--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can't test it, don't build it. If…" description: "\"If you can't test it, don't build it. If you don't test it, rip it out.\" — Boris Beizer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/boris-beizer-34583_bugs_if-you-can-t-test-it-don-t-build-it-if-y_116977.png" --- # If you can't test it, don't build it. If you don't test… ![“If you can't test it, don't build it. If you don't test it, rip it out.” quote by Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/boris-beizer-34583_bugs_if-you-can-t-test-it-don-t-build-it-if-y_116977.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/boris-beizer-34583_bugs_if-you-can-t-test-it-don-t-build-it-if-y_116977.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/boris-beizer-34583_bugs_if-you-can-t-test-it-don-t-build-it-if-y_116977.png) > “If you can't test it, don't build it. If you don't test it, rip it out.” [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unverified designs are risky; without testing, they should not be built, and untested components must be removed. **In simple terms:** If you can't test it, don't build it. Key Takeaway Test before commit. Themes engineering risk management quality assurance software development Mood pragmatic cautious Type technical prescriptive When to use this quote - hardware prototyping - software release cycles - medical device design Key Concepts verification validation Practical Applications - Implement mandatory test gates - Adopt test‑driven development Questions to Reflect On - When is it acceptable to proceed without full testing? - How can we balance speed and safety? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on testing can stifle rapid innovation in early‑stage exploration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bugs/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Software engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/software-engineering/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) ## Related quotes > [Bugs lurk in corners and congregate at boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/bugs-lurk-in-corners-and-congregate-at-boundaries/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [A good threat is worth a thousand tests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/a-good-threat-is-worth-a-thousand-tests/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [Tear me down, or build me up. I don't really give a f\*ck. Ima keep doing me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-flores/tear-me-down-or-build-me-up-i-don-t-really-give-a-f-ck-ima-keep-doing/) Leslie Flores > [Without the a test you don't have a testimony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/without-the-a-test-you-don-t-have-a-testimony/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [I started something with Test, but I don't know what it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-keibler/i-started-something-with-test-but-i-don-t-know-what-it-was/) [Stacy Keibler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-keibler/) > [I'm not a test. So don't cheat on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savy-griffis/i-m-not-a-test-so-don-t-cheat-on-me/) Savy Griffis > [So make the best of this test, and don't ask why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-day/so-make-the-best-of-this-test-and-don-t-ask-why/) [Green Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-day/) > [Avoiding complexity reduces bugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/avoiding-complexity-reduces-bugs/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [Product quality has almost nothing to do with defects or their lack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/product-quality-has-almost-nothing-to-do-with-defects-or-their-lack/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [I find that writing unit tests actually increases my programming speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fowler/i-find-that-writing-unit-tests-actually-increases-my-programming-speed/) [Martin Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fowler/) > [Second law: The complexity barrier. Software complexity (and therefore that of bugs) grows to the limits of our ability to manage that complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/second-law-the-complexity-barrier-software-complexity-and-therefore/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [First law: The pesticide paradox. Every method you use to prevent or find bugs leaves a residue of subtler bugs against which those methods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/first-law-the-pesticide-paradox-every-method-you-use-to-prevent-or/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [More than the act of testing, the act of designing tests is one of the best bug preventers known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/more-than-the-act-of-testing-the-act-of-designing-tests-is-one-of-the/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [A design remedy that prevents bugs is always preferable to a test method that discovers them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/a-design-remedy-that-prevents-bugs-is-always-preferable-to-a-test/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [If the objective of testing were to prove that a program is free of bugs, then not only would testing be practically impossible, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/if-the-objective-of-testing-were-to-prove-that-a-program-is-free-of/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) ## More by Boris Beizer > [Testing proves a programmer’s failure. Debugging is the programmer’s vindication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/testing-proves-a-programmer-s-failure-debugging-is-the-programmer-s/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [More than the act of testing, the act of designing tests is one of the best bug preventers known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/more-than-the-act-of-testing-the-act-of-designing-tests-is-one-of-the/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [Software never was perfect and won't get perfect. But is that a license to create garbage? The missing ingredient is our reluctance to quantify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/software-never-was-perfect-and-won-t-get-perfect-but-is-that-a/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [A good threat is worth a thousand tests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/a-good-threat-is-worth-a-thousand-tests/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [If the objective of testing were to prove that a program is free of bugs, then not only would testing be practically impossible, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/if-the-objective-of-testing-were-to-prove-that-a-program-is-free-of/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [Second law: The complexity barrier. Software complexity (and therefore that of bugs) grows to the limits of our ability to manage that complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/second-law-the-complexity-barrier-software-complexity-and-therefore/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [First law: The pesticide paradox. Every method you use to prevent or find bugs leaves a residue of subtler bugs against which those methods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/first-law-the-pesticide-paradox-every-method-you-use-to-prevent-or/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [A design remedy that prevents bugs is always preferable to a test method that discovers them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/a-design-remedy-that-prevents-bugs-is-always-preferable-to-a-test/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [In programming, it’s often the buts in the specification that kill you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/in-programming-it-s-often-the-buts-in-the-specification-that-kill-you/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [One of the saddest sights to me has always been a human at a keyboard doing something by hand that could be automated. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/one-of-the-saddest-sights-to-me-has-always-been-a-human-at-a-keyboard/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [Bugs lurk in corners and congregate at boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/bugs-lurk-in-corners-and-congregate-at-boundaries/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [A test that reveals a bug has succeeded, not failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/a-test-that-reveals-a-bug-has-succeeded-not-failed/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) > [Extra features were once considered desirable. We now recognize that 'free' features are rarely free. Any increase in generality that does not contribute to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-beizer/extra-features-were-once-considered-desirable-we-now-recognize-that/) [Boris Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) [Explore all 14 Boris Beizer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-beizer/) ## More Bugs quotes > [If you were to draw Bugs, the easiest way is to learn how to draw a carrot and then hook a rabbit onto it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-jones/if-you-were-to-draw-bugs-the-easiest-way-is-to-learn-how-to-draw-a/) [Chuck Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-jones/) > [I caught the acting bug from my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-wittrock/i-caught-the-acting-bug-from-my-dad/) [Finn Wittrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-wittrock/) > [I didnt write Snow White for any class, but I got bitten by the screenwriting bug and wrote a couple of scripts in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-daugherty/i-didnt-write-snow-white-for-any-class-but-i-got-bitten-by-the/) [Evan Daugherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-daugherty/) > [Think you a little din can daunt mine ears? Have I not in my time heard lions roar? Have I not heard the sea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/think-you-a-little-din-can-daunt-mine-ears-have-i-not-in-my-time/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Something that comes to us, some gym shoe that comes to us as a result of child labor from a brutal dictatorship, where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/something-that-comes-to-us-some-gym-shoe-that-comes-to-us-as-a-result/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [In politics, Bugs Bunny always beats Daffy Duck. Daffy's always going berserk, jumping up and down, yelling. Bugs's got that sly smile, like he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-greenfield/in-politics-bugs-bunny-always-beats-daffy-duck-daffy-s-always-going/) [Jeff Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-greenfield/) > [Look, it's terrible, I know, but weakness really, really bugs me, to the point that if there is a wounded bird on the sidewalk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/look-it-s-terrible-i-know-but-weakness-really-really-bugs-me-to-the/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [“Bugs make you ill Aqua, not the cold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-searle/bugs-make-you-ill-aqua-not-the-cold/) T.L. Searle > [I get a lot of stuff from Germany - stuffed bugs and tarantulas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-petersen/i-get-a-lot-of-stuff-from-germany-stuffed-bugs-and-tarantulas/) [William Petersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-petersen/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [It's hard to describe to people how terrible it was when you could only watch cartoons at a certain time in your life. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hamm/it-s-hard-to-describe-to-people-how-terrible-it-was-when-you-could/) [Jon Hamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hamm/) > [It's true, I had hacked into a lot of companies, and took copies of the source code to analyze it for security bugs. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-true-i-had-hacked-into-a-lot-of-companies-and-took-copies-of-the/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > ['Botanicula' tells the story of a group of twigs, nuts, and leaves trying to escape with the life essence of a tree in tow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/botanicula-tells-the-story-of-a-group-of-twigs-nuts-and-leaves-trying/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [When I'm in New York, I bike everywhere. I have a couple of bikes stored over at Ed Norton's. It's the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-m-in-new-york-i-bike-everywhere-i-have-a-couple-of-bikes/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [In the good old days physicists repeated each other's experiments, just to be sure. Today they stick to FORTRAN, so that they can share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/in-the-good-old-days-physicists-repeated-each-other-s-experiments/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) [Browse all 548 Bugs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bugs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can't test it, don't build it. 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