Building a World-Class IT Services Business | Kalyan (QualiZeal)

Founder Thesis

In this powerful episode of Founder Thesis, host Akshay Datt speaks with Kalyan Rao Konda, Co - founder of QualiZeal, a quality engineering firm transforming how global companies approach software testing and quality assurance.

With over two decades of experience in QA, Kalyan shares his journey - from the early days of reactive testing to today’s proactive, “shift-left” quality engineering model. He unpacks what it takes to build a world-class IT services company, grounded in deep client-centricity, employee empowerment, and a willingness to sacrifice short-term wins for long-term trust.

We also explore how AI is revolutionizing software testing, including:

👉How QualiZeal’s proprietary “Humanities AI” platform augments engineers (not replaces them)

👉Solving modern QA challenges like AI hallucinations

👉Improving productivity by 25–30% with AI co-pilots

Kalyan candidly breaks down the economics of IT services-from pricing, utilization, and accelerators to gross margins and client segmentation. He explains why value buyers win, how accelerators and COEs give firms a strategic edge, and how to stand out in a crowded, commoditized market.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Kalyan offers hard-won insights on:

👉Founding a company at 45

👉Sales strategies that emphasize relationships (“People buy from people”)

👉Navigating legal challenges while scaling

👉Finding your niche and staying the course

This is a must-watch for anyone building in quality engineering, IT services, AI-powered testing, or enterprise SaaS.

#QualityEngineering #SoftwareTesting #AIinQA #ShiftLeftTesting #QAPlatform #FounderThesis #ITServicesBusiness #EnterpriseSaaS #StartupJourney #SoftwareQuality #AIinSoftwareTesting #ClientCentricity #HumanitiesAI #BusinessOfQA #Entrepreneurship #Founderthesis

Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the speaker, not necessarily the channel.