From Zero to $180 Million
When I joined Nexus IS in 2011, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) was more concept than reality. Over the next five years, I built a business line from nothing to $180 million in annual revenue, establishing Nexus IS as the leader in SDN and cloud transformation—ultimately enabling its acquisition by NTT/Dimension Data.
The Opportunity Nobody Else Saw
In 2011, most system integrators were still selling hardware boxes. I saw a different future:
- Networks would become software-defined and programmable
- Cloud would require entirely new architectural approaches
- DevOps would transform how infrastructure was delivered
- Open source would eat enterprise software
While others debated, I started building.
Building the Business
Year 1: Establishing Credibility (296% Revenue Growth)
- Recruited top talent from Cisco, VMware, and Amazon
- Won first major SDN deployment at a Fortune 100 company
- Established partnerships with OpenStack and OpenDaylight communities
- Revenue grew from $0 to $23M
Year 2-3: Scaling Excellence ($23M to $85M)
- Developed proprietary network automation software
- Created network software solutions for Cisco Systems
- Built the industry’s first production OpenDaylight deployment
- Established Nexus IS as the go-to SDN integrator in Silicon Valley
Year 4-5: Market Leadership ($85M to $180M)
- Expanded nationally with teams in 12 cities
- Developed IP portfolio that became acquisition target
- Built recurring revenue through managed services
- Created SDN training program adopted by Cisco
Innovation That Changed the Industry
Software Development for Cisco
Beyond just implementing solutions, we developed network software that Cisco incorporated into their product lines:
- Network automation frameworks that reduced deployment time by 80%
- SDN orchestration tools for multi-vendor environments
- API frameworks that became part of Cisco’s developer ecosystem
Open Source Leadership
- Led contributions to OpenStack Neutron networking
- Founding member of OpenDaylight project
- Created open source tools adopted by thousands of enterprises
- Built community of 500+ developers
Intellectual Property Creation
The software, methodologies, and customer relationships we built became valuable IP:
- 12 software frameworks for network automation
- Proprietary SDN deployment methodologies
- Industry’s largest SDN-trained engineering team
- Blue-chip customer base requiring advanced SDN solutions
The Acquisition
By 2014, we had built something unique:
- $180M in profitable revenue
- Software IP that complemented NTT’s global strategy
- Customer base including 40% of Fortune 500
- Team recognized as industry leaders
This combination made Nexus IS irresistible to acquirers. The acquisition by NTT/Dimension Data validated our strategy and provided the global platform to scale even further.
Leadership Lessons
Building this business taught me crucial lessons:
1. See the Future, Build for It While others debated whether SDN would happen, we built for the inevitable future.
2. Talent is Everything I personally recruited every key hire, building a team that could out-innovate anyone.
3. Create IP, Not Just Revenue We didn’t just resell products—we created software and methodologies that had lasting value.
4. Community Amplifies Impact Our open source contributions created a ecosystem that accelerated our growth.
From $180M to AI
The experience of building a $180M business from scratch directly informs my AI work today:
- Pattern Recognition: I saw SDN’s potential early, just as I now see AI’s transformation
- Ecosystem Building: Created communities around SDN, now building AI communities
- IP Creation: Developed valuable software then, building AI platforms now
- Scale Thinking: Designed for massive growth then, building AI for scale now
The Bottom Line
Building a $180M business from zero proved that with the right vision, team, and execution, it’s possible to create massive value in emerging technology markets. The intellectual property we created, the software we developed for industry leaders like Cisco, and the customer base we built made Nexus IS a strategic acquisition target.
Today, I apply these same principles to AI—building not just solutions, but creating intellectual property, developing communities, and establishing the foundations for the next wave of technology transformation.