Quality assurance in a software product isn’t just about testing and finding bugs anymore.
Smart teams think about quality in their products much earlier in the development process before testing.
The QA team usually brings a valuable perspective to product development. They have deep insights into how real users behave, what frustrates them, and where they get stuck. When QA adopts a product-focused mindset, they help shape what gets built, not just what gets tested. They bring questions like, “Will this actually solve a user’s problem?”
This kind of involvement leads to faster delivery, because issues are caught before they become costly to fix.
Why should QA think like a product owner?
- QA isn’t just about testing or finding bugs
- QA understands real user behavior
- QA with a product mindset shapes what gets built
- Leads to faster delivery and better product decisions
What is owning quality?
The title says owning quality but what actually is it? It is:
- Taking responsibility for products’ success
- Preventing problems early, not just reacting to bugs
- Ensuring the product solves real user needs
- Quality becomes a shared team goal
What does QA with a product owner mindset do?
- Thinks about user value, not just test cases
- Catches gaps in product logic and experience
- Questions unclear or risky areas early
- Brings a ‘will this really work for users?’ Lens to every feature
Traditional QA vs QA thinking like a Product Owner
| Traditional QA | QA Thinking like a Product Owner |
|---|---|
| Does it work as expected? | Is it the right thing to build? |
| Focuses on test cases | Focuses on user needs and |
| Finds bugs after implementation | Finds bugs early |
| Works from specs | Questions specs, asks why |
| Measures success by bugs found | Measures success by user impact |
How can QA start owning quality
-Improved unclear error messages before dev -flagged confusing login flow, triggered redesign -found performance issue testing large files early -fixed accessibility gaps during design reviews
If you are a QA, you must be thinking, this is something I can do, but how do I start?
Collaboration is the key!
Quality doesn’t happen in a silo. For QA to truly own quality, collaboration is essential. That means working closely with developers, designers, and product managers and other stakeholders.
Here are the QA teams key mottos for cross collaboration at Gurzu:
- Work with dev, design and product teams
- Get involved from the start
- Share ideas openly
- Build trust across the team
When QA is involved early, they can spot potential issues before they turn into bugs. By sharing ideas openly and asking thoughtful questions, they help the whole team make better decisions.
Strong collaboration also builds trust. When everyone works together with a shared goal, the team becomes faster, more aligned, and better at building products that truly meet user needs.
Why this matters for everyone
- Fewer late-stage bugs and surprises
- More alignment and fewer reworks
- QA becomes a strategic contributor, not just a gatekeeper
- A better experience for users = a better product for all
When everyone is on the same page and working on the same thing, there are fewer late-stage bugs and surprises. There is more alignment and fewer reworks. Quality is not a specific someone’s job but the whole teams’.
Empowered QA means stronger teams and smarter delivery.
QA Thinking Prompts
When QA thinks like a product owner, the questions they ask can shape the entire product. Here are some prompts to guide your thinking and what to do with the answers.
Prompt 1: “What problem are we solving for the user?”
Before jumping into test cases, step back and understand why behind the feature.
Ask this to: Product Manager or Designer\ If the answer is unclear: Raise it during backlog grooming or planning. Unclear goals can lead to misaligned implementations or wasted effort.
Prompt 2: “What will this feature feel like for a first-time user?”
Put yourself in the shoes of someone seeing this for the first time. Is it intuitive? Do they need instructions? Could they get confused or stuck?
Ask this when: Reviewing designs, doing exploratory testing, or writing test cases\ Then: Flag anything that feels unclear or clunky. Suggest small UX improvements before launch.
Prompt 3: “What are the edge cases we might be overlooking?”
Many bugs live at the edges. What happens if a field is left blank? Or if a user has a poor network?
Ask this to: Developers and the whole team during refinement\ Then: Build test scenarios around these edge cases. Even just asking this early can influence how developers build validations.
Prompt 4: “What assumptions are we making about the user or the data?”
We often build for the “ideal” user, but real users vary. What do we assume they know, have, or want?
Ask this to: Product Manager, Devs, or other QAs\ Then: Surface risky assumptions early. For example, if everyone assumes users will upload high-quality images, what happens with a blurry or oversized one?
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At Gurzu, we believe quality isn’t just about finding bugs—it’s about building better products from the start. Our QA engineers work with a product mindset, collaborating closely with developers and stakeholders to deliver user-focused solutions.
If you’re looking for a QA team that thinks beyond testing, get in touch with us. We’d love to help you build something great.
Have a tech idea you wan to turn into reality? Our expert designers, engineers and QAs can help you. Book a free consulting call with us !
