30% Of Network Engineers Are Retiring. What Happens Next? (Anil Varanasi, Co-Founder & CEO of Meter)

Anil Varanasi, co-founder and CEO of Meter, is building a new kind of networking company for the AI era. Alongside his brother Sunil, he has helped raise more than $350 million to challenge incumbents like Cisco with a vertically integrated approach spanning hardware, software, deployment, and ongoing operations, all delivered through a utility-style model. His view is that networking has remained largely unchanged for decades, even as it has become foundational to everything from AI workloads to real-world infrastructure. Meter’s ambition is not just to improve existing networks, but to make them autonomous over time. Before starting the company, Anil and Sunil were deeply involved in filmmaking, a background that still shapes their philosophy of building with cathedral-level craft across every layer of the stack.Together we explore:• The “burden of knowledge” and why progress is getting harder across fields• Why most companies over-index on technology and ignore business model innovation• The three ways companies create advantage: technology, delivery, and business model• How Meter’s trade-in model borrows from the automotive industry• Why networking should function like electricity or water—not hardware• Lessons from Japanese vending machine logistics for infrastructure deployment• The hidden coordination problem behind vertically integrated companies• Why Anil believes “common knowledge” is often wrong• How COVID forced Meter to abandon geographic constraints and scale nationally• The case for fully autonomous networks in a world of exploding demand—Thank you to the partners who make this possible.tech domains: An identity for builders at their core.Granola: The app that might actually make you love meetings.Brex: The intelligent finance platform.—Timestamps(00:00) Introduction to Anil Varanasi and Meter(03:52) The burden of knowledge and slowing innovation(08:18) Losing creativity vs gaining expertise(10:25) What Meter actually does(13:26) Early life, immigration, and upbringing(15:47) Parental influence(20:03) Film, storytelling, and creative influence(22:55) Why Anil didn’t pursue filmmaking(25:44) Parallels between company building and filmmaking(27:00) Early programming and building(28:05) George Mason and understanding systems(29:59) The dynamic of working with his brother as a co-founder(34:03) His first business and lessons learned (or lack thereof)(35:15) Lessons from successful companies(38:16) Japanese vending machines and logistics insight(41:10) Scrapping 18 months of work(42:40) Conviction and long-term company building(46:02) COVID shock and near-death moment(49:59) Building hardware like a cathedral(52:25) Rethinking the networking business model(57:06) Build vs buy and transaction costs(59:39) Networking as infrastructure and utility(01:01:30) The case for autonomous networks(01:03:25) Hiring, talent, and what actually matters(01:06:15) Big unanswered questions (sleep, science)(01:07:28) Rethinking education(01:09:02) Infinite games and long-term thinking—Follow Anil VaranasiLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anilcvX: https://x.com/acvWebsite: https://anilv.com—Resources and episode mentions: https://www.generalist.com/p/the-case-for-autonomous-networks—Production and marketing by penname.co. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.generalist.com/subscribe