Jensen Huang at Cambridge — Lessons in Leadership, AI, and Perseverance

Content Source: November 4, 2025 — Cambridge University interview during the awarding of the 2025 Stephen Hawking Prize

Guest Speaker: Jensen Huang, NVIDIA Founder & CEO

Deep Notes Contributor: Tian Lang Ming Yue

Editor: Qi

Layout: Mu Yan

Article No. 9302 — 5,653 words | 17 minutes reading time

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Mindset

> Some truths, if realized ten years late, will cost you ten extra years of effort. Intelligence has never been hidden in "the right answer."

On November 4, 2025, Jensen Huang accepted the Stephen Hawking Honorary Award at Cambridge University, joining previous awardees such as Bill Gates and the OpenAI team.

Thirty-three years earlier, with two friends in a small townhouse, he started NVIDIA — never imagining he would later drive an AI industrial revolution.

From inventing the GPU to pioneering CUDA computing, he weathered six major technological shifts, demonstrating that success is not about IQ or talent — but about thinking clearly when it matters most.

In his Cambridge speech, Huang said:

> "I am the longest-serving tech CEO in the world. The secret? Don’t get bored, and don’t get fired."

What sounds like humor hides deeper insights into hardship, sacrifice, and resilience. This article distills and organizes his full speech for clarity and inspiration.

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I. The Truth About Entrepreneurship

Hardship is the Touchstone of Character

1. From Startup to AI Pioneer

• No prior CEO experience: No fundraising background, no business plan, and no management track record.
• Approach: Break problems down to first principles, learn as you go, persist long enough to master any field.

The 1993 Beginning

• Started NVIDIA with two friends to invent a new type of computing for problems traditional machines couldn't solve.
• Created:
• A new product category — GPU
• A new computing model — CUDA accelerated computing
• Tools for scientists, designers, and creators to power an AI industrial revolution
• Impact: Disrupted every application, industry, and scientific field; AI became part of global infrastructure.

> Key takeaway: AI infrastructure will be as essential as electricity or the internet.

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2. Facing Difficulty — "If I Knew, I Might Not Have Started"

Example:

• At launch, the iPhone delivered fewer features than traditional mobile phones yet cost five times more — new categories often start with high costs and low immediate value.
• NVIDIA's GPU story mirrored this — at launch, programmable shaders had huge potential but no compatible applications and higher prices.

Survival Challenges:

• Crossing the market adoption gap demands conviction, courage, and endurance.
• Most companies fail — survival requires reinvention (NVIDIA did so through six computing eras).

> If you truly have the passion, start. How hard could it be?

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II. The Essence of Being a CEO

Sacrifice and Service Over Glory

1. Leadership Misconceptions

• Being CEO = servant, not commander.
• Role: Create conditions for others to succeed.
• Strategy: Choosing what not to do is as critical as choosing what to do.
• Lead by example, even in tough times.

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2. Character Through Hardship

• Immigrant background; modest, tough life in the U.S.
• Every struggle became leadership training.
• Root decisions in fundamental principles; act on deeply held convictions.

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3. Long-Term Survival — Stay Curious, Adapt Fast

Rules Huang Lives By:

• Stay curious — maintain childlike optimism.
• Adapt quickly — admit mistakes, change course without ego.
• Protect innovation risk-takers — avoid harmful rankings and forced cuts.

Why No Firing Policy:

• Innovation requires risk and failure.
• Forced ranking systems destroy diversity and discourage experimentation.

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4. Future Outlook: Rules for Survival in the Age of AI

AI and Jobs

• AI amplifies capability, doesn’t simply replace jobs.
• Radiology example: AI increases capacity and precision, raising demand for skilled professionals.
• Efficiency gains make us busier — smartphones and computers did the same.

Regulation Philosophy

• Less premature regulation: Prevent stifling innovation.
• China’s engineering-led governance vs. U.S.’s lawyer-led governance illustrates speed differences in industrial growth.

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Final Thoughts

Character is the ultimate algorithm.

From diner brainstorming to trillion-dollar AI powerhouse, Huang’s journey highlights:

• Sacrifice for future gains
• Courage to admit mistakes
• Drawing strength from hardship

> Intelligence alone won’t change destiny — clear thinking at critical moments will.

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For Creators Today:

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Resources: AiToEarn博客 | AiToEarn开源地址

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References

• Lishi Business Review: “Jensen Huang at Cambridge University: One of the hardest things is admitting mistakes and changing your mind in front of tens of thousands of employees.”
• The Economist: “Interview with 2025 Cambridge University Hawking Prize Laureate Jensen Huang.”

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