less is more
Test automation scope
When it comes to coding test don’t waste too much time on native coding - packages are there too help you, just be selective and conscious of potential overheads created on the build server. The scope of automation is not just about verifying features - that is the quality window from business viewpoint, but the test automation scope is more dynamic than this.
Including non-functional tests earlier
You can waste a lot of time focusing on trapping functional errors, but these hold little value in comparisron to testing for performance issues. You don’t need to run a heavy load test to get useful feedback, and developers find these tests useful.