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On October 30, 2026, Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel authorized 27-year-old engineer Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy (Paddy) to use an unlimited AI token budget to rewrite 98% of Cisco's legacy code within 24 months with a two-person team. Paddy set an initial four-week validation deadline. Cisco has not yet disclosed the proportion of code completed, the system scope, or the technical approach. Jeetu Patel also opposes companies using AI to cut recent-graduate hiring, arguing that young people should participate in changing the way work is done from the moment they join.
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Oct 31
Solidot
Cisco gave a 27-year-old engineer unlimited tokens to rewrite legacy code
Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel said the company gave 27-year-old engineer Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy unlimited tokens to rewrite legacy code. Krishnamurthy co-founded the real-time translation startup EzDubs in 2023, and joined Cisco in 2025 after the company was acquired by Cisco. He promised that a two-person team could rewrite Cisco's legacy code, secured four weeks to validate it, and the ultimate goal is to refactor 98% of Cisco's legacy code within 24 months.
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Oct 30
36Kr · AI
Cisco President Gives 27-Year-Old Former CEO Unlimited Tokens, Challenges Him to Rewrite 98% of Legacy Code in 24 Months
Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel has given 27-year-old engineer Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy (Paddy) an unlimited AI token budget to support a two-person small team in rewriting 98% of Cisco's legacy code within 24 months. Paddy has set a four-week initial validation deadline, and Cisco has not yet disclosed the proportion of code completed, the system scope, or the technical approach. Jeetu Patel also opposes companies using AI to cut fresh graduate hiring, arguing that young people should be involved in changing the way work is done from the moment they join.
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