A project is like a road trip. Some projects are simple and routine, like driving to the store in broad daylight. But most projects worth doing are more like driving a truck off-road, in the mountains, at night. Those projects need headlights. As the tester, you light the way. You illuminate the road ahead so the programmers and managers, however they bicker over the map, can at least see where they are, what they're about to run over, and how close they are to the cliff.