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Testing8 min read

Your Test Coverage Number Is Lying to You

80% test coverage means nothing if you're testing the wrong 80%. Here's how I think about coverage — not as a number to chase, but as a map of where you're blind.

By Jason TeixeiraJanuary 28, 2026
TestingQACode CoverageStrategyEngineering
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I've seen codebases with 95% test coverage that ship critical bugs weekly. I've seen codebases with 40% coverage that rarely break.

The number isn't the problem. The obsession with the number is.

The Coverage Trap

Here's a test that increases coverage but catches nothing:

\\

Reader route

article -> proof -> offer

ReadClusterProofScope

cluster

Testing & QA

intent

Testing

route

next step

What to do with this

Turn the note into a build path.

If this topic maps to a real business problem, keep reading the cluster, study the academy path, or route the work into a scoped engagement.

Jason Teixeira
Written by
Jason Teixeira
Founder, Sage Ideas Studio · Principal Engineer
livebuild a1556e22026-06-19 03:29Z
// solo studio// no analytics resold// every commit human-reviewed