The Titanic, once proclaimed unsinkable, embarked on its maiden voyage from Southhampton to New York City in 1912. The tragic collision with an iceberg during the early hours of April 15 led to the demise of around 1500 individuals out of the 2200 on board.

The catastrophe’s roots were multifaceted, with one critical flaw being the lack of sufficient lifeboats for all passengers—an oversight in the ship’s design based on overconfidence.

However, as QA professionals, we understand the fallacy of assuming something “not going to happen.” The unforeseen does happen, often with devastating consequences.

When we consider accountability for the disaster, fingers may point at the captain, the shipbuilders, the company overseeing construction, or the shipline. Yet, in the end, does this attribution of blame matter to the 1500 who lost their lives?

The victims cannot be compensated or find solace in assigning fault. Similarly, when a company or a product fails, it’s not the executives who suffer the most. They will often just seamlessly transition to another venture and continue their work under the banner of another company while all the other employees with livelihoods intertwined with the company, face uncertain futures.

Quality is not a duty that can be relegated to a tester or QA professional; it is an individual and collective responsibility. It’s convenient to neglect this responsibility and point the finger at someone else, but often, it’s at least partially our responsibility, no matter what our job title says.

As QA professionals, it’s our duty to care deeply and, at times, intervene forcefully. We serve as gatekeepers, preventing scenarios where profit outweighs the value of lives, akin to placing insufficient lifeboats on a ship.

However, we shouldn’t stand alone in this endeavor. Developers, business analysts, financial officers, executives, and every individual associated with the product should share this responsibility. We are all interconnected and whether it’s a sinking ship or a failing company, the repercussions impact us all.

The Titanic’s fate teaches us a poignant lesson—we are interwoven with the products we create, and their quality reflects our collective commitment.

Quality isn’t just the concern of a QA engineer; it is a shared responsibility between everyone involved, impacting lives and futures alike.