I genuinely enjoy leaving restaurant reviews.
Not after every meal. Only when something was exceptionally good… or exceptionally bad.
A few days ago, while writing one of my QA reports, I realized something. A good software review and a good restaurant review are almost the same thing.
Think about Starbucks.
Why did Starbucks become famous?
Because they didn’t just sell coffee. They sold an experience. Walking into the store. Hearing your name called. The familiar atmosphere. Trying a seasonal drink. Knowing your favorite coffee will taste exactly the same every single visit.
I have a home office. I can make my own coffee. I can work from my desk without leaving the house. Yet every once in a while… I still grab my laptop and spend the afternoon working at Starbucks. Not because I need coffee.
Because the experience feels different.
Or maybe your favorite local restaurant.
Everyone has one.
The place where the waiter already knows your order. Where the chef knows exactly how you like your food. Where you don’t just feel like another customer. You feel welcome. When people review places like that… They rarely write:
“★★★★★ Food was good.”
Instead they write something like:
“The food was incredible. The atmosphere felt like home. The staff made us feel welcome. We’ll definitely come back.”
Notice something?
They aren’t reviewing only the food.
They’re reviewing how the place made them feel.
Software Works Exactly the Same Way
People often assume QA is about asking questions like:
Does this button work? Does this form submit? Does this API return 200? Those questions matter.
But they’re only part of the story.
When I review software, I pay attention to something different first.
How did it feel? Was every click intuitive? Did I naturally know what to do next? Did the interface guide me without making me think? Did I enjoy using it? Or was I simply trying to finish as quickly as possible?
That’s Why My Reports Feel Different
Yes.
I include bug reports. Reproduction steps. Expected results. Severity. Recommendations.
That’s part of the job.
But before I become an engineer… I become a customer. I document what confused me. What delighted me. What made me trust the product. What made me hesitate.
Because fixing software isn’t only about fixing bugs. Sometimes it’s about improving moments.
The Sticky Notes
One of my favorite things about some restaurants is seeing hundreds of little notes left by customers.
Tiny messages.
“Best burger I’ve ever had.”
“We’ll come back.”
“Thank you.”
Those notes aren’t there because everything was technically perfect. They’re there because people remembered how the place made them feel. Software is no different. The products we recommend aren’t always the ones with the most features. They’re the ones we enjoyed using.
That’s Why I Start With Feelings
Most QA reports begin with functionality.
Mine usually begin with experience. Only after I understand the experience… do I move into the technical details.
Because if users love using your product… they’re surprisingly forgiving of the occasional typo. They might overlook a button that required a second click. They may never notice that one icon is two pixels misaligned.
But they’ll never forget how your product made them feel. That feeling is what determines whether they come back… or quietly uninstall it.
Final Reflection
Every founder hopes people fall in love with the product they’ve built.
QA exists to help make that happen.
That’s why I don’t review software the same way I inspect code. I review it the same way I review restaurants.
Not just asking:
“Did it work?”
But asking something much more important.
“Would I come back?”
Understand first. Test second. Explain always.
