From Ghaziabad to Silicon Valley: Nikhil Kamath x Nikesh Arora | People by WTF | Ep. 11

Here’s one of my favourite conversations with Palo Alto Networks’ CEO, Nikesh Arora. This episode is a CxO’s playbook where we deep dived into the mindset, strategy, and decision-making frameworks that have shaped Nikesh’s journey across roles at Google, SoftBank, and now leading one of the world’s top cybersecurity firms. This isn’t just business talk. Learn how to think like a CxO when the rules of the game keep changing.

#NikhilKamath - Investor & Entrepreneur

Twitter: https://x.com/nikhilkamathcio

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilkamathcio/

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#NikeshArora - CEO, Palo Alto Networks

Twitter: https://x.com/nikesharora

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikesh-arora-02894670/

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

Chapter 1: Action vs Inaction

01:51 - Nikesh’s Early Years

04:17 - The Real Threats in Cybersecurity

08:13 - What Will Outlast the Disruptions?

Chapter 2: Can We Ever Be Safe Again?

10:31 - Rethinking Safety in a Changing World

12:44 - How to Look at the Cybersecurity Landscape

14:55 - Where AI is Taking the Industry

23:42 - If Interfaces Don’t Matter, What Does?

25:44 - What Happens When AI is Everywhere?

Chapter 3: Money, Meaning, Maslow

32:15 - Why Language Models Are Just the Starting Point

35:57 - Build the Brain or Protect It?

38:33 - What Founders Should Pay Attention To

41:23 - Lessons from the Evolution of Silicon Valley

42:28 - Should India Build Its Own Model?

46:31 - Are AI Bets Overblown?

50:00 - What’s Holding Innovation Back in India?

54:15 - Education as a Social Experience

59:25 - Moving into Tech and Leadership

1:00:08 - Building vs Leading: What to Choose

1:06:38 - Stories from Google & SoftBank

1:16:11 - How Risk Appetite Evolves

1:20:18 - Closing Reflections

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