Recent updates 🗞️
📈 Nvidia overtakes Apple as the most valuable company in the world
🇺🇸 Trump slightly ahead of Harris in polls 2 weeks before election
💰 IMF - Inflation below 3.5%, Growth is projected to hold steady at 3.2 percent in 2024 and 2025.
🎓 Learning New Product Management and working on capstone project
🎥 Watching “The Bear” S2
📚 Reading “The Speed of Trust”
Nvidia’s Secret Sauce: A Deep Dive into Jensen Huang’s Leadership Philosophy
Nvidia recently overtook Apple as the world’s most valuable company by market cap. This milestone got me thinking about the leadership philosophy behind such a monumental achievement, so I decided to dive deep into Jensen Huang’s approach to running NVIDIA for this month’s blog post.
“It’s so vital that we create the conditions where they can do their life’s work, and they’re not making a sacrifice to be here” - Jensen Huang
What struck me most about Jensen’s leadership style is how it defies conventional wisdom in many ways. As someone studying strategy, finance, and marketing, I often come across traditional management theories that emphasize hierarchical structures, detailed planning, and rigid reporting systems. But Jensen’s approach at NVIDIA turns much of this on its head.
First off, let’s talk about organizational structure. In my strategy classes, we often discuss the pros and cons of different org charts, but Jensen’s flat structure with 50 direct reports is unlike anything I’ve encountered in textbooks. It’s fascinating to see how this approach empowers employees and speeds up information flow. I can’t help but wonder how this would work in other industries or at different scales. Then there’s the planning process - or rather, the lack thereof. As someone with an engineering background, I’m used to detailed project plans and roadmaps. But Jensen’s “continuous planning” system, with no formal five-year or even one-year plans, is a radical departure. It reminds me of the agile methodologies we use in software development, but applied at a company-wide scale. I’m curious how this approach affects NVIDIA’s ability to make long term investments in R&D and infrastructure. One aspect of Jensen’s leadership that really resonates with me is his emphasis on avoiding commodity work. Being in tech, I’ve often felt frustrated when asked to work on projects that don’t push the boundaries of innovation. Jensen’s philosophy of focusing only on what hasn’t been done before seems like a powerful way to attract and retain top talent.
The “Top Five Things” email system is another intriguing practice. In my marketing classes, we often discuss the importance of clear communication channels, but this informal, stochastic approach to information gathering is quite unique. I can see how it might provide a more authentic pulse of the company than traditional status reports. As I reflect on these insights, I can’t help but draw parallels to my own experiences and the concepts I’m learning in my MBA program. Jensen’s approach challenges many traditional management theories, and it’s clear that his unconventional methods have played a crucial role in NVIDIA’s success. L ooking ahead, I’m excited to see how NVIDIA continues to evolve under Jensen’s leadership. As AI and accelerated computing become increasingly central to our digital world, NVIDIA’s culture of innovation and adaptability seems well positioned for continued success.
Cheers 🥂