Citrix’s Hidden Genius: Brad Pedersen on the Origins of Remote Computing | New Rules of the Game

2025-05-22

What if the story of remote computing started with just seven engineers and a radical idea? In this epic 2-hour interview, Brad Pedersen, the original architect behind Citrix’s ICA protocol and employee #7 at Citrix, sits down with Brad Peterson to share the untold story of how Citrix was built—from the earliest days of bootstrapped engineering to defining an entire industry. In this exclusive, unfiltered conversation, Brad walks us through Citrix’s early architecture, the birth of the ICA proto...

What if the story of remote computing started with just seven engineers and a radical idea?

In this epic 2-hour interview, Brad Pedersen, the original architect behind Citrix’s ICA protocol and employee #7 at Citrix, sits down with Brad Peterson to share the untold story of how Citrix was built—from the earliest days of bootstrapped engineering to defining an entire industry. In this exclusive, unfiltered conversation, Brad walks us through Citrix’s early architecture, the birth of the ICA protocol, battles with Microsoft, and the bold moves that made Citrix a global force in remote work technology.

🚀 We cover the company’s founding, product pivots, going public, and the legendary “monkey ceremony.” Whether you're a longtime Citrix fan or a newcomer curious about the origins of virtual desktops, this is the ultimate behind-the-scenes tech history.

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