The Importance of Software Quality

Quality in software development is crucial for ensuring that applications function correctly and efficiently, minimizing bugs and errors. Early experiences in software engineering often shape developers' understanding of quality; for instance, having built an ad server, the speaker realized the need for reliable software that doesn't negatively impact users. Emphasizing automation over manual testing leads to cost efficiency in the long run, as automated tests become cheaper to maintain while manual testing increases in cost over time. Hence, integrating quality checks early in the development process becomes a strategic business decision.