Acquisitions as a Tool, Not a Strategy

AI is accelerating at a breakneck pace, but model quality isn’t the only constraint we face.. There are major infrastructure requirements, energy needs, security, and data pipelines to run AI at scale. This week on Chain of Thought, Cisco’s President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel joins host Conor Bronsdon to reveal what it actually takes to build the critical foundation for the AI era.

Jeetu breaks down the three bottlenecks he sees holding AI back today:

 • Infrastructure limits: not enough power, compute, or data center capacity

 • A trust deficit: non-deterministic models powering systems that must be predictable

 • A widening data gap: human-generated data plateauing while machine data explodes

Jeetu then shares how Cisco is tackling these challenges through secure AI factories, edge inference, open multi-model architectures, and global partnerships with Nvidia, G42, and sovereign cloud providers. Jeetu also explains why he thinks enterprises will soon rely on thousands of specialized models — not just one — and how routing, latency, cost, and security shape this new landscape.

Conor and Jeetu also explore high-performance leadership and team culture, discussing building high-trust teams, embracing constructive tension, staying vigilant in moments of success, and the personal experiences that shaped Jeetu’s approach to innovation and resilience.

If you want a clearer picture of the global AI infrastructure race, how high-level leaders are thinking about the future, and what it all means for enterprises, developers, and the future of work, this conversation is essential.

Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome to Chain of Thought

0:48 - AI and Jobs: Beyond the Hype

6:15 - The Real AI Opportunity: Original Insights

10:00 - Three Critical AI Constraints: Infrastructure, Trust, and Data

16:27 - Cisco's AI Strategy and Platform Approach

19:18 - Edge Computing and Model Innovation

22:06 - Strategic Partnerships: Nvidia, G42, and the Middle East

29:18 - Acquisition Strategy: Platform Over Products

32:03 - Power and Infrastructure Challenges

36:06 - Building Trust Across Global Partnerships

38:03 - US vs. China: The AI Infrastructure Race

40:33 - America's Venture Capital Advantage

42:06 - Acquisition Philosophy: Strategy First

45:45 - Defining Cisco's True North

48:06 - Mission-Driven Innovation Culture

50:15 - Hiring for Hunger, Curiosity, and Clarity

56:27 - The Power of Constructive Conflict

1:00:00 - Career Lessons: Continuous Learning

1:02:24 - The Email Question

1:04:12 - Joe Tucci's Four-Column Exercise

1:08:15 - Building High-Trust Teams

1:10:12 - The Five Dysfunctions Framework

1:12:09 - Leading with Vulnerability

1:16:18 - Closing Thoughts and Where to Connect

Connect with Jeetu Patel:

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeetupatel/ 

X(twitter) – https://x.com/jpatel41

Cisco - https://www.cisco.com/

Connect with ConorBronsdon  

Substack – https://conorbronsdon.substack.com/ 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbronsdon/

X (twitter) – https://x.com/ConorBronsdon