This presentation will talk about the front-end work needed for test automation projects before a line of code is written. In it the following subjects and issues will be addressed and discussed: 1) Initiation of the project, and how to manage it. 2) Answering the necessary questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How) before you start. 3) Communication skills and getting buy-in from other groups, including correcting the myths and convincing management to support the effort. 4) Staff and training. Making sure you have the needed skills, and how to attain them. 5) Steps to take to determine what types of tests to automate and at what level, using the Test Automation Pyramid as a guide and not a rule. Selection of tests to automate and how best to build them. 6) What is Testability and working with Development to “bake-in” those features. 7) Implementation models and approaches to consider. 8) Next steps for future.