Methodology
How the Luvo100 is selected
Transparency and credibility matter more to us than maximising participation. This page explains exactly how people reach the Luvo100.
The Founding Luvo100, 2026
The Founding Luvo100 was editorially selected by Luvo100.
The founding list establishes the standard of influence the award recognises, and forms the baseline against which future editions are assessed.
Future editions: a three-stage model
01
Community nominations
The global software testing community identifies people deserving consideration. Each verified account may nominate a limited number of people per edition.
02
Community voting
Luvo100 publishes an approved shortlist. Verified users receive a fixed allocation of votes and may cast at most one vote per candidate.
03
Editorial selection
Community support is considered alongside industry impact, innovation, contribution, thought leadership, practical impact, reach and continued relevance.
Community nominations + community voting + Luvo100 editorial assessment = the final Luvo100. Votes are an important signal, never the whole answer. This is what keeps the list from becoming a social-media popularity contest.
Editorial assessment criteria
- Industry impact
- How significantly have they influenced software testing or quality?
- Innovation
- Have they introduced important new ideas, approaches or technology?
- Community contribution
- Do they educate, mentor or contribute to the profession?
- Thought leadership
- Are their ideas influencing industry practice?
- Practical impact
- Have their contributions resulted in meaningful real-world outcomes?
- Reach
- How broadly does their work influence the profession?
- Continued relevance
- Are they actively shaping its future?
Editorial assessments are private. Individual scores are never published, and no fixed weighting formula is applied unless it is explicitly configured and disclosed. Every final list requires administrator approval.
What the Luvo100 is not
- A place in the Luvo100 cannot be bought.
- Commercial relationships do not guarantee inclusion.
- Follower counts alone do not determine inclusion.
- Receiving the most votes does not automatically guarantee selection.
- Nominations do not guarantee shortlisting.
- Shortlisting does not mean someone has been selected for the Luvo100.
- The final selection remains subject to Luvo100 editorial review.