Tabăra de Testare

A community of testers who
meet up monthly

to share knowledge and learn from each other in the IT industry.

This Edition's Theme

Community & Cognition: Keeping the QA mind sharp

As testing evolves with AI, our greatest assets remain deeply human: how we connect to learn and how we critically analyze systems. This edition of Tabăra de Testare focuses on two essential pillars of our profession: the power of community and preserving critical thinking. First, Mikko Paloheimo, QA Coach and co-organizer of the Finnish Testing Meetup Group, takes us behind the scenes of running a massive testing community. By bridging the Finnish and Romanian testing scenes, we’ll explore how communities keep testers learning and what we can adopt from each other. Then, Stefan Bratosin, Senior QA Engineer, challenges the current AI hype. While automation accelerates work, over-relying on predictive text systems can quietly erode a tester's most valuable tool: critical thinking. Stefan will dive into the "Black Box Effect" and introduce a practical framework to ensure AI remains just a tool, not a substitute for our analytical minds.

📅 4 iunie 2026 • 18:15📍 Zitec

165 Splaiul Unirii, TNO2 Building, 6th floor, 3rd district, 030133 București

Who's presenting?

Speakers

Mikko Paloheimo
talk

Mikko Paloheimo

Freelance QA Coach @ Paloheimo QA Mentorworks

Mikko Paloheimo is a QA Coach and community builder with ~20 years in testing and QA. He runs the freelance brand Paloheimo QA Mentorworks, focused on competence development, mentoring, and QA culture. In his day job he works full-time as a QA Lead. He also co-organises the Finnish Testing Meetup Group (1000+ members) with three close friends on a voluntary basis. Mikko does QA as a hobby as well as a profession, and enjoys coaching, sharing, and bringing testing people together.

Stefan Bratosin
talk

Stefan Bratosin

Senior QA Engineer @ ING Hubs

I am a Senior QA Engineer and Functional Analyst with over 15 years of experience specializing in bridging the gaps between business requirements, complex technical architecture, and reliable software delivery. Having spent my career testing high-stakes environments at organizations like ING Hubs, Oracle, and Deutsche Bank, I’ve built a reputation for uncovering the critical edge cases and hidden documentation gaps that others miss. My core professional mission has always been to 'make the unknown known

Schedule

The Testing Plan

🕐 18:15-18:30

Welcome & Gather

🕐 18:30-19:15

How Communities Keep Testers Learning

Mikko Paloheimo
Mikko Paloheimo

Mikko Paloheimo, QA Coach and co-organiser of the Finnish Testing Meetup Group, takes us inside how FTMG actually works - from finding speakers and securing venues to handling no-shows and keeping momentum after years of monthly events. The session draws a direct comparison between FTMG and Tabăra de Testare, looking at the topics both communities have covered over the past year and what we might learn from each other.

🕐 19:15-20:00

We all know AI is moving technology at an unprecedented pace, but it is also changing the way we think?

Stefan Bratosin
Stefan Bratosin

Join this discussion on how AI—a highly advanced predictive text system that lacks real world understanding - can quietly undermine a QA professional's most valuable asset: Critical Thinking. We will examine the real-world trade-offs of over-relying on automation, from skills erosion to the dangerous "Black Box Effect" where we lose our deep understanding of why our software and systems work. Finally, we will introduce a practical "Daily Check-in" framework to ensure we are using AI strictly as a tool, not a brain, keeping our analytical and engineering skills sharper than ever

🕐 20:00-21:00

Networking & follow-up discussions

Pizza, beers and testing discussions.

Thanks to this month's host

Zitec

📁 Materials & Resources

Slides, photos, and other resources from the event

📷Photo Gallery

📅

Event Ended

This event has already taken place. Stay connected for future editions!

From the archive

See what we discussed in previous editions.

📍 BucurestiRegistration closed

Testing AI, Testing with AI

AI has landed on both sides of the QA equation. On one side, we're asked to test systems that don't behave deterministically: generative models, prompts, and workflows where "expected result" is a moving target. On the other, AI is becoming a teammate that plans, writes, and runs tests alongside us across the whole development lifecycle. This edition looks at both. Bianca Mihalcea will show how to build real confidence in AI applications: the specific challenges of testing generative AI, evaluation techniques, prompt and workflow validation, and the practices that separate a demo from a trustworthy product. Then Cristian Glavan will introduce Zitec's AI Software Engineer Platform, an AI partner that works with the team from idea to production, and demonstrate how QA can shape it into a true collaborator at every step. Come to learn what it takes to trust AI, and what it takes for AI to earn a place on your QA team.

📍 BucurestiRegistration closed

Testing & Beer - Let's Talk QA Over a Drink in BUCHAREST

Tabăra de Testare invites you to the most relaxed testing meetup around: Testing & Beer. No slides. No agenda. No pressure. Just testers, drinks, and good conversation about the craft we love. Grab a beer, a glass of wine, or a soft drink and join us for an evening of open discussion — automation, AI in QA, war stories from production, career chats, or whatever's on your mind. Bring your questions, your hot takes, and your curiosity. What to expect: - Casual, free-flowing conversation about software testin - A friendly crowd of QA folks, from juniors to veterans - Drinks available at the venue — alcoholic and non-alcoholic (just a friendly reminder that everyone covers their own tab) - Zero formality Whether you're here to learn, share, network, or just unwind with people who get what a flaky test feels like — come join us. See you there.

📍 IasiRegistration closed

Testing & Beer - Let's Talk QA Over a Drink in IASI

Whether you're here to learn, share, network, or just unwind with people who get what a flaky test feels like — come join us. See you there.

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