Startups are built on speed, innovation, and often, a fair amount of controlled chaos. But when it comes to quality assurance (QA), “controlled chaos” isn’t a strategy—it’s a risk. Software defects, performance bottlenecks, and security vulnerabilities can make or break a product launch.
At Mantis EVN, we’ve worked with American and European startups of all sizes to build scalable, efficient QA strategies from the ground up. Whether you’re a founder pushing an MVP to market or a head of engineering balancing speed with stability, we make QA simple, seamless, and startup-friendly. Here is how.
Startups and QA: Common Struggles (And How We Solve Them)
1. “We don’t have time for testing.”
For startups, velocity is the priority. Many teams skip or minimize QA to ship faster—until bugs derail their momentum. The problem? Fixing defects post-launch takes 6x more effort than catching them earlier.
Our Strategy: We embed QA from day one without slowing you down. Instead of treating testing as a separate phase, we integrate it within your development cycle. Our continuous testing approach ensures that every release is validated in real time, reducing last-minute bottlenecks.
2. “We don’t know where to start.”
QA isn’t just about running test cases—it’s about having a strategy that grows with your product. Many startups lack the expertise to design structured testing processes, leading to inconsistent quality.
Our Strategy: We start with a QA Roadmap, built specifically for your startup’s needs. Here’s how it works:
- Rapid Health Check – We analyze your codebase, testing gaps, and potential risks.
- Prioritization Matrix – Not all tests are equal. We focus first on critical functionalities and security risks.
- Scalability Planning – We set up frameworks that scale as your product evolves, ensuring that future releases don’t introduce instability.
3. “We can’t afford a full QA team.”
Hiring in-house QA engineers is expensive and time-consuming. Many startups rely on developers for testing, leading to biased testing and overlooked bugs.
Our Strategy: Instead of hiring an entire QA department, you get plug-and-play experts from Mantis EVN. We scale with you—whether you need one dedicated tester or a full QA squad. Plus, our engineers integrate seamlessly into your team, ensuring zero friction.
Our QA Strategy: A Step-by-Step Approach
1. Embedding QA from Day One
QA isn’t something you add after launch—it’s a core part of development. Our strategy focuses on:
- Shift-Left Testing – We test early in the development cycle to catch issues before they reach production.
- Automated Testing Setup – We identify which tests should be automated to speed up validation without manual overhead.
2. Tailoring a QA Plan to Your Product
Not all startups have the same QA needs. Our custom strategy aligns with your product’s lifecycle:
MVP Stage: “Just make it work!”
- Focus on core functionality and smoke testing to ensure major features don’t break.
- Quick exploratory testing for rapid feedback loops.
Growth Stage: “We’re scaling—don’t let bugs slow us down.”
- Introduce test automation for repetitive tasks.
- Perform performance and regression testing to keep up with user growth.
Scaling Stage: “We need enterprise-grade stability.”
- Fully automated CI/CD testing pipelines.
- AI-powered test optimization to maximize coverage without excessive test cases.
3. QA Integration: As Seamless as Adding a New Slack Channel
The last thing startup founders and engineering teams want is an onboarding nightmare. That’s why our integration process is as simple as adding a new Slack channel.
- Zero disruption: Our engineers onboard fast, syncing with your existing workflows (Jira, GitHub, CI/CD pipelines).
- Instant visibility: We provide daily updates, real-time reporting, and clear test coverage insights.
- Actionable insights: No endless bug reports—just clear fixes and priorities aligned with your roadmap.
Why Startup Founders & Engineering Leads Choose Mantis EVN
Startup DNA: We understand the fast-paced, agile world of startups—we’ve helped many succeed.
Fast onboarding: Our QA experts integrate in days, not weeks.
Cost-effective: Get world-class QA without the overhead of an in-house team.
Scalable: Need more test coverage? We scale up instantly as your product grows.
Don’t Let QA Be an Afterthought
QA is a strategic investment that ensures your product’s success, strengthens its reputation, and builds long-term user trust. A bad first impression can cost you customers, investors, and momentum.
At Mantis EVN, we make QA effortless for startups, so you can build fast without breaking things too much. We’ve helped startups like yours build rock-solid QA strategies—see their success stories firsthand. If you’re ready to level up your testing strategy, let’s talk.
