So You Think QA Is Easy?
A solo QA’s tale of passion, burnout, and figuring it all out.
Whoever said QA is an easy job probably hasn’t done it or done it wrong.
Let me tell you what QA really is: it’s about integrating quality into every single step of the software development lifecycle. Sounds simple, right? Now imagine doing that alone with tight deadlines, limited resources, and a passionate team that forgets time exists.
Yeah, welcome to my world.
The Startup Diaries: Passion, Pressure & Project Management
I started my journey in tech in 2017 in Nepal, a country where tech is growing rapidly but still figuring a lot of the things out. Most companies here operate on an outsourcing model, meaning they do a lot with little. So, when I joined my first startup as a QA, I wasn’t just a QA.
I was also:
* The requirement gatherer* The ticket writer
* The team manager
* The project manager
* The bug finder and fixer
* The UX champ
* The sometimes-developer
* The emergency support responder
Basically, everything except the office water dispenser.
From 9-to-5 to… Whenever
Coming from a strict Asian household, staying out past 9 PM was unheard of for me. But my team? Oh, they didn’t know the time. They were so passionate they’d stay at the office till midnight, building and debating and dreaming. Me? I was confused — and then converted.
We weren’t just working. We were creating. Talking, brainstorming, laughing. We’d get our dinner reimbursed and genuinely enjoy the grind. One night, I reached home at 11 PM — and didn’t even notice. That’s when I discovered what it’s like to work with a truly passionate team.
We didn’t care about money. We were young, free, and riding on pure adrenaline and dreams.
The Burnout Came Later
Back then, we didn’t know what burnout was. We just called it “a bad day” or “maybe too much momo”. But over time, responsibilities grew. Reality crept in. Money started to matter. Recognition didn’t always follow effort, and that magic started fading.
Still, that early chaos taught me more than any textbook could. I saw everything that didn’t work in a project, giving me the tools to fix things when I moved forward.
QA is not equal to developer
One of my biggest pet peeves? People comparing QA to developers like we’re “code-lite”. QA is its own world. Yes, automation is a big part of it, but even that’s not just writing code — it’s thinking like a hacker, a user, a critic, and a perfectionist all at once.
If you love coding and spotting flaws before users do, automation is your jam. But even manual QA has its place — it’s less about clicking buttons and more about understanding why the buttons exist in the first place.
Cross-Team, Cross-Vertical… Cross-Everything
At one point, I even created a cross-vertical QA group to unify test approaches. Sounds fancy, right? All it meant was: I was tired of silos, duplicated efforts, and inconsistent quality. So I brought teams together, set common standards, and made life a little easier for everyone (including future me).
QA role? Still misunderstood.
Sir, I prevent your nightmares from going live, but sure, let me list them in bullet points for you.
QA Is a Craft, Not a Checklist
I feel lucky to have started my career this way. I got a crash course in everything. What works, what doesn’t, and what makes people tick. I’ve worked in toxic environments and in teams that felt like family. And now, I know my worth.
QA isn’t about just finding bugs and it’s about building better software, better teams, and better processes. We’re the glue, the safety net, the voice of quality in every release.
So next time someone says QA is easy, smile and ask, “Oh really? Want to switch for a day?”
