● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsMedium impact2 neutral
Cisco Assigns Engineer to Rewrite 98% of Legacy Code Using AI Within 24 Months
Key points
- 27-year-old engineer tasked with rewriting 98% of Cisco's legacy code.
- Project has a 24-month deadline with unlimited AI tokens provided.
- Engineer joined Cisco via acquisition of his startup, EzDubs.
- Cisco seeks to inject fresh ideas and challenge status quo with young talent.
- Cisco's President and Chief Product Officer, Jeetu Patel, assigned the project.
- The engineer's name is Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy, also called Paddy.
- The engineer joined Cisco in 2025.
- EzDubs, cofounded by Krishnamurthy, was a real-time translation startup.
Ambitious Code Refactoring Project
Cisco has initiated a significant project to modernize its codebase, assigning engineer Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy the task of rewriting 98% of the company's legacy code. This ambitious undertaking has a 24-month deadline, with an initial four-week proof-of-concept phase. Krishnamurthy has been granted unlimited AI tokens to facilitate this refactoring process.
Engineer's Background and Opportunity
Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy, a 27-year-old former startup founder, joined Cisco after the company acquired his translation startup, EzDubs, in 2023. Despite his executive experience, he was initially in a less strategic role within Cisco. Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel identified Krishnamurthy's potential after he proposed an AI-driven approach to code refactoring with a small team.
Strategy for Innovation
This initiative is part of Cisco's broader strategy to integrate fresh ideas and challenge existing corporate structures. Patel expressed interest in finding more young hires like Krishnamurthy, both internally and externally, who can 'challenge the system and the status quo.' The goal is to inject new perspectives and energy into the workforce, even if it creates some internal friction.
Implications of AI in Coding
The project highlights the increasing reliance on AI in software development. While AI coding tools have seen rapid adoption, requiring significant infrastructure scaling from platforms like GitHub, the practice also carries risks, such as AI agents performing unintended actions. Cisco's approach with Krishnamurthy represents a direct application of AI to a large-scale legacy system modernization.
Updates
- Cisco's President and Chief Product Officer, Jeetu Patel, assigned the project.
- The engineer's name is Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy, also called Paddy.
- The engineer joined Cisco in 2025.
- EzDubs, cofounded by Krishnamurthy, was a real-time translation startup.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
How outlets covered it
Cisco's President and Chief Product Officer, Jeetu Patel, has assigned Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy, a 27-year-old engineer, to refactor Cisco's legacy code using AI. Krishnamurthy has been given "unlimited tokens" for this project, with a goal to refactor 98% of the code within 24 months. This initiative reflects a strategy to integrate younger talent and AI into core engineering tasks.
Cisco's Chief Product Officer has tasked 27-year-old engineer Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy with refactoring 98% of the company's legacy code in two years, providing him with unlimited AI tokens. This initiative aims to modernize Cisco's codebase using AI-driven coding, reflecting a strategy to integrate younger talent and innovative approaches within the company.