includes not just the expected outcomes, but also what could break, what could be misunderstood, and what could silently fail. By making QA part of sprint planning, we design features with validation in mind—long before anything is built.

QA happens during—not after—development

Our QA process runs alongside development. Unit tests are written with the code. Integration points are tested before being handed off. Instead of waiting for QA to find issues later, we surface them while the system is still being shaped.

Automated tests handle regression, edge cases, and repetitive validations. Manual testing is reserved for what matters most: real usage scenarios, user intent, and UX behavior that automation can’t fully replicate.

We don’t chase complexity—we document clarity

Clean QA is sustainable QA. Every feature has acceptance criteria written in plain language. Each test case is documented with context, not just steps. If someone new joins the project tomorrow, they should be able to understand what was tested, why it matters, and how it connects to business goals.

QA is culture

In our experience, the most reliable systems come from teams that value quality at every level—project management, design, development, and delivery. QA isn’t the job of a single person or stage. It’s a mindset that gets stronger with shared ownership and consistent practices.

We don’t look for a “QA department” to catch issues at the end. We structure our work so issues are prevented from the start.

Reliable code is the result, not the goal

QA isn’t just about clean deployments or fewer bugs—those are outcomes. What we’re after is trust: that every interaction in the software works as expected, every time, under real-world conditions.

We’re not interested in theoretical perfection. We’re focused on building software that holds up when it matters most.

Which Tests, When: A Practical Breakdown

Not every bug needs a unit test. Not every risk can be caught with automation. Knowing which kind of test to use—and when—is a core part of how we build reliable systems at Athago.

Here’s how we usually break it down:

Unit Tests
We use these early, during development, to verify that each function or component behaves as expected in isolation. They run fast and catch regressions before they ship.

Integration Tests
These are for the interactions—between components, systems, or services. We use them to test data flows, API responses, and logic across modules.

End-to-End (E2E) Tests
These simulate actual user actions across the full app. We keep these lean, focused, and critical-path only—because they’re heavier, but powerful for real-world confidence.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Before anything launches, we test from the user’s perspective—not just “does it work,” but “does it work in the way users expect it to.” Often with client teams or actual users involved.

Every layer serves a purpose. When done right, they overlap just enough to protect the system without slowing the team down.

Let’s build things right, or not at all.