Surviving a Near-Death Experience & the Future of VDI | Ruben Spruijt | New Rules of the Game

From Startups to Scale: Murli Thirumale on Net6, Ocarina, and Building Portworx for the Cloud Era

In this episode of New Rules of the Game, we sit down with Murli Thirumale, a serial entrepreneur and seasoned tech executive whose journey spans three major startups—Net6, Ocarina, and Portworx—all of which ended in successful acquisitions. Murli shares behind-the-scenes insights into how each company was built, what differentiated them in crowded markets, and the lessons learned from scaling through acquisition by industry giants like Citrix, Dell, and Pure Storage. Murli also reflects on the changing enterprise landscape, the rise of container-native storage, and what it means to lead with integrity in the venture world. Whether you're an IT leader, founder, or investor, this conversation is a masterclass in navigating the intersection of innovation, timing, and strategic exits.

How Citrix Startup Blasted Through a $1B: Mark Templeton on Citrix, Culture & Visionary Leadership

He joined as employee #52. He helped turn a small Florida startup into a $3 billion software powerhouse. In this extended conversation, former Citrix CEO Mark Templeton reflects on the defining moments that shaped Citrix into a global software leader. From IPO highs to crisis lows, cultural transformation to product reinvention, this is the definitive story of Citrix’s rise—told by the leader who lived it. Discover: - How a trampoline photo became a metaphor for the customer experience - The 3 human values that built an award-winning culture - How Citrix went from a "one-trick pony" to a diversified product giant Why GoToMeeting was the tech that thrilled him most - The boldest risk, biggest lesson, and one decision he’d take back - And don’t miss the Speed Round where Mark opens up about his favorite book, boldest bets, and why his bucket “runneth over.”

He Took a Chance—and Transformed VDI Forever | Harry Labana on Citrix, Goldman, & the Future of Work

What happens when you quit your graduate program and land in New York City with nothing but instinct and 13 weeks to find a job? For Harry Labana, it led to an unexpected launchpad into Wall Street and a trailblazing career across Citrix, VMware, and now Proofpoint. In this compelling episode, Harry shares how he helped redefine the future of desktop virtualization (VDI), built relationships with legends like Mark Templeton and Brad Pedersen, and drove innovation from the inside—whether on the trading floor or in enterprise tech strategy. We talk legacy vs. cloud-native architecture, employee experience, Citrix vs. VMware, AI’s next wave, and why empathy and timing matter more than ever in tech leadership. 📌 Watch to the end for Harry’s candid take on innovation, the one thing enterprise IT keeps getting wrong, and his dream to reshape field hockey in the U.S.

Tech Veteran Kevin Goodman on Building Startups, Cloud Innovation & The Future of IT

In this episode of New Rules of the Game, we sit down with Kevin Goodman, a legend in the world of VDI, DaaS, and Enterprise IT. Kevin co-founded FSLogix, a groundbreaking company that transformed user profile management in virtual environments—so much so that Microsoft acquired it in 2018. He later joined AWS, bringing his expertise to one of the biggest cloud providers in the world. Now retired, Kevin shares decades of insights into VDI, cloud computing, AI, and where the tech industry is heading next. 💡 Topics Covered: 🔹 The rise and fall of on-prem VDI & the shift to DaaS in the cloud 🔹 How FSLogix revolutionized virtualization & why Microsoft acquired it 🔹 The real costs of moving to AWS & Azure – Why some companies fail 🔹 The future of AI & electricity – Why power grids will dictate the next tech wave 🔹 Why AWS will dominate cloud computing over Microsoft & Google 🔹 Kevin’s biggest tech prediction for the next 10 years 🔹 Career advice for IT pros & college students navigating the AI era   👇 Let’s Continue the Conversation: ✅ What’s your take on the future of VDI & DaaS? ✅ Do you agree with Kevin’s prediction about power grids & AI? ✅ Drop your thoughts in the comments below!   #VDI #CloudComputing #FSLogix #Microsoft #AWS #AI #DaaS #TechPodcast #NewRulesOfTheGame

Surviving a Near-Death Experience & the Future of VDI | Ruben Spruijt | New Rules of the Game

🔥 In this gripping episode of New Rules of the Game, we sit down with Ruben Spruijt, a world-renowned Field CTO, industry expert, and eternal collaborator, to discuss his near-death experience, the latest trends in VDI & DaaS, and the future of AI in IT. 🔹 Topics Covered: ✔️ Ruben’s life-changing freak accident – A true test of resilience and faith ✔️ The biggest misconceptions about VDI & DaaS ✔️ AI’s impact on IT and whether it's overhyped ✔️ Cloud vs. Hybrid – What’s the smartest long-term play? ✔️ The rise of enterprise browsers and their role in security ✔️ Job market trends – Why so many IT pros are struggling to find work ✔️ Career advice for IT leaders navigating a changing landscape   #VDI #DaaS #AI #CloudComputing #ITTrends #EUC #TechPodcast #NewRulesOfTheGame #RubenSpruijt