AI Defense

Jeetu Patel describes how Cisco is positioning itself as critical infrastructure for the AI era and trying to operate with the speed of a startup at the scale of a large company. He explains a leadership approach that combines Cisco operators, outside hires, and founders of acquired companies, alongside a top-down push to get employees using AI. He argues that AI will create new engineering work and drive demand for infrastructure, while making security, observability, and trusted delegation essential. His career lessons emphasize ambitious goals, long-term relationships, compounding progress, and choosing work that fits your ambitions.