Scott Robon

Scott Robon, an independent network consultant with 35 years in the industry, shares his inspiring journey from corporate life to freelancing. He meticulously planned his exit for a year, ensuring financial safety and support from family. Scott discusses overcoming feelings of isolation by building communities and highlights how LinkedIn became vital for finding new clients. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging past skills in new tech landscapes and shares insights on tackling business operations, marketing, and continuous learning to stay relevant.

Francois Caen, a Product Manager at Cisco with nearly a decade of expertise in network automation, joins Scott Robon, a former Cisco instructor and host of the Total Network Operations podcast. They dive into the exciting upcoming transition of Cisco’s DevNet certifications to a new automation track in February 2026. Topics include the necessity for network engineers to quickly develop AI skills, the widespread applicability of automation competencies beyond Cisco environments, and the ongoing importance of adapting certifications to meet industry demands.

Scott Robon, host of the Total Network Operations podcast and a network automation expert, dives into the potential of natural language interfaces (NLIs) replacing command-line interfaces (CLIs). He discusses real-world vendor developments in NLIs and the challenges of LLM variability versus deterministic outputs. The conversation shifts to the implications of running AI infrastructure and the crucial role of data engineering. Robon emphasizes the ongoing need for engineers to understand automation tools while assuring that current AI is about augmentation, not replacement.