Can I send a build to TestFlight without AppStore validation?

I'm currently sending builds with the iTunes Connect, but it always run a AppStore validation of the application. I feel like I'm doing something wrong because the app is raw and it's meant only for testers yet and I don't want the apple team (or, hopefully, robots) to process it every time for me.

Is it the "iTunes Connect -> TestFlight" chain a primary way to distribute the builds for testers?