Honoring #IconsOfQuality: Julio de Lima, Capco, a Wipro Company

To celebrate the relentless passion of testers, BrowserStack is honoring some of the icons in the testing space—those who push the industry forward by sharing their knowledge with the community at large through their thought leadership.

Some leaders don’t just participate in the testing community; they build it. Julio de Lima is one such builder. With 15+ years of experience and a specialization in AI, he stands at the forefront of innovation. Yet, his greatest impact may be as an educator. Through his international conference talks and his YouTube channel, he empowers thousands of testers globally. Julio champions a powerful philosophy: master the fundamentals first. His dedication to elevating the entire profession makes him a true Icon of Quality.

We spoke with Julio about his hands-on leadership style, why AI is an ally, and the soft skills he wishes he had learned sooner.

What are the most interesting aspects of your role as a Quality Assurance Manager at Capco?

After 13 years working in the software testing field, this is my first time as a QE Manager. It has already been 2 years since I started in this role, and I've been trying to make it more practical and encompass a broader perspective on quality engineering rather than just a traditional leadership role. Therefore, I've been working closely with my team on their technical decisions, while also connecting with the company's other QEs across the US to define ways to standardize processes, develop their technical skills, relocate them to projects, create commercial proposals, and, of course, innovate using AI in testing.

What’s a testing trend/innovation that’s got you excited these days?

Definitely the use of AI in software testing. I see that many of the actions I previously performed only with specialized tools can now be done using Generative AI if I provide the appropriate context, a well-written prompt, and proper review. We live in an age where testers who deeply understand strategies, techniques, programming, and possess critical thinking can use AI to accelerate their activities and become more productive. I also love the fact that with GenAI we can create our own apps and test them from scratch, inside and out, across many different layers. I've been teaching this to the QEs at the company I work for and also to my students in Brazil, because I think this is a great way to become a more technical tester.

What's your hot take on AI in testing?

I see AI as my ally in software testing, something that helps me achieve greater productivity. However, I consider it just an ally, not an oracle. AI, especially generative AI, has incredible capabilities, but it makes mistakes—and a testing expert with a deep understanding of the role must judge whether its outputs are correct. That said, something worries me greatly: the use of AI by people who have never studied testing in depth or the work of leading researchers in our field, and who rely on AI’s responses without critically evaluating whether they make sense.

This is something I try to change in my students and community: first, deepen your fundamental, technical, and practical knowledge of testing; practice critical thinking; and use generative AI only to speed up manual and mechanical work. And when it makes mistakes, be the one to identify them.

What's one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting their career in testing?

Deepen your knowledge of software testing, including planning, techniques, strategies, approaches, tools, and automation. This knowledge will prepare you for any evolution in software engineering. Teams will see you as a compass, guiding them to choose the testing practices that best suit their specific needs and context, regardless of the situation.

How do you keep up with all the new trends and tools in software testing?

Whenever I hear about a new trend that could impact software testing in some way, I try to read more about it and implement it either in my daily work or create hypothetical scenarios. My recent research on MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers, for example, couldn’t be applied to my daily work due to limitations on the use of generative AI tools.

So, I created a fictitious request from a client who needed to leverage test management and version control tools to give more features to an AI-Powered Code Editor and create automated tests in a more productive manner. I set up this context by creating a project on a Test Management tool and by getting my application versioned and available on the cloud. Then, I configured my AI-Powered Code Editor to connect to both, allowing it to consume them while generating automated tests based on my prompt. This type of activity helps me stay up to date.

What are the things you wish you knew about testing when you started your career?

I wish I had understood early in my career how valuable certain soft skills are—especially influence, critical thinking, and communication. I learned them over time, often through frustration and missed opportunities. Early on, I would raise issues in the testing and development process but struggled to get them resolved because I only framed them as problems that affected me, rather than showing how they impacted the team or end users. I accepted processes and software decisions that “were supposed to be that way,” even when critical thinking suggested otherwise.

I had ideas to share, but lacked the ability to structure my thoughts and communicate them effectively. Looking back, I realize I could have grown much faster if I had developed these skills sooner. That’s why, when I mentor my mentees today, I emphasize the importance of building these soft skills early—it’s a game-changer for their growth.

Outside of the tech world, what's a hobby or activity you're really passionate about?

Well, the main thing would be playing music. I started with the cello 16 years ago. After four years of playing, I decided to switch to the transverse flute, and after 12 years of playing the flute, I decided to start studying a new instrument—the euphonium. My wife also plays the organ, and my daughter plays the piano and violin. We love music. Since we currently live in Orlando, I also enjoy spending weekends at Disney parks and nearby beaches. Florida’s climate reminds me a lot of Brazil, my home country, which I moved from in 2021 after COVID.

(Responses may have been edited for clarity.)