April 9, 1998 - This is my computer setup at the West Glenn Apartments in Campbell, California.
Hey, I’m Chris — the voice behind this blog and the mic on QA in a Box. I’m a Senior QA Engineer with a passion for clean releases, clever test cases, and the occasional rogue bug that thinks it can slip by unnoticed. (Spoiler alert: it can’t.)
Over the years, I’ve helped teams ship smarter, faster, and with fewer surprises. I’ve built automation frameworks, optimized test strategies, mentored offshore QA teams, and asked the questions others didn’t think to ask — all in the name of better software. For me, quality isn’t just about finding defects — it’s about building trust, clarity, and momentum into every release cycle.
This site is where I share what I’ve learned (and what I’m still learning) through blog posts, hands-on tutorials, podcast episodes, and the occasional QA war story. If you're someone who cares about quality, curiosity, and maybe even a little Macintosh nostalgia — you’ll feel right at home here.
And if you happen to be looking for someone who can champion quality across your product lifecycle — whether that’s as a hands-on contributor or QA team lead — I’m currently open to new opportunities. Let’s connect and build something great together.
Boosted Online Store Reliability - Engineered over 200 Pytest cases for an eCommerce platform, increasing test coverage by 70% and slashing production bugs by 50%, ensuring a smoother shopping experience for thousands of customers.
Data-Driven Impact - Translated complex test automation insights into clear, actionable reports for stakeholders and executives, helping drive smarter decisions and improving software quality across the board.
QA Leadership that Delivers - Led the QA Champion Team for WordStream Advisor, achieving 90% defect-free releases, ensuring marketing professionals had a seamless experience using the platform.
Strategic Testing that Works - Cut production bugs by 30% through risk-based test planning and automation, preventing critical issues from ever reaching customers.
Mentorship that Elevates Teams - Trained and mentored junior QA engineers, increasing overall team efficiency by 20%, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Speeding Up Testing with Automation - Automated API regression testing with REST Assured, slashing testing time by 50%, accelerating releases, and ensuring flawless integration with third-party systems.
My Simple Motto: Bringing Clarity to Complexity in QA.
This site was officially started on April 9, 1998, in a small 413 square foot apartment in Campbell, California. It has been 27 years since its inception! (Yes I have own this domain name for that long!)
While employed by Acclaim Technology, I helped early Internet companies like Netscape, Soundbreak.com, Marnell Carao Associates, and VirtualLender.com integrate their systems. I also worked on projects involving search engine optimization, Web traffic analytics, and website design. My work helped these companies to reach a wider audience and increase their customer base. I was also able to provide technical support to help customers better utilize the companies products.
My Macintosh 8600 AV and Centris 660AV computers taught me about audio/video and network capabilities. RealAudio was the most popular audio format at the time, and Sound Edit Pro gave me the ability to edit my collection of personal sounds.
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The idea for the cryan.com blog actually started as a creative experiment — I was exploring ways to test out Google Advertising and thought, “Why not build something that adds real value to the internet while I test things out?” A blog seemed like the perfect fit: a place to share knowledge, try new ideas, and support my passion for tech, tools, and all things QA. That’s the kind of “out of the box” thinking I love bringing to every project.
What began as a side project quickly turned into a daily habit. Since January 3rd, 2016, I’ve been blogging every single day. That’s 3,429 consecutive posts — nearly a decade of sharing tips, tutorials, stories, and tech discoveries. The topics may vary, but the mission remains the same: help others learn something new, spark a little curiosity, and make technology just a bit more approachable.
I'm always on the lookout for fresh perspectives and voices. If you’ve got an idea, insight, or interesting experience you'd like to share, I’d love to feature it. Guest contributions are warmly welcomed! Just drop me a note at Webmaster@cryan.com, and let’s collaborate to grow this community of curious minds and QA enthusiasts.
If you like my posts, let me know. Let's connect on Twitter, or send me an email via the Feedback page.