How to Get Developers and PMs Involved in Testing?

In many teams, testing is still seen as a responsibility that belongs solely to QA. Developers write code, product managers define requirements, and testers are expected to find the bugs before release. On paper, this sounds efficient. In practice, it often leads to delays, blind spots, and tense handoffs. However, software testing is a critical component of the product development process, ensuring that issues are identified and addressed early.

🎯 TL;DR - Get Your Whole Team Testing

Modern SaaS teams can’t afford that. Release cycles are shorter, customers expect seamless experiences across browsers and devices, and the cost of a production bug is higher than ever. If testing remains siloed, QA becomes a bottleneck and critical defects slip through.

This article explores why testing shouldn’t be left to QA alone, how developers and PMs can meaningfully contribute, and how low-code tools like BugBug make collaboration easier for SaaS teams.

Why Testing Shouldn’t Be QA’s Job Alone

Leaving testing entirely to QA might feel efficient, but it comes with serious risks:

• Missed business logic – QA can verify functionality, but without deep context from developers and PMs, critical scenarios get overlooked. QA teams may also lack the necessary context to prepare comprehensive test cases, which can result in gaps in coverage.
• Fragile or incomplete automation – A small QA team can’t cover every integration, API, and UI workflow alone. Without developer input, test suites often break as the product evolves. Test automation and automated testing are essential for maintaining reliable coverage, and developer involvement helps ensure robust test execution.
• Delays and bottlenecks – When QA is the only line of defense, releases stall in a testing backlog. Developers move on, bugs resurface late, and the cycle repeats. Relying solely on manual testing can slow down testing cycles and limit the effectiveness of overall testing efforts.

On the flip side, when testing is shared:

• Developers bring technical depth by writing stable unit and integration tests.
• Product managers bring business perspective by prioritizing test coverage around customer value.
• QA engineers bring testing expertise through strategies, exploratory sessions, and regression coverage. System tests play a critical role in validating software integration, and a well-defined test plan ensures all necessary test cases and scenarios are addressed.

In agile and DevOps environments, testing can’t be a final phase—it must be baked into the workflow. Structured testing efforts, including the execution of well-prepared test cases, ensure that features are thoroughly tested before release. Teams that embrace shared testing reduce defect rates, ship faster, and deliver a more consistent user experience.

How to Involve Developers in Testing

Developers are closest to the codebase, making their role in testing both natural and essential. Testing at the code level is crucial, as developers are responsible for code quality and ensuring their own code meets established standards before further QA involvement. It’s not about turning them into full-time testers, but rather giving them ownership of the areas where their expertise matters most:

1. Write and maintain automated tests
   Developers should own unit tests and contribute to integration tests. As a best practice, developers should write unit tests as part of their development tasks to validate low-level functionality early and keep automation stable.
2. Review code with testing in mind
   Code reviews shouldn’t just check syntax or performance. Developers tend to focus on code-level verification and should ensure their own code meets quality standards during reviews. They should also raise questions like: “What happens if this API fails?” or “Do we have coverage for this case?”.
3. Pair with QA to debug failing tests
   When automated tests fail in CI/CD, developers can help determine whether it’s a flaky test or a real defect. This shortens feedback loops and prevents finger-pointing.
4. Own lower-level validation
   Developers should focus on unit and integration testing, while QA handles system-level and exploratory coverage. It is important that developers do not test their own code beyond a certain level to maintain objectivity. Clear ownership prevents duplication and ensures broad coverage.

The engineering team is responsible for developing and refining testing processes throughout the project. Allocating time testing and following an iterative process of identifying, addressing, and retesting issues ensures that defects are fixed before release. Engineering plays a key role in developing robust testing strategies and maintaining high code quality.

Many SaaS teams also rotate responsibilities—developers spend part of a sprint helping QA stabilize automation or investigate failures. During a project, specific tasks and tasks related to testing are assigned to developers, ensuring effective collaboration and coverage. This spreads knowledge and keeps pipelines healthy.

How to Involve Product Managers in Testing

Product managers don’t usually write scripts, but their role in testing is vital. Product management is crucial for aligning testing efforts with user needs and customer satisfaction, ensuring that quality assurance supports both business objectives and positive customer experiences. They represent the customer’s perspective and ensure delivered features align with business goals.

Here’s how PMs can contribute:

1. Define clear acceptance criteria
   Each user story should include unambiguous acceptance criteria. Understanding user needs and pain points is essential for defining effective test cases that address real-world challenges and ensure the product meets user expectations. This ensures QA and developers test for business needs, not just implementation details.
2. Prioritize coverage by business risk
   Not all features are equal. PMs help QA and devs focus on high-impact flows like checkout, authentication, or billing.
3. Participate in UAT and exploratory sessions
   By running through end-to-end flows, PMs validate usability and uncover gaps that technical testing misses. Involving users in testing helps identify pain points and drive improvement, ultimately enhancing the overall user experience. (See our article on UAT vs E2E testing for more details.)
4. Shape the definition of “done”
   A feature isn’t done when it passes automated tests. With PM input, “done” means the feature delivers real value to customers. Product management ensures that new features are validated for improvement and customer satisfaction before release.

When PMs actively engage, teams avoid the pitfall of shipping features that technically work but fail to meet business expectations.

How Low-Code Testing Solutions Help SaaS Teams Collaborate on QA

SaaS teams deploy frequently, often with lean QA resources and constant delivery pressure. Traditional frameworks like Selenium or Cypress are powerful but demand heavy coding skills and maintenance—resources many SaaS teams lack.

Low-code testing solutions change the equation.

• Lower the barrier to entry
  Record-and-playback interfaces let QA and developers create automated tests quickly. Low-code tools can be used across various products to streamline testing and ensure consistent coverage. Even PMs can trigger runs or review results without needing technical expertise.
• Reduce maintenance overhead
  Editing flows visually instead of rewriting scripts speeds up updates when features evolve. Manual test cases can be easily updated or converted to automated flows in low-code platforms, making test maintenance more efficient.
• Encourage cross-role collaboration
  Tests become accessible to all roles, creating a shared language. QA designs flows, developers refine edge cases, and PMs validate outcomes—all in the same platform.
• Fit into SaaS workflows
  The best low-code tools integrate with CI/CD pipelines, cloud runs, and communication channels. Automated feedback becomes available to the whole team, not just QA.

With BugBug, for example:

• A recorder + no-code editor makes building tests effortless.
• Results are easy to share, so PMs can validate workflows quickly.
• CI/CD and Slack integrations keep developers in the loop.
• Cloud runs remove infrastructure overhead.

Low-code testing doesn’t replace QA expertise; it amplifies it by letting everyone contribute. If you’re curious, check our web application testing guide for a deeper dive.

Practical Strategies to Build a Collaborative Testing Culture

Tools alone won’t build collaboration—habits and culture will. Here are strategies that make involvement from developers and PMs sustainable:

• Invite PMs to exploratory sessions once per sprint to catch usability issues early.
• Make results visible with dashboards or Slack alerts, so accountability is shared. Maintaining a detailed log of testing activities and issues is crucial for tracking defects and ensuring quality assurance.
• Rotate testing ownership among developers to reduce reliance on QA alone. Having a dedicated QA person or tester can help maintain consistency and accountability throughout the process.
• Hold “three amigos” workshops (QA, Dev, PM) during sprint planning to align on scenarios.
• Celebrate testing wins by highlighting bugs caught before release. Recognition reinforces shared responsibility. At this point, collaboration between developers, testers, and QA persons is essential for effective quality assurance.

🚀 Struggling to pick the right test stack? Here’s our breakdown of the best web testing tools and how to use them effectively.

How BugBug Facilitates Collaboration

BugBug was built with collaborative testing in mind:

• No-code test creation lets QA, devs, and PMs contribute without friction.
• Easy result sharing keeps stakeholders aligned.
• CI/CD and Slack integration ensures developers see failures instantly.
• Cloud runs without infrastructure make it practical for small, fast-moving teams.

By reducing barriers and simplifying automation, BugBug makes it realistic for all roles to stay engaged in quality.

Conclusion

The reality is simple: quality is a shared responsibility. Developers, product managers, and QA engineers must collaborate to catch issues early, align testing with business priorities, and deliver features with confidence. It's important to note that quality assurance is a proactive, strategic mindset that goes beyond software testing—it's about building quality into every stage of the product lifecycle. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to ensure high product quality for customer satisfaction.

Testing can’t be treated as QA’s isolated responsibility. In today’s SaaS environment, where speed and quality are non-negotiable, developers, product managers, and QA must work together to build products customers trust.

• Developers provide technical depth.
• Product managers ensure business alignment.
• QA engineers design effective test strategies.

By embracing low-code testing and building collaborative practices, teams ship faster, reduce production bugs, and deliver better user experiences.

👉 Ready to bring your whole team into testing? Try BugBug — it makes collaborative QA simple, fast, and code-free.

FAQ

How do you collaborate with developers and product managers?

Use shared test plans, bug triage sessions, and QA-focused Slack channels. Keep communication asynchronous with dashboards and automated reports.

Does a product manager do testing?

Yes, but not like QA or developers. PMs typically don’t write scripts but add value through exploratory testing, validating workflows, and joining UAT sessions.

Do product managers do UAT testing?

Often, yes. PMs validate whether the product meets business goals—like ensuring a billing flow works as intended—while QA ensures functional accuracy.

How do you approach collaboration with other team members during the testing process?

Treat collaboration as part of development, not an afterthought. Use “three amigos” workshops to align early, and keep results transparent during sprints.