More than a decade ago, Tetyana Afanasyeva worked with test tubes and cell cultures. Today, she tests a complex financial system at the international company Koyfin and lives in Southern California. Her path is an example of how analytical thinking and systematicity can translate from science to global IT. dev.ua talked to Tetyana and learned more about her career path.
More than a decade ago, Tetyana Afanasyeva worked with test tubes and cell cultures. Today, she tests a complex financial system at the international company Koyfin and lives in Southern California. Her path is an example of how analytical thinking and systematicity can translate from science to global IT. dev.ua talked to Tetyana and learned more about her career path.
Tetyana was born in Starokostyantyniv, Khmelnytskyi Oblast. She is a biotechnologist by education, having studied at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
«As a child, I dreamed of working in science — I was fascinated by biology, chemistry, and research. But over time, I realized that I was closer to logic, structure, and accuracy. This is what led me to IT,» she says.
Tetyana began her journey in technology at Ciklum, where she tested web applications — first manually, then automated. She worked in various domains — from virtual reality to eSports analytics. It was there that she felt that QA was her element: analytics, systematicity, details on which everything depends.
In 2020, Tetyana joined Koyfin, an American platform that aggregates financial data for investors and analysts. Here she is responsible for testing integrations with data providers, automating checks, and building quality strategies.
«In fintech, the biggest challenge is the volume and complexity of information. I test portfolios with thousands of positions, historical series, corporate actions, integrations with various data providers. My goal is to make the data as transparent and accurate as possible for users,» she says. Tatyana managed to build processes in such a way as to quickly find discrepancies between sources and make the data transparent and correct for users.
Tetyana created her own JavaScript automated testing frameworks and integrated them into CI/CD processes. This reduced regression testing time by 70–80% and allowed her to release the product several times a week, which significantly speeds up development.
«I always figure out why an error occurred and show the team how it can be prevented. This saves business resources — because fixing during development is dozens of times cheaper than in production,» says Tetyana.
She adds, «QA is not just about tests, it’s about thinking systems.» Tetyana explains that the key to her approach is understanding the causes of errors, not just fixing them.
Tatyana moved to the United States after the start of the full-scale invasion.
«It was a difficult, but necessary decision — I wanted safety for the children. Along with the challenges of moving, I also saw opportunities — working with global companies, developing professionally, and applying my experience to a new level,» she says.
She currently lives in Southern California, works remotely, and participates in projects that benefit thousands of users around the world.
In addition to work, Tetyana shares her knowledge with colleagues.
«Modern QA must understand not only the interface, but also business logic, integrations, and databases. I show that quality is primarily a way of thinking, not just testing,» says Tetyana.
Tatyana admits that she is inspired by the moment when a complex data or automation task finally works correctly — when you see that the graph that was previously «falling» now shows a clean picture. «It’s the feeling that my work makes the product more reliable and helps people make the right decisions. Another driver — I am pleased when colleagues ask for help — it is a sign of trust and proof that I am doing something right. It means that my knowledge is valuable and affects not only the project, but also the development of the team,» she notes.
In Tatyana’s opinion, the difference between Ukrainian and American IT is not that big.
«The US has a larger scale, but the approach is the same. Ukrainian specialists are extremely competitive: they learn quickly, work at a high pace, and have a systems mindset. This is our strength.»
Here are some tips from Tatyana for those who want to enter American IT:
Tetyana is convinced that there are even more challenges ahead. «I want to scale automation, implement AI solutions in QA, and show businesses that quality is not an expense, but a strategic investment,» the specialist concludes. She also plans to continue developing in Fintess: scale automation, implement AI solutions in QA, and show businesses that quality is a strategic investment.
