Rosie Sherry started Ministry of Testing in 2007 as a simple side project - a forum for software testers who needed a place to connect. She didn't have a business plan. She just knew testers deserved better than what existed.

The Humble Beginning (2007)

Despite being an introvert, Rosie launched the community using Ning, a free hosted platform. She reached out to "a few well-known testers" she knew and invited them to join.

"If I can help people, then why not?" was her philosophy from day one.

The Long Road to Revenue

For the first four years, Ministry of Testing was just a forum - free to use, with no real monetization. Rosie ran it as a side project while raising five children.

But she deliberately avoided advertising: "It takes away lots of energy and conflicts with community interests."

The Pivot to Events (2012)

The breakthrough came when Rosie launched TestBash, the community's first conference, in Cambridge with just 65 attendees. It was terrifying for an introvert, but it worked.

By 2019, Ministry of Testing was running 9 conferences annually across multiple countries.

Revenue Model Evolution

• Conferences and events (primary driver)
• Professional memberships
• Online courses and masterclasses
• Marketing services

$1.2M ARR (2019)

After 12 years of patient building, Ministry of Testing reached $1.2 million in annual revenue. Rosie eventually brought her husband Graham onboard and hired a CEO to handle day-to-day operations.

The Philosophy

"Plant the seed, but don't expect something straight away."

Rosie's kindness-first approach spread throughout the community. She focused on authenticity and "real issues" rather than corporate messaging.

• Time to meaningful revenue: 5 years
• Time to $1.2M ARR: 12 years
• Conferences per year: 9
• Team size at exit: 20+
• First conference attendees: 65