Long Strange Trip: CEO to CEO with Brian Halligan Palo Alto Networks’ Nikesh Arora: Why Context Switching is a CEO’s Most Critical Superpower
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Jan 8, 2026 
Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks and former Google executive, shares insights from his unique journey in tech. He discusses the importance of context switching as a CEO's superpower, blending quick decision-making with comprehensive problem-solving. Nikesh reveals why traditional M&A approaches may fail and champions the unconventional strategy of retaining founders post-acquisition. He emphasizes balancing customer feedback with visionary product development, while navigating the challenges of leadership and managing imposter syndrome in the fast-paced tech landscape.
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Acquire Talent, Not Just Technology
- When acquiring startups, let the founders run the teams you bought and give them resources to scale quickly.
- Design a joint product roadmap during diligence and require multi-year vesting to retain key talent.
Buying A Browser To Build SASE
- Nikesh bought Talon to combine a browser with Palo Alto's third-party security services and SASE product.
- That integration let Palo Alto offer a differentiated end-to-end remote browser isolation solution to customers.
Three-Tier Resource Allocation
- Allocate most resources to the core platform while dedicating small teams to near-term experiments and tiny teams to long-horizon bets.
- Use M&A to fill five-year-plus gaps that internal teams can't solve quickly.