---
title: >
  Work in small chunks
pubDate: 2023-08-26
permalink: >-
  daily/2023/08/26/work-in-small-chunks
tags:
  - automated-testing
  - test-driven-development
---

When working with teams who are starting with automated tests and test-driven development, a common issue is being stuck on a failing test and trying to do too much at once while getting it to pass.

Instead, work in small bite-sized iterations and focus on getting the test to pass as quickly as possible.

You don't want to be stuck in a failing state for longer than you need to.

Run the tests often, write the simplest code possible and don't write any code that isn't driven by a failing test.

Don't make too many changes at once so, if you do get stuck, you can reset to the last working test and start again.