Automation Before Automation | Abu Dhabi Meetup

The Test Tribe 1st Abu Dhabi Meetup – Automation Before Automation

Most conversations about test automation start too late—after requirements are written, frameworks are chosen, and CI pipelines are already in place. But real-world testing rarely begins that neatly.

What if automation could start before test cases, scripts, or even a testing strategy exist?

In this practical and mindset-shifting session, Liudas Jankauskas introduces the concept of “Automation Before Automation” - a way to uncover critical API issues early, when all you have is an endpoint and a cURL. This is about exposing reality fast, not building false confidence.

Event Details

• Date: 7th February 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM GST
• Venue: Grand Central, Haibu Space Coworking, Abu Dhabi Mall
• Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/s8fPV1ZgJLntMXbEA

Session: Automation Before Automation - Finding API Bugs When You Have No Tests

Speaker: Liudas Jankauskas

About the Session

In real projects, automation often begins long before frameworks, assertions, or pipelines exist - sometimes with nothing more than an API endpoint and a single cURL command.

This session explores how to automatically explore API behavior using imperfect inputs:

• Missing fields
• Wrong data types
• Boundary values
• Malformed payloads

These are the “boring” cases that frequently get skipped until they cause production incidents.

Using Rentgen, a local-first API testing tool, Liudas will demonstrate how a single cURL can be expanded into hundreds of meaningful tests in minutes. The goal isn’t to replace automation frameworks, but to surface obvious problems early, turning days of manual exploration into minutes of fast, reality-based feedback.

Key Takeaways

• Why most API bugs come from “obvious” input cases nobody tests early
• How to get immediate testing value with no tests, no framework, and no CI
• The difference between talking to an API and actually testing its behavior
• How early automation reduces wasted effort in later scripted test suites

About the Speaker

Liudas Jankauskas is a senior QA leader with 18+ years of experience testing complex systems across fintech, government, and large-scale platforms.

He focuses on pragmatic testing, risk-based thinking, and exposing system behavior early before automation dashboards and false confidence take over.

Liudas is the creator of Rentgen, a local-first API testing tool born directly from real-world testing pain. His work consistently challenges teams to test what matters, when it matters most.

Why You Should Attend

• Learn how to uncover critical API issues before formal automation exists
• See a practical approach to early testing that saves time and effort later
• Shift your mindset from framework-first to behavior-first testing
• Get honest, real-world insights from a seasoned QA leader
• Be part of The Test Tribe’s first-ever meetup in Abu Dhabi

About The Test Tribe

The Test Tribe is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With 700+ events and 150K+ members across 130+ countries, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more.

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About pCloudy
Pcloudy is an Agentic AI digital experience testing platform that brings together real devices, real browsers, and intelligent AI agents—guided by human oversight—to validate functionality, performance, and AI behavior across your Web, Mobile Apps, and APIs.

Recognized as the industry’s fastest device cloud with instant device connections, Pcloudy is trusted by 500+ global enterprises and powers over 2 million + test runs every month across 5000+ real device & browser combinations. With 300k+ registered users and enterprise-grade security (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR), Pcloudy ensures every release meets the highest standards of speed, quality, and reliability.

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