From One to Many: Preethi Unnikrishnan on Building a Full-Stack QA Powerhouse at ExaThought

When Preethi Unnikrishnan joined ExaThought in September 2020, she was only the second QA in the company. At the time, QA was often seen as a final checkpoint—something nice to have, but not essential. Today, thanks to her leadership and vision, QA is a strategic pillar of delivery excellence at ExaThought. 

We sat down with Preethi to learn more about her journey, the evolution of QA at ExaThought, and what it takes to build a high-performing, future-ready testing team. 

“We’ve grown from being seen as a support function to becoming a strategic enabler of delivery excellence.” 

 — Preethi Unnikrishnan, QA Lead at ExaThought 

Q: Preethi, take us back to the beginning. What was QA like when you joined ExaThought? 

When I joined in 2020, there was just one other QA in the company. The general mindset was that QA wasn’t essential. My first challenge wasn’t just testing—it was changing that perception. 

Q: How did you go about shifting that mindset? 

I introduced the shift-left testing strategy, which meant involving QA from the very beginning of the SDLC. By asking the right questions at the right time, we were able to identify gaps early, prevent defects, and significantly reduce rework.   Over time, stakeholders began to see QA not as a bottleneck, but as a value driver. 

Q: You’ve also expanded the team’s capabilities significantly. What drove that? 

I brought performance testing into our portfolio to expand the team's capabilities and enhance our service offerings. I spent months learning the fundamentals of web and API performance, then coached the team to run basic checks. Today, performance testing is a standard part of our QA process. 

Q: Automation seems to be a big part of your journey. Can you tell us more? 

Absolutely. Inspired by my manager, who is also the co-founder, I started learning automation hands-on. I encouraged the team to understand code before writing it. We began our journey with Cypress, then explored visual testing—for example, validating Bangla language content using Google Translate. Over time, we expanded further into building a BLE simulator and developing a browser extension, making automation an integral part of how we deliver quality today. 

Q: That’s a lot of growth. What does the QA team look like today? 

We’ve grown from 2 to over 25 QA professionals. We call ourselves Hybrid Testers—people who can seamlessly combine manual, automation, and specialized testing. Our capabilities now include: 

• Functional & API Testing 

• Performance Testing 

• ETL Testing 

• Mobile & Web App Automation 

• VR Testing 

• BLE Simulator Automation 

• Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing (VAPT) 

  
  

Q: What’s the long-term vision for QA at ExaThought? 

Under our CEO’s guidance, we’re evolving into a full-stack QA organization. That means going beyond functional validation to include performance, automation, security, and next-gen tech. QA is no longer a support function—it’s a strategic enabler of delivery excellence. 

Closing Thoughts 

Preethi’s journey is a powerful example of what’s possible when someone combines technical depth with leadership vision. From being one of the first testers to building a multi-skilled QA team, her story reflects the spirit of ExaThought: transformative, forward-thinking, and deeply human. 

Stay tuned for more stories from the people who make ExaThought what it is—only on ThoughtMakers.