NVIDIA and Jensen Huang: A Full Circle Moment
I often tell friends how much my life has changed since I started learning about financial freedom and self-efficacy. It’s amazing what happens when you invest in yourself and stay consistent with your goals.
Back in 2019, I bought shares of NVIDIA. I didn’t think too much about it at the time. I just believed in the company, its vision, and the quiet conviction that technology could shape the future. Six years later, NVIDIA has become the most valuable company in the world — a name that defines the age of artificial intelligence.
Fast forward to now. I’m sitting front row at the Milken Institute Global Conference, waiting for Jensen Huang to take the stage. The energy in the room is electric. People are whispering about AI’s next leap and how NVIDIA is behind nearly all of it. And then, Jensen walks out — in his signature black leather jacket, smiling, calm, and effortlessly composed.
For someone who has followed his story for years, seeing him in person felt surreal. Here was a man who not only built a company but reshaped the world’s idea of what computing could be. Listening to him felt personal. He wasn’t preaching. He was storytelling — about struggle, curiosity, and staying in the game long enough to see it all make sense.
What I Learned
Failure is a gift
At one point, Jensen looked at the audience and said, “I hope you all get to fail. Through failure, you’ll realize your worth and your journey.”
The room fell quiet. You could feel everyone absorbing it. He spoke about how every stage of NVIDIA’s success was built on years of setbacks — designs that didn’t work, ideas that didn’t land, moments when quitting would’ve been easier.
It made me think about my own journey. How every failure, big or small, ended up teaching me something that success never could. Failure really is the tuition we pay for wisdom.
AI is expanding what we can do
Jensen explained that AI isn’t just another technology — it’s a new kind of digital workforce. He talked about how machines can now perceive the world, generate content, translate languages, and even use tools and browsers.
Then he said something that has stayed with me: “Jobs won’t be lost to AI. They’ll be lost to people who know how to use it.”
The audience laughed softly, but we all knew how true it was. AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to amplify what humans can do — to make us sharper, faster, more creative. The people who thrive will be the ones who stay curious enough to learn.
AI factories are the new industrial revolution
Jensen described how AI is made. Unlike traditional software, it isn’t written line by line — it’s trained. It’s produced inside massive “AI factories,” which are data centers that generate code, images, videos, and even robotic movements.
He said these centers could soon reach gigawatt capacity and cost billions to build. Hearing that made me realize we’re not just living through a tech revolution. We’re watching a new kind of industrial age being born — one powered by intelligence instead of oil or steel.
Every industry will be transformed
Jensen compared AI to electricity. When it first arrived, it changed everything — homes, factories, cities. AI, he said, will do the same. It’s already reshaping healthcare, finance, education, entertainment, and manufacturing.
What stood out to me was his optimism. He said AI is one of the most accessible technologies ever created. Anyone can “program” it just by speaking to it. You can ask it to teach you something, to help you write, design, or think through an idea. It’s opening doors for people everywhere.
Leadership means staying in the game
Jensen talked about the early years of NVIDIA — the rejections, the redesigns, the endless cycles of trying again. They built everything themselves: the chips, the software, the systems. There was no shortcut.
As he spoke, I could feel the quiet confidence of someone who has weathered every storm and come out stronger. He said that persistence, not genius, is what keeps you alive in this business. That resonated deeply. Leadership isn’t about getting it right the first time. It’s about staying in the game when everyone else walks away.
Collaboration drives progress
When someone asked about how NVIDIA stays ahead, Jensen smiled and said that the best ideas come from their customers. Feedback, he said, is everything. The company learns from developers, scientists, and engineers who are out in the field testing limits every day.
It reminded me that innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in conversation — in listening, learning, and staying open.
My Takeaway
Walking out of that session, I felt grateful and a little emotional. To have invested in NVIDIA years ago was one thing. But to sit front row, listening to Jensen Huang share his story in person, felt like a quiet validation of the choices I’ve made along the way.
It reminded me that the most powerful investment will always be the one you make in yourself.
Believe in your ideas. Stay curious. Let failure teach you. Keep showing up.
Jensen’s story wasn’t just about technology or success. It was about resilience, vision, and the courage to keep building even when no one else understands your path.
Sometimes, life brings you full circle in ways you never expect — and when it does, all you can do is sit there, take it in, and feel thankful for how far you’ve come.
