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

Episode notes

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.

• Rajesh Jain (Netcore Cloud) on How to Bootstrap a SaaS Company to $100M Revenue83 / 100
• The Series A VC Reshaping Indian Startup Funding | Rajeev Kalambi @ Cactus Partners76 / 100
• Is Venture Capital Built to Break Founders - Amrit Chandan @ Lorefully71 / 100
• India's Non-Invasive Answer to Elon Musk's Neuralink | Siddharth Panwar @ NeuroDx
• What VCs Miss When Evaluating Lending Startups: Alok Mittal