Nginx, Open source and more at F5 | Talking Open Source ft. Pratik Shah, MD, F5 (India)

In this episode of Talking Open Source with Sachin Dabir, Pratik Shah, Managing Director, F5, (India) shares his professional journey and provides deep insights into the tech industry’s evolution. Listen as Pratik opens up about what has kept him motivated at F5, including the company's unique culture and its drive for innovation. He provides invaluable advice for those pursuing careers in sales, stressing the importance of adaptability and customer understanding in today’s fast-paced tech world.

Pratik also discusses how industry trends and customer challenges have transformed over the past decade, touching on the implications of AI and the growing shift from hardware to software and SaaS models. Hear his thoughts on F5’s acquisition of NGINX and the impact it has had on both the company and the open-source community.

With NGINX seeing increasing adoption in India, Pratik reveals F5’s strategy for building momentum in this space. Additionally, he explores the exciting trends emerging in the Kubernetes ecosystem and what this means for NGINX.

Whether you’re interested in sales, technology, or open-source initiatives, this podcast is packed with insights that are both informative and inspiring.

Key Insights & Timestamps:

0:01:00 - Introduction
0:30:00 - Pratik's professional journey and milestones
0:01:58 - What has kept Pratik motivated at F5?
0:03:33 - Advice for aspiring sales professionals: Adaptability and customer focus
0:06:00 - Industry trends over the past decade: The rise of cloud, AI, and customer-driven innovation
0:08:45 - AI: Overhyped or a genuine game-changer?
0:09:59 - F5’s acquisition of NGINX: What has changed and how it has strengthened F5’s portfolio
0:15:13 - Shifting customer perceptions from hardware to software and SaaS
0:18:08 - Maintaining F5’s commitment to the open-source community
0:19:47 - Emerging trends in the Kubernetes ecosystem for NGINX
0:20:36 - F5’s growing traction in India: NGINX adoption and future plans
0:22:37 - A message for aspiring F5 team members
0:24:51 - NGINX’s evolution from a standalone company to being part of F5
0:27:04 - NGINX as a service on Azure: Opportunities and future vision
0:28:38 - Insights on App Protect and its role in the security landscape
0:29:28 - Investing in NGINX deployments in India: Building strong open-source teams
0:30:45 - Final remarks and takeaways