Raghu Raghuram: AI, Robotics, and the Rebirth of Infrastructure

307 snips

Oct 27, 2025

Guest

Martin Casado

Guest

Raghu Raghuram

Raghu Raghuram, former VMware CEO with extensive expertise in enterprise software, joins Martin Casado, co-founder of Nicira, to delve into transformative tech trends. They reflect on the fierce browser wars between Netscape and Microsoft and the strategic acquisition of Nicira that propelled VMware's growth. The conversation explores the impending infrastructure revolution driven by AI, data center robotics, and energy-aware computing, highlighting fresh opportunities for startups. Expect insights on integrating new technologies and evolving enterprise stacks.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Turning Down A Cisco Buyout

Martin Casado recounts taking a desperate walk to Raghu with a Cisco offer and Raghu simply said, “No.”
That refusal set the stage for VMware acquiring Nicira instead of a Cisco burial of the company.

INSIGHT

How Incumbents Can Weaponize Platforms

Ben describes how Microsoft actively tried to sabotage Netscape by breaking Windows to tank the browser experience.
The pressure forced Netscape to pivot from browser revenue into building server products fast.

ADVICE

Systematize PM Training Fast

Ben provided an internal 'good PM, bad PM' playbook to rapidly train first-time product managers at Netscape.
Systematize organizational behavior early to scale product teams quickly under pressure.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

From Netscape to VMware, Raghu Raghuram has been at the center of nearly every major inflection point in enterprise technology.

In this episode, Raghu joins Ben Horowitz, Martin Casado and David George to reflect on the early internet wars with Microsoft, how Netscape’s browser battles shaped a generation of founders, and the inside story of one of the most successful tech acquisitions in history, VMware’s $1.3B purchase of Nicira, which redefined modern networking and grew into a multi-billion-dollar business.

They discuss how VMware scaled from tens of millions to over $13 billion in revenue, what it took to outlast the cloud revolution, and why AI is now triggering the biggest infrastructure reset since virtualization. Raghu shares his vision for the next decade — from data-center robotics and energy-aware compute to how AI is reshaping both startups and giants alike.

Resources:

Follow Raghu on X: https://x.com/RaghuRaghuram

Follow Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz

Follow Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado

Follow David on X: https://x.com/DavidGeorge83

Stay Updated:

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!

Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.