You probably know how much, here at KITRUM, we admire entrepreneurs, startup CEOs, and just successful people driven by their inner desires and the unique stories behind their successful ventures. Our today’s hero has held the position of CEO in his own company for 30 years straight, reaching a net worth of $78.1 billion, is the 19th richest person in the world, is a philanthropist, and is a huge fan of … leather jackets!
Please welcome – Jensen Huang, the NVIDIA CEO, a company that now leads the AI revolution with its groundbreaking Graphics Processing Units and transformative AI applications.
What is Jensen Huang’s background?
Jensen Huang’s journey to success is rooted in his humble beginnings and a passion for technology. He was born on February 17, 1963, in Tainan, Taiwan. Later, his family moved to Thailand before finally moving and settling down in the U.S. During his early years, he attended a school for “difficult” children and was even assigned the task of cleaning the dormitory toilets at the age of 9.
If you think it broke him or made him disappointed in life – you are mistaken. Instead, it developed in him a strong sense of determination and perseverance. This defining experience instilled in him the principle of always giving his best effort, whether in academics or sports (these skills will play a significant role in his career later).
Thus, at the age of 15, Jensen demonstrated his commitment to excellence by achieving 3rd place in junior doubles at the U.S. Open Table Tennis Championship. Jensen also developed an early fascination with computers and technology.
His love for technology fueled his passion and drove him to pursue a degree in this field. So, Jensen earned his Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in 1984 and then a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1992.
What did Jensen Huang do before NVIDIA?
So yes, just like his past experiences during childhood, this type of job provided Jensen with skills that would shape his future. However, can we truly attribute these skills solely to the job itself? It’s more accurate to say that this job served as a catalyst, showing Jensen’s natural strengths and dedication. It showcased his relentless commitment to delivering exceptional results and demonstrated his capacity for hard work and excellence.
After completing his master’s degree, Jensen Huang began his career in the tech industry. He worked at several companies, including AMD and LSI Logic, where he gained invaluable experience and expertise in the tech industry. During his time at these companies, he gained a deep understanding of chip design, technology development, and the industry’s competitive landscape. This hands-on experience equipped him with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the tech world and ultimately laid the foundation for his future success as the co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA.
How did Jensen Huang start NVIDIA?
As is often the case for talented and hardworking people, the time eventually arrives to embark on one’s own entrepreneurial journey, and for Jensen Huang, that moment arrived as well.
During his successful tenure at LSI Logic, Jensen Huang faced a pivotal moment when his colleagues Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem presented him with an enticing proposal. Despite his contentment and the chances to work with luminaries like Andy Bechtolsheim, Jensen felt an inner calling — a desire for greater fulfillment.
Jensen, Chris, and Curtis often gathered at Denny’s, a popular diner-style restaurant chain in the U.S. (where Jensen had his first job), to talk about their vision for the emerging microprocessor they believed would revolutionize the industry.
Back then, the trio envisioned founding a company dedicated to leveraging emerging technologies, such as microprocessors, to solve challenges beyond the capabilities of traditional computing, propelling them into uncharted territory and paving the way for groundbreaking innovations.
“We thought, why don’t we build a company to solve problems that a normal computer that is powered by general-purpose computing can’t? And so that became the company’s mission, to go build a computer, the type of computers, and solve problems that normal computers can’t, and to this day, we’re focused on that.”
The temptation of establishing a company and exploring uncharted territories was impossible to resist. Thus, fueled by their collective vision and determination, NVIDIA was born in April 1993. This decision to embark on the entrepreneurial path wasn’t easy due to the absolute lack of knowledge of starting and running a company; nevertheless, it was a leap of faith driven by a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of innovation.
However, to fund a company, you need not only knowledge of how to do it and deep self-belief but also money. In NVIDIA’s case, they secured investment not just from anyone but from Don Valentine, a famous venture capitalist known as the founder of Sequoia Capital – the “grandfather of Silicon Valley venture capital.”
Jensen Huang’s stellar performance at LSI Logic solidified his reputation as one of the company’s best employees, catching the attention of Wilfred Corrigan, founder of LSI Logic. Recognizing not only Huang’s talent but also his disciplined and responsible approach to his work, Corrigan facilitated a meeting between Huang and Don Valentine. Impressed by Huang’s track record and driven demeanor, Valentine invested in NVIDIA, seeing immense potential in Huang’s vision and leadership. Here is what Jensen Huang has to say about it: “The thing I learned is that you can make up a great interview, and you can even have a bad interview. But you can’t run away from your past, so have a good past and try to have a good past.”
The fact that Jensen’s sterling reputation played a pivotal role in one of the most important moments of his life speaks volumes about his character. His reputation confirms that he is a highly responsible person, consistently delivering exceptional results. Moreover, it portrays him as a communicative person who not only excels in his work but also cultivates strong relationships with those around him. This deep bond is evidenced by the willingness of others to support and assist him, reflecting the genuine admiration and respect he commands.
NVIDIA’s challenges: how to be the best among 89 similar companies?
NVIDIA’s journey to becoming a leading company was marked by numerous moments of innovation and adaptation. Initially founded for accelerated computing, the company faced significant challenges as it sought to establish a foothold in a competitive landscape. Recognizing the need for a defining application, Jensen Huang and his team decided to focus on 3D graphics, particularly for video games — a niche market at the time. This decision, backed by funding from Sequoia, set the stage for NVIDIA’s trajectory.
However, the path was fraught with obstacles. The technology required to achieve their vision was costly and complex, while the market for such innovations was virtually nonexistent. Nevertheless, NVIDIA persisted, pioneering new approaches to computer graphics and relentlessly pursuing market creation. This commitment to both technological advancement and market development became a defining ethos for the company.
As competition intensified, NVIDIA faced a crucial juncture when Microsoft introduced a new standard, Direct3D, which posed compatibility challenges for their existing technology. Faced with the prospect of obsolescence, the team turned to OpenGL, a manual discovered by Huang at one of the libraries, to redefine their approach. Leveraging their ingenuity and expertise, they successfully implemented the OpenGL pipeline, propelling NVIDIA to the forefront of the industry once again.
Here’s a powerful lesson from Jensen Huang: Never surrender. The solution you seek could be just a page turn away. Keep searching, keep striving, because sometimes, the answer lies literally within the nearest book.
“You can succeed in doing something, inventing a future, even if you were not informed about it at all. And it’s kind of my attitude about everything now. When somebody tells me about something, and I’ve never heard of it before, or if I’ve heard of it, don’t understand how it works at all, my first thought is always, how hard can it be? And it’s probably just a textbook away. You’re probably one archive paper away from figuring this out.”
Here is another powerful and valuable lesson from Jensen Huang: the power of resourcefulness and the importance of returning to first principles in the face of uncertainty. Huang’s philosophy of embracing challenges with the question, “How hard can it be?” exemplifies NVIDIA’s ethos of continuous innovation and adaptation. By constantly reassessing and reinventing themselves, NVIDIA continues to shape the future of computing, guided by the principle of pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo.
“You can’t learn how somebody else does something and do it exactly the same way and hope to have a different outcome. But you could learn how something can be done and then go back to first principles and ask yourself, given the conditions today, given my motivation, the instruments and tools, and how things have changed, how would I redo this? How would I reinvent this whole thing? How would I build a car today? Would I build it incrementally from the 1950s and 1900s? How would I build a computer today? How would I write software today? Does that make sense?”
Another challenge that Jensen faced was the dramatic 80% drop in the company’s market capitalization during the financial crisis due to Wall Street’s lack of faith in their investment in machine learning. Despite the immense pressure and embarrassment, Jensen managed to navigate this crisis by maintaining a steadfast focus on the company’s core principles. Rather than being overwhelmed by the negative circumstances, he approached each day with the same discipline and commitment as before.
By continuously reassessing his beliefs and the fundamental principles guiding the company’s decisions, Jensen ensured that they stayed true to their vision and objectives. He encouraged his team to do the same, emphasizing the importance of remaining grounded in their core values and goals, regardless of external fluctuations like stock prices. Through resilience, determination, and unwavering belief in its mission, Jensen successfully steered the company through this challenging period, emerging stronger and more focused on their long-term objectives.
Cool fact: NVIDIA has rapidly climbed to the ranks of the world’s most valuable companies and became the fourth company in the world with a cost of over 2 trillion dollars, joining the likes of Microsoft, Apple, and Alphabet.
From a computer chip maker to an AI giant
Why is NVIDIA leading in AI? It’s all about its cutting-edge technology, the very hardware and software creating today’s AI revolution. Here is how NVIDIA drives the world forward with AI at its core:
- Graphics Processing Units (GPUs): NVIDIA’s GPU is currently the world’s fastest computer chip. It can handle a massive number of calculations simultaneously, unlike regular chips that do them one after the other. The GPU is the powerhouse behind NVIDIA’s AI technology, allowing it to quickly process huge amounts of information and do quadrillions of calculations per second.
- AI applications: NVIDIA’s technology powers AI applications across multiple sectors, such as healthcare (drug discovery, medical imaging), autonomous vehicles, robotics, natural language processing, weather prediction, and more, including the creation of AI-generated videos that shape new reality and revolutionize content creation.
- Partnerships: NVIDIA collaborates with leading research institutions, universities, and industry partners to develop AI algorithms, frameworks, and solutions that address real-world challenges.
- AI supercomputers: NVIDIA develops AI supercomputers, such as the one delivered to OpenAI in 2016. They provide the computational power needed to train advanced AI models and accelerate research in AI. In our previous article, you can also read more about OpenAI and its CTO, Mira Murati.
Jensen’s life nowadays
Jensen Huang is far more than just the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company; he is multifaceted, embracing roles as a devoted husband and proud father to two beautiful children, Madison and Spencer.
His philanthropic endeavors mirror his commitment to making a difference beyond the boardroom. In 2022, Huang demonstrated his deep-rooted connection to his alma mater by donating generously. He contributed a remarkable $50 million to Oregon State University as part of a $200 million donation earmarked for establishing a cutting-edge supercomputing institute on campus.
Similarly, Huang’s alma mater, Stanford University, received a significant boost of $30 million from him, facilitating the construction of the Jen-Hsun Huang School of Engineering Center. This center, nestled within Stanford’s Science and Engineering Quad, is a testament to Huang’s dedication to advancing education and innovation.
Furthermore, Huang’s philanthropic spirit extended to Oneida Baptist Institute, where he donated $2 million towards the construction of Huang Hall, a new dormitory and classroom building, demonstrating his commitment to fostering educational opportunities.
This incredible story of success, we would like to finish with the powerful Jensen’s belief that no task is too humble or beneath him. Always tackle any task, regardless of its perceived importance or prestige. Always have an approach to work with a willingness to do whatever is necessary to get the job done, regardless of how trivial or unpleasant the task may seem. This attitude reflects a strong work ethic and a lack of arrogance or entitlement.
