In 2022, I had offers from Apple, Amazon, and NVIDIA. I chose NVIDIA, largely because of Jensen Huang. Not many new NVIDIA at that time, its pre ChatGPT era.
Watching GTC 2022 was a defining moment. Jensen wasn’t just talking about GPUs. He was talking about transforming physics, medicine, climate science, robotics, and computing. I was awestruck by the ambition and possibilities. I wanted to be part of that journey.
As an immigrant myself, I also found Jensen’s journey deeply inspiring. Seeing a fellow immigrant build NVIDIA into a company with such a profound impact on American innovation and the world made his story even more meaningful to me.
Nearly five years later, I’m still inspired by his leadership and the life lessons I’ve tried to apply:
Go after hard problems. AI inference, Dynamo, vLLM, and GPU kernel programming were far outside my background. I once hesitated to venture into unfamiliar technical areas. Jensen inspired me to embrace that discomfort and push myself to learn.
Give 100% effort. I try to give my best from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. I’m far from perfect, but I keep trying. It’s also what I teach my kids: whether in sports, academics, or life, give it everything you’ve got.
Focus on the game, not the scoreboard. Put your energy into doing great work rather than obsessing over recognition, rewards, or outcomes. Focus on what you can control, and let the results follow.
Stay relentlessly optimistic. Don’t be intimidated by challenges. Believe problems can be solved, opportunities can be created, and the future can be better.
Create a bigger pie. Don’t just compete for someone else’s market share. Solve problems that create entirely new opportunities.
Play the long game. I’ve always admired people like Warren Buffett and Albert Einstein, who dedicated their lives to meaningful work. Jensen’s decades of leadership and his desire to keep contributing for decades more inspired me in the same way. I aspire to that kind of lifelong curiosity, commitment, and purpose—to keep learning, building, and contributing for as long as I can.
Never give up. Keep fighting. NVIDIA came close to failure more than once, but Jensen never gave up. I admire that same fighting spirit in leaders like Elon Musk—refusing to surrender when the odds seem impossible. It’s a mindset I try to embrace myself: setbacks are inevitable, but keep fighting, keep learning, and find a way forward. No matter how difficult the challenge, don’t give up.
Embrace pain and suffering. In his Stanford interview, Jensen spoke about how suffering builds character. I’ve started looking at challenges and discomfort differently—not as things to avoid, but as opportunities to grow stronger. When things get difficult, I remind myself that the struggle itself is shaping me into a better person. Growth rarely comes from comfort.
Think from first principles. Move at the speed of light. Jensen taught me to question assumptions and think about the theoretical limits of what’s possible. Instead of asking how fast something is today, ask how fast it could be. I’ve started applying this mindset to engineering, problem-solving, and everyday work: eliminate unnecessary complexity, challenge constraints, and move with “urgency”.
The mission is the boss. One of Jensen’s most powerful leadership lessons is that we work for the mission, not for an individual or a hierarchy. The mission should guide our priorities, decisions, and collaboration. This changed how I think about teamwork and leadership: focus on the shared purpose, do what’s right for the mission, and let that guide the work.
Take your work seriously, but not yourself. Despite the enormous challenges and responsibilities, Jensen always found room for humor. His jokes, playful moments at GTC, and lighter exchanges during all-hands meetings made even the most ambitious conversations enjoyable. It’s a reminder I try to carry into my own life: work hard, aim high, but remember to laugh and enjoy the journey.
I’ve watched NVIDIA turn seemingly impossible ideas into reality, from autonomous vehicles and digital twins to Blackwell and rack-scale AI computing.
This moment is heartbreaking. I’m sad for myself, for NVIDIA, for American industry, and for humanity.
Jensen’s legacy at NVIDIA will endure. But what stays with me personally is what he sparked in me. He changed how I approach challenges, work, and life. Those lessons will stay with me forever, and I hope to pass them on to my children.
Above all, thank you, Jensen. Thank you for inspiring me to join NVIDIA, challenging me to think bigger, and teaching me lessons that go far beyond technology. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this journey.
I don’t want Jensen’s story to end like this.
I sincerely hope he finds another way to continue contributing to America and the world. Someone with his vision, determination, and ability to inspire others still has so much more to give.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this account are those of my own and do not represent those of my employer, Nvidia.