Building a High-Growth Technology Company: How OpsTree Turned Trust, Ownership and Long-Term Thinking into a Winning Formula

By Anuj Singhal

In India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, stories of overnight success often dominate headlines. Yet behind every enduring technology company lies years of experimentation, setbacks, disciplined execution and unwavering resilience. The journey of **OpsTree** is a testament to this reality. In an exclusive conversation with Anuj Singhal , Founder & Editor itVARnews from Techplus Media under CEO Talk, Shankar Jha and Sandeep Rawat, Co-founders of OpsTree, reflected on the entrepreneurial decisions, leadership principles and organizational culture that have transformed the company into one of India’s leading cloud-native and platform engineering firms.

## Entrepreneurship Began Before OpsTree

For Shankar Jha, entrepreneurship was never an afterthought—it was an ambition shaped by his upbringing in a business family. Long before OpsTree was conceived, he experimented with multiple startup ideas.

One venture focused on developing a traffic intelligence platform inspired by Google Maps and Waze, while another aimed to simplify healthcare by digitising appointment scheduling and medical records. Although neither venture achieved commercial success, both provided valuable lessons. *”Every attempt taught us something. Those experiences ultimately prepared us for building OpsTree,”* Shankar recalled. Rather than viewing these ventures as failures, the founders believe they laid the foundation for the company’s future success.

The Partnership That Built OpsTree

Unlike Shankar, **Sandeep Rawat** came from a technology services background, where he gained extensive experience delivering enterprise consulting engagements. Having worked together earlier in their careers, the two founders had already developed mutual trust and professional respect. Years later, when Sandeep decided to pursue entrepreneurship, he approached Shankar to join him in building the business. Initially, Shankar was inclined towards building technology products rather than a services company. However, Sandeep presented a different perspective establishing a profitable services business could create the financial stability needed to pursue larger product ambitions in the future. That conversation eventually led to the birth of OpsTree.

## Building a Business on Trust

One of the strongest messages to emerge from the discussion was the importance of choosing the right co-founder. According to both founders, successful partnerships are built not merely on shared business goals but on trust, friendship and complementary capabilities. While Sandeep focuses on people, technology vision and long-term growth, Shankar leads execution, operations, finance and business strategy. “The relationship comes first. Business is secondary. If there is trust, everything else becomes possible,” the founders said.Their complementary leadership styles have enabled the company to navigate growth while maintaining alignment on long-term objectives.

## Creating a Culture of Ownership

The founders attribute much of OpsTree’s growth to its organisational culture. During the company’s early years, employees consistently demonstrated an exceptional sense of ownership. One incident, which has become part of the company’s internal folklore, involved a section of the office ceiling collapsing during heavy rain. Rather than walking away or complaining, team members cleaned the workspace themselves and continued working. For the founders, the incident reinforced an important principle: ownership cannot be mandated it must become part of the company’s culture. Today, OpsTree evaluates potential employees not only for technical capability but also for qualities such as integrity, accountability and ownership. Technology can be taught. Ownership cannot. This philosophy continues to shape the company’s hiring and leadership approach.

## Turning Setbacks into Opportunities

Like every entrepreneurial journey, OpsTree’s growth has not been without challenges. One of the company’s most difficult phases occurred when a major customer unexpectedly reduced project engagements while simultaneously delaying payments. At the time, nearly half of the company’s workforce was affected. Instead of treating the situation as a crisis, the leadership viewed it as an opportunity to reposition the business. With experienced engineering talent becoming available, OpsTree aggressively pursued larger enterprise accounts, eventually securing marquee customers including ATA International and Fidelity.

*”We always try to convert challenges into opportunities.”*

The experience reinforced the founders’ belief that adversity often creates the greatest opportunities for growth.

## Financial Discipline Over Hyper Growth

While many startups pursue rapid expansion through continuous fundraising, OpsTree adopted a different philosophy. The founders deliberately focused on sustainable, organic growth while maintaining strong financial discipline. Over more than a decade of operations, the company experienced only two months in which expenses exceeded revenues an achievement that reflects prudent financial management and long-term planning. This disciplined approach has enabled OpsTree to remain resilient through changing market cycles while continuing to invest in talent, customer relationships and innovation.

## Leadership Lessons

Reflecting on their entrepreneurial journey, the founders identified several principles that continue to guide the organisation:

* Hire for attitude before technical skills.

* Build trust before building business.

* Invest continuously in people.

* Prioritise long-term sustainability over short-term gains.

* View setbacks as opportunities to innovate.

* Create an organisation where ownership is shared by everyone.

These principles have become integral to OpsTree’s culture and leadership philosophy.

## Success Beyond Financial Metrics

When asked how they define success, both founders offered a perspective that extends beyond revenue growth or valuation. For them, success is meaningful only when employees, customers, partners and stakeholders grow alongside the organisation. *”Success has to be collective. If the company succeeds, everyone associated with it should feel successful.”*

## A Message for Future Entrepreneurs

Closing the conversation, the founders offered a message for aspiring entrepreneurs. There is no substitute for patience, perseverance and continuous learning. Entrepreneurship is not about chasing overnight success or financial rewards alone it is about solving meaningful problems, creating value for others and becoming a better leader through every challenge encountered along the way.

For Shankar Jha and Sandeep Rawat, that philosophy has shaped not only the growth of OpsTree but also the legacy they aspire to build.