Never Give Up

No matter what you’re going through, never give up. Keep trying your hardest and you will achieve your life’s dreams, even if they are a little wonky.! You can achieve anything, through hard work, and persistence! One might say, “I quit,” or “I don’t believe in the same dream you are trying to accomplish.” Either way, or anyway even, you should never stop yourself, to hear those comments, keep on moving to your dream. Alas, a dream is not a reality, if it were not for the plans, and the planning behind it. Everything you do, most likely, everything that needs thought behind it should need planning. To make that task more further clear, precise, and doable for you, and others around you can also see, that you are more poised to complete the task at hand, then they could have previously thought. Be bold, and take risks, whether or not they’ll work doesn’t matter as much as the fact that you’ve tried, but don’t let the fact stop you from trying again. When the newly founded NVIDIA got signed a contract with the video game giant, SEGA, and when their technology they were supposed to be developing wasn’t working, Jensen Huang knew that his company would go bankrupt, and ultimately FAIL. So he flew out to Japan and met with SEGA’s CEO and told him truly honestly, that they weren’t going to be able to complete the contract, and asked the CEO to release them from it, but still pay them millions. And it worked, honesty and truth, WILL be met with kindness and sincerity in life, and even in business.

“When I was 30, I started NVIDIA with Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem, two amazing computer scientists. We wanted to build a new kind of computer, one that could solve problems ordinary computers could not. We had absolutely no idea how to build a company, raise money, or run NVIDIA. I just thought, how hard could it be? It turns out, it isn’t super hard.

Our first technology didn’t even work. We nearly ran out of money. At one point, I had to fly to Japan and explain to Sega’s CEO that the technology they contracted us to build would not work. Asked to be released from a contract we could not complete. And then asked that they still pay us. Without the money, NVIDIA would vaporize.

It was embarrassing, humiliating, and one of the hardest things I have ever done. And Sega’s CEO, Irimaji-san, said yes. I learned early that being CEO is not about power, but the responsibility that comes with keeping the company alive. And that honesty and humility can be met with generosity and kindness, even in business.

We used the money to reset the company, and out of desperation, we invented new ways of designing chips and computers that we still use today.For 33 years, NVIDIA had reinvented itself over and over again, each time asking, how hard can it be? And each time learning, it’s harder than we thought. But through those experiences, we learned never to see failure as the opposite of success. Each failure is just another learning moment, a humility moment, a character-strengthening moment. The resilience forged through setbacks is what gives you the strength to go again.

Today, I am one of the longest-serving CEOs in technology. Enjoy the full version. NVIDIA, the body of work I share with 45,000 extraordinary colleagues is my life’s work. Now it’s your time to realize your dreams. And the timing could not be more perfect.” - Jensen Huang 2026 CMU Come Comencment Speaker