Hosts: Tom May & Jonah MayGuest: Rick Vanover, Senior Director of Product Strategy at Veeam Episode OverviewIn this episode of Rebel Devs, Tom and Jonah sit down with none other than Rick Vanover—“Rickatron”—from Veeam. Fresh off VeeamON, Rick shares behind-the-scenes insights about how the event comes together, what’s next in the Veeam Data Cloud journey, and why the Veeam community continues to be one of the company’s strongest differentiators. This conversation blends industry perspective, personal anecdotes, and technical deep dives—from new Linux-based appliances to the challenges of balancing partner needs, all the way to reflections on careers, risk-taking, and the evolving tech landscape. What You’ll Hear in This Episode Life after VeeamON: Rick’s whirlwind schedule of VeeamON, RSA, Nutanix .NEXT, and why a "VeeamON-off" vacation was overdue. The Veeam Community: How Vanguard, Legends, and user groups shape the company’s DNA and directly influence product strategy. Event Takeaways:Linux-based Veeam Backup & Replication appliance – and why it blew the audience away.The rise of Veeam Data Cloud and its impact on service providers and customers.The balancing act between C-suite priorities, MSP needs, and partner representation at VeeamON. Business & Tech Evolution: From capitalization vs. OpEx in cloud economics, to why community programs like Vanguard deliver real ROI. Careers & Risk: Rick’s reflections on being risk-averse in data protection, watching his son hack Chromebooks, and how unpredictable paths shape our roles in tech. Technology Everywhere: Construction, data centers, and even HVAC systems—how “non-traditional tech” jobs are becoming highly technical and critical.Key Quotes “At VeeamON, the goal is simple: everybody levels up. That’s what makes the event so special.” – Rick Vanover “Fly with eagles, you rise. Soar with ducks, you sink. The Veeam community is full of eagles.” – Tom May “Most customers can cover 90% of their needs with Veeam Data Cloud. The beauty is in the choice.” – Rick VanoverWhy Listen?Whether you’re a Veeam user, MSP, or IT pro, this episode gives you a rare mix of technical insights, business realities, and community wisdom. If you want to understand where backup, data protection, and cloud services are heading—and how to align yourself with that future—this conversation is a must-listen. Connect with Us Rebel Devs: rebeldevs.com Different Dev: differentdev.com CyberFortress: cyberfortress.com👉 Subscribe, share, and join the rebellion. The Rebel Devs Podcast challenges conventional thinking in tech—and you’re invited to be part of the conversation.
