Lead Test Engineer at VoCoVo — testability, test automation architecture and engineering feedback loops across cloud, edge and connected systems.

20+ years across connected hardware, cloud services, APIs and web platforms. I specialise in making complex systems testable — improving observability, controllability and reproducibility so teams find expensive failures early. Currently looking after testing across Linux edge controllers, backend services and React front ends supporting 8,000+ retail locations and 100,000+ users.

• 🔭 Currently: leading a Cypress → Playwright migration and Linux controller automation (Vitest + TypeScript)
• 🌱 Learning: Kubernetes, Docker orchestration for test environments, agentic architecture (Claude Certified Architect – Foundations, in progress)
• 🤝 Happy to collaborate on: test architecture, automation frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, open source
• 💬 Ask me about: testability, risk-based testing, Playwright, contract testing, automation strategy
• 📫 Reach me: any of the badges above

const richardForjoe = {
  pronouns: "He | Him",
  role: "Lead Test Engineer @ VoCoVo",
  focus: ["Testability", "Automation architecture", "Engineering feedback loops"],
  languages: ["TypeScript", "JavaScript", "Node.js", "Java", "Bash", "SQL"],
  automation: ["Playwright", "Cypress", "Vitest", "Jest", "Supertest", "Selenium", "Rest-Assured"],
  protocols: ["REST", "GraphQL", "WebSockets", "MQTT", "SIP", "SOAP"],
  platforms: ["Docker", "Kubernetes", "Linux", "AWS", "Azure", "GitHub Actions", "GitLab CI", "Jenkins"],
  observability: ["Datadog", "Pendo", "Gatling", "JMeter", "OWASP ZAP"],
  practice: ["Risk-based testing", "Exploratory testing", "Contract testing", "Shift-left"],
};

Languages & runtime

Testing & automation

Platforms & CI/CD

Protocols & data

Bugs and questions I've reported against the tools I use day to day:

• microsoft/playwright#33085 — routeWebSocket does not handle full URLs (fixed)
• cucumber/common#2152 — incorrect status reported for skipped / pending / failed steps (fixed)
• badeball/cypress-cucumber-preprocessor#1052 — same status-reporting issue, downstream
• lerna/lerna#3063 — versioning a package without bumping its dependencies

I write about test architecture, locator strategy and engineering practice on Medium:

• The Twenty Commands You Type Every Day (and Shouldn't)
• Stop Trying to Keep Up With AI Code Generation
• Stop Reporting Test Activity: Show the Business Impact of Testing Instead
• Stop Writing Brittle Tests: A Locator Strategy for Your Web Portal
• WebSocket Mock Server and Cypress Integration
• A Tester's Lessons from Clean Architecture by Robert C. Martin

Companies — VoCoVo · Sky · Infomentum · Kirona · Strikingly (Y Combinator) · Atos UK · TCL

Domains — Connected hardware & edge · OTT / TV apps · MuleSoft & Oracle Cloud integration · Billing & payments · Contact centre · ERP · Credit Account Information Sharing (CAIS) · Infrastructure & transitions

Industries — Central & local government · Telecoms · Utilities · Retail · Non-profit · Financial services · Media & broadcasting · B2B & B2C

Photography, design and games. I shoot street and portraits:

• 🌐 Portfolio
• 🚶 Street — @forjoe_streets
• 🧑 Portraits — @forjoe_ports