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Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA

Stanford Graduate School of Business

1.3M Views . 2024-03-06

In this View From The Top interview, Shantam Jain, MBA ’24, speaks with Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA. As of March 1, 2024, NVIDIA is the third most valuable company on Wall Street, with over $2T in market value. Jensen shares his experience founding NVIDIA, getting funded, building the first killer application for NVIDIA’s technology, deciding which markets are worth exploring, finding the conviction in making non-consensus bets, steering the company through challenging times, designing the right organization structure, and finally, his views on the AI revolution. Excerpts from the interview: - On reputation: “You can have a good or bad interview, but you can't run away from your past, so have a good past; I was probably Denny's [first job] best dishwasher” - On early days: “In order for NVIDIA to succeed we needed another startup to succeed—EA… and EA’s CTO was 14 and had to be driven to work by his mom… that’s who we were relying on” - On markets: “If someone else can do it, let them do it; focus on--if I don't do it, it won't get done” - On core beliefs: “My reaction during that time [when NVIDIA lost 80% of market value in the financial crisis], is the same reaction I had about this week [when NVIDIA crossed $2T and became the 3rd most valuable company on Wall Street]” - On unique organizational design: “You have to go back to first principles ... as a CEO I have to architect the company and create an organization that allows my employees to do their life’s work”

Jensen Huang, founder of NVIDIA, discusses his decision to leave LSI Logic to start his own company, driven by the opportunity to build a new type of computer for solving complex problems. The company's mission was to develop computing power for applications like drug design, weather simulation, and robotics.

NVIDIA founding
computer science
microprocessor revolution

  • Jensen left LSI Logic to co-found a company with Chris and Curtis, motivated by their desire to build a company that could solve problems beyond the capabilities of traditional computers.
  • The company's mission was to build computers and solve problems that general-purpose computers couldn't, leading to breakthroughs in fields like computational drug design, weather simulation, and materials design.

Insights from Jensen Huang's Story:

1. The Power of Passionate Collaboration:

This excerpt reveals the crucial role of strong relationships in driving innovation. Chris and Curtis's desire to leave Sun and build something new inspired Jensen to leave his successful career at LSI Logic. Their shared passion and drive, fostered through casual meetups at Denny's, led to the birth of a revolutionary company. This emphasizes that great ideas often stem from the collaborative energy of like-minded individuals who are willing to pursue their dreams together.

2. Seizing the Moment: The Microprocessor Revolution:

Jensen's narrative highlights the importance of recognizing and capitalizing on emerging technological trends. He and his colleagues identified the potential of the

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