Hiring a functional QA consultant: questions that expose theatre

Ask how they define “done” with Product — not how many tools they list. A strong answer talks about acceptance, risk, and who owns the release call.

Ask for an example of a defect or story that changed a user journey. Listen for empathy and business framing. Tool names without outcomes are decoration.

Ask what they refuse to automate first. Consultants who only sell frameworks often skip the messy functional work that actually reduces surprise.

Ask how they hand over. If the practice collapses when they leave, you rented activity. You did not buy capability.

Ask where AI fits. The answer should protect human judgement on users and business risk — and use machines for scaffolding, not for inventing confidence.