Inspectable work
Every deliverable should be reviewable by a peer without a screen share marathon.
[story]
Why Excel Core exists
We formed around a narrow frustration: brilliant testers were drowning in vague templates while engineers asked for clearer signals. Excel Core pairs inspectable exercises with facilitator critique so teams adopt habits—not just certificates.
[principles]
Operating notes
Honest automation boundaries
We name what scripts cannot see instead of selling blanket coverage.
Psychological safety in reviews
Critique targets artefacts; facilitators model language that reduces defensiveness.
Regional relevance
Examples reference AU consumer law touchpoints and typical vendor stacks we actually see.
[timeline]
Milestones
- 2019
First public defect storytelling clinic
Piloted in Sydney with twelve manual testers from finance and health products.
- 2022
Playwright lab series launched
Shifted UI automation content to trace-first workflows and CI annotations.
- 2025
Blended cohorts across AU time zones
Standardised evening labs for Perth participants without diluting live critique.
[people]
Core team
Morgan Ellis
QA Lead
Shapes defect communication standards for cohorts and enterprise clinics.
Jordan Vale
Automation Mentor
Owns Playwright and CI lab tracks; previously hardened retail peak suites.
Riley Ng
API Testing Coach
Focuses on contract testing and telemetry literacy for testers.
Avery Chen
Learner Support Lead
Runs facilitation logistics, accessibility checks, and inclusion practices.
Casey Rowe
Strategy Facilitator
Guides risk workshops with product and engineering leadership.
Taylor Brooks
Performance Coach
Bridges testers and SREs with polite load smokes and SLI language.
Sydney Park
Curriculum Editor
Keeps labs aligned with tool releases and Australian enterprise contexts.
Dev Malik
Lab Infrastructure
Maintains sandboxes, secrets hygiene, and template repositories.