Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang says passion isn't a prerequisite for starting a job and that loving the work often comes after you begin doing it.
Huang’s Pushback On ';Find What You Love' Mantra
In an interview on Norges Bank Investment Management's "In Good Company" podcast with host Nicolai Tangen in November 2023, Huang pushed back on the common career mantra to "find what you love," arguing instead that commitment can create passion over time.
"A lot of people say, ';Find something you love.' I don't know about that. I guess I've fallen in love with many things that I do. I loved it when I was a dishwasher. I loved it when I was a busboy. I loved it when I was delivering papers. I loved it when I was waiting tables," Huang told Tangen.
"I've loved every single job that I've ever had, and I've loved every single day at Nvidia that I've ever had. I just learned to love what I'm doing. It's hard to find something that you love, but it's easier to fall in love with what you're doing. And once you fall in love with what you're doing because you desperately want to do a good job at it, it's easier to do it well and work hard," he explained.
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Nvidia CEO’s Lessons From Denny's Dish Pit
Huang has long used his own path to illustrate that point. His first job at 15 was washing dishes at a Denny's, where he was later promoted to busboy and waiter -- a stint he says taught him humility, discipline, and resilience. He has even joked that he tried to be "the best dishwasher" he could be.
The Nvidia co-founder's outlook that passion can evolve through the grind of real work has echoed across Silicon Valley during the AI boom. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has publicly lauded Huang's work ethic, amplifying clips of the Nvidia chief's comments and praising his approach and attitude.
Huang's advice also tracks with his record at Nvidia, where the company grew from a graphics upstart into an AI infrastructure supplier and market bellwether. He has said loving the task at hand, from entry-level jobs to leading a chip giant, makes it easier to endure setbacks and do hard things well.
Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings place NVDA in the 97th percentile for Growth and 93rd for Quality, highlighting the chipmaker’s robust performance compared to rivals.
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