Season 2 Episode #11: In this episode of Tech Effect, we meet Nikolaj Tolkačiov. Nikolaj is an Engineering Manager at Nord Security, Independent QA Consultant, and Executive Board Member at LTSTQB with extensive experience in software quality assurance and engineering leadership.

Join us as Nikolaj shares his unconventional journey from QA to leading engineering teams and the hard lessons learned from an ambitious leap to CTO that didn't work out. He reveals insights from game theory about why we're all naturally selfish and how leaders can build cooperation through trust and incentives. We also explore the art of balancing quality with delivery speed when shipping features with known bugs, the security challenges of testing zero-knowledge architecture at Nord Security, and his advice for QA professionals on building their skills before relying on AI.

The unconventional path from QA to engineering leadership and the lessons learned along the way

Childhood curiosity about bot algorithms in shooter games led Nikolaj to pursue software development and find a path in QA
After leading up to 130 QAs, he hit a ceiling in testing-focused leadership, prompting a shift toward broader engineering management
He shares reflections on the “CTO shortcut” and lessons from taking a role before having full competency
His work with the LTSTQB (Lithuanian Software Testing and Qualifications Board) is driven by passion for the community rather than pay

How QA mindsets support engineering leadership

Leaders can benefit from letting go of the QA instinct to fix every bug to prioritize team delivery
A QA background lets a manager calculate the risk of a release against the benefit of shipping early
Nikolaj advises being mindful of how you deliver bug reports to developers, and suggests pair testing as a way to coach them on testing techniques
Quality ownership stems from a leader's values or an engineer's pride in their work

Game theory reveals why we're all selfish - and how to build cooperation anyway

Everyone is naturally selfish and won't cooperate without incentives or trust
Leaders must intentionally create incentives for cooperation rather than rewarding individual achievement
Competitive environments lead to knowledge hoarding; collaborative ones unlock team potential through sharing
Sharing knowledge multiplies capabilities and creates feedback loops - organizations already built this into promotion paths

Security architecture and the role of AI in testing

Testing zero-knowledge architectures is difficult since database data can't be directly inspected or manipulated, forcing reliance on the UI and custom tooling
AI hallucinations require manual quality checks even when management looks to cut costs with automation
Junior engineers must master fundamental skills before using AI so they can audit the tool's output
Staying “on the edge” means finding the space between comfort and being overwhelmed to keep a career innovative

And Much More

Nikolaj Tolkačiov

Engineering Manager at Nord Security

Nikolaj Tolkačiov is an Engineering Manager at Nord Security, Independent QA Consultant and Quality Coach, and Executive Board Member at LSTQB (Lithuanian Software Testing and Qualifications Board). With a background spanning from hands-on QA and test automation to leading 130 quality assurance professionals, Nikolaj has moved through the full spectrum of software quality leadership. His current work at Nord Security centers on creating environments where teams can deliver high-quality software efficiently and sustainably.

Josh William Burmistre-Griffiths

Digital Marketing and Paid Ad Specialist

Josh William Burmistre-Griffiths works at TestDevLab, focusing on digital marketing and paid advertising across multiple platforms. His past experience working at agencies and unicorn startups has equipped Josh with the expertise to bring valuable digital marketing insights to Tech Effect.

# 30 Nikolaj Tolkačiov (Nord Security): We Are All Selfish: Game Theory, Trust, and Building Better QA Teams

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