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Economic Times
09-08-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's invaluable lesson: 'I don't want you to just be smart, I want you to be...'
Synopsis Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO, addressed Stanford students. He said suffering is important for success. Huang believes character is built through hardship. He shared his own struggles growing up. Huang urged students to embrace challenges. He warned against avoiding discomfort. Huang emphasized that failure is part of the journey. He wants students to be great, not just smart. PTI Jensen Huang Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang addressed hundreds of Stanford University students who were anticipating him speaking on GPUs, AI breakthroughs, or market strategy as he is one of the most influential tech executives who has been the architect of the company's meteoric rise into one of the most valuable said, 'I hope suffering happens to you' at Stanford University's SIEPR Economic Summit and the room fell silent. It was a prelude to a lesson that takes decades to learn. In a world that increasingly strives for comfort, shortcuts, and quick solutions, the Nvidia CEO said that more is needed to succeed, adding that intelligence and talent are impirtant for success, but what matters most is the character forged during hardship, reported TOI. Huang said, 'Greatness comes from character. Character isn't formed out of smart people. It's formed out of people who suffered,' he told the warning was pointed for students who had hardly faced failure and were groomed for achievement since childhood. This philosophy of his is reflected in his own life. Born in Taiwan, Huang moved to the US in his childhood. Survival took precedence over comfort. He washed dishes and cleaned toilets in roadside diners all the while enduring bullying. Each experience, he says, was less a setback than a shaping force. He says that the early years did not shatter, but challenged and tempered him. It made him resilient, resentful and gave him a perspective that no college can ever give. When the time came to lead Nvidia through the tough times, Huang was drawing not only on technical brilliance, but on the mental strength he had built over the years. However, while talking about struggle, Huang was not romanticising hardship, nor asking students to go out and manufacture suffering. He just asked the students to stop escaping discomfort and not give up during adversity. "Understand that failure, rejection, and pressure are not detours from success, but essential parts of the journey." He warned that avoiding struggle could make one fragile, adding that one could be unprepared when an obstacle finally hits. He explained that was why he chose the word 'suffering.' 'I don't want you to just be smart,' he told the students. 'I want you to be great.'In the CEO's view, greatness has little to do with titles or stock valuations, and everything to do with how a person responds when circumstances collapse. "The real test is whether you can push forward when the path turns steep, whether you can learn from the fall, and—most importantly—whether you can rise again."Huang's message to the brilliant minds was raw and unsentimental The path to greatness, he reminded them, does not skirt around hardship. "It walks straight through it."
Time of India
09-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
"I don't want you to just be smart," says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as he shares essential lessons for students
The room was brimming with aspirations and hope-filled eyes. Hundreds of Stanford students, many destined to embark on high-powered careers, sat prepared to hear from one of the world's most influential tech leaders. They might have anticipated a talk on GPUs, AI breakthroughs, or market strategy; after all, Jensen Huang is the architect of NVIDIA's meteoric rise into one of the most valuable companies on the planet. With a jarring metaphor, Huang said, 'I hope suffering happens to you' at Stanford University's SIEPR Economic Summit. The silence that followed was almost physical. It was not a provocation or a warning, but a prelude to the lesson most people spend decades learning, if they learn it at all. In a world increasingly allured by comfort, shortcuts, and quick solutions, Huang reiterated that you need something more to succeed. While intelligence and talent have a significant seat at the table of success, he emphasised that what matters most is the character forged in the crucible of hardship. Not intelligence, struggle is the real currency of greatness Huang's core message stripped success down to its most essential element. 'Greatness comes from character. Character isn't formed out of smart people. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Susan Boyle Is Now so Thin and Looks Beautiful! Undo It's formed out of people who suffered,' he told the audience. It was not a comfortable truth. Many in the room had been groomed for achievement since childhood, often shielded from failure by careful planning and relentless support. But Huang's warning was pointed, without adversity, brilliance can become brittle. When life inevitably applies pressure, untested talent can shatter. Leaders are made through struggle Huang's own life reads like a case study in his philosophy. Born in Taiwan, he moved to the United States as a child, where survival took precedence over comfort. He washed dishes and cleaned toilets in roadside diners. He endured bullying. He stumbled and failed. Each experience, he insists, was less a setback than a shaping force. Those early years did not shatter, rather challenged and tempered him. It helped him imbibe resilience, resourcefulness, and the kind of perspective that no Ivy League syllabus can replicate. As it is often said that hardships in life often gifts you the lessons no textbook ever can. When the time came to lead NVIDIA through the volatile, high-risk terrain of advanced technology, Huang was drawing not only on technical brilliance, but on the mental steel forged during those unglamorous years. The gift of struggle Huang's message is etched in black and white: He was not romanticising hardship, nor asking students to go out and manufacture suffering. His challenge was subtler and more profound: Stop escaping discomfort. Do not give up in the face of adversity. Understand that failure, rejection, and pressure are not detours from success, but essential parts of the journey. If you avoid struggle for too long, he warned, you risk becoming fragile. And when life finally delivers its inevitable blows, you may find yourself unprepared. That, he explained, was why he chose the word 'suffering.' It was not meant to instil fear, but to spark readiness. From smart to great 'I don't want you to just be smart,' he told the students. 'I want you to be great.' Greatness, in Huang's view, has little to do with titles or stock valuations, and everything to do with how a person responds when circumstances collapse. The real test is whether you can push forward when the path turns steep, whether you can learn from the fall, and—most importantly—whether you can rise again. Greatness, in Huang's definition, has less to do with the glorifying titles and numbered stock valuations and everything to do with a person's demeanour and character. It is measured by how a person responds to the crumbling and succumbing circumstances. Whether you can learn from the fall, and most importantly, whether you can rise again. A truth that outlives trends In a culture that prizes curated narratives of success, Huang's message cut through the polish. It was raw, unsentimental, and rooted in a lifetime of earned wisdom. The path to greatness, he reminded them, does not skirt around hardship. It walks straight through it. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Time of India
07-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'I hope suffering happens to you": NVIDI CEO Jensen Huang tells at Stanford University summit
credit: instagram When Jensen Huang stood before students at Stanford University's SIEPR Economic Summit, he didn't talk about GPUs, AI breakthroughs, or stock prices. The CEO of NVIDIA, one of the most valuable tech companies in the world, had something far more personal to offer. 'I hope suffering happens to you,' he said quietly. The room suddenly got quiet!. It was not a line meant to provoke; rather, it was meant to prepare. In a world that celebrates talent and intelligence, Huang chose to speak about something deeper. He spoke about suffering and why it matters more than people think. It's not about being the smartest! Huang's core message was simple: Success built only on intelligence is fragile. He said, 'Greatness comes from character. Character isn't formed out of smart people. It's formed out of people who suffered.' It is the kind of message that doesn't always sit easily in a room full of such high-achieving students. But it is exactly the kind of lesson Huang believes young people need to hear. Too many are raised on high expectations but with few real setbacks. That, he warns, can make them less prepared for what life inevitably brings. Jensen Huang's story is proof that adversity shapes people more than credits do. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo He was born in Taiwan, moved to the U.S. at a young age, and spent his early years working odd jobs to support his family. He washed dishes and cleaned toilets in diners. He was bullied. He failed. And he learned. Those experiences, he says, were not roadblocks. They were the foundation of his strength. The early struggle didn't weaken him. It built the character he would one day rely on to lead a company through the high-pressure, high-risk world of advanced technology. The gift of struggle Huang was not glorifying hardship. He wasn't asking students to seek out suffering, but instead, what he offered was a challenge: to stop avoiding discomfort, and to understand that the hardest parts of life often become the most formative. He warned that if someone goes too long without failing, they become brittle. And when life finally tests them, they may not know how to respond. That is why he used the word 'suffering. ' Not to scare, but to awaken. 'I don't want you to just be smart,' he told them. 'I want you to be great.' And greatness, in Huang's view, has very little to do with what's written on a CV. It has everything to do with what a person does when things fall apart. Whether they push through. Whether they learn. Whether they get back up. In a world that often celebrates the polished, public-facing version of success, Huang offered something much more real. He reminded everyone in that room that the path to greatness does not avoid hardship. It walks straight through it.
Arabian Business
26-03-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
A CFO's outlook: How can banks navigate economic shifts to maintain positive returns?
The current global economic landscape looks to present a complex array of opportunities and challenges for Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) in the banking sector. Although anticipation around interest rate reductions is tempered by high inflation expectations, quoting JP Morgan Chase's CEO, Jamie Dimon at 2025 SIEPR Economic Summit on the US & Global economic outlook: 'It's all inflationary', there continues to be a steadfast focus on maintaining the level of positive returns we have seen in the past couple of years. Given the total 1% rate cut in 2024, banks have rising concerns about lower net interest margins, are increasing investing in technology, all while adapting to a rapidly evolving regulatory environment. All these factors have a negative impact on bottom-line results (especially in the shorter term), making cost control and implementing scalable processes a high priority. On the other hand, risk costs are still relatively low; the GCC region sees healthy growth and an abundance of opportunities. Against this backdrop, the question emerges: how can we continue to drive efficiency and profitable growth at the same time? As always, we, as banking CFOs, must be agile, look ahead and reinvent ourselves. This means, for example, increasingly prioritising artificial intelligence (AI) and automation over conventional cost strategies. In parallel, we must focus on diversification strategies so as to ensure that our banks have various revenue streams to grow profitability now, and in the future, while continuing to meet ever-evolving consumer needs. Balancing cost control and growth As CFOs, we are tasked with the dual mandate of controlling costs and fostering growth even during economic volatility. Encouragingly, as per Grant Thornton's CFO survey, a significant 79% of CFOs express confidence in driving profit growth in 2025. This optimism is rooted in strategic initiatives aimed at balancing short-term financial stability with long-term growth prospects. As per FTI Consulting's CFO Report 2025, cost optimisation has emerged as the top strategic initiative, and CFOs must scrutinise every aspect of their organisation to identify inefficiencies and reduce unnecessary expenditures, while also exploring new growth avenues. CFOs must play a pivotal role in fostering a culture of financial discipline across their organisations. By encouraging departments to align their budgets with overarching corporate goals, CFOs must be careful that cost-cutting measures do not compromise operational effectiveness or hinder strategic objectives. By adopting a forward-looking approach, banks can remain competitive while navigating economic uncertainties. Increased adoption of technology as a driver of growth In this era of rapid change, technology emerges more than ever as a powerful ally for CFOs. Investments in IT and digital transformation have accelerated, with AI and automation at the forefront of these initiatives. These technologies offer the potential to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and reduce costs. AI-driven analytics can provide real-time insights into financial performance, enabling CFOs to make data-informed decisions with greater precision. Automation, reduces the burden of repetitive tasks, allowing for a greater focus on strategic priorities. By adopting these technologies wherever possible across operations, banks not only improve efficiency but also foster innovation. Technology will also continue to be a driver of diversification in 2025. Advanced financial innovations such as open banking and embedded finance will, apart from creating healthy competition, enable banks to keep up with evolving consumer demand; partnerships with fintech companies and other third-party providers will continue to open up the financial industry, expanding newer revenue streams as banks and providers work together to meet changing customer needs. At Mashreq, for example we recently partially sold a significant stake in our payment company NEO PAY to a consortium including Turkish Fintech, DGPays. One of the reasons for this transaction is that partnering with DGPays can unlock additional value for NEO PAY, especially in the open banking environment. As the adoption of technology becomes increasingly integral to financial management, CFOs must position themselves, alongside their bank's Head of Tech, as champions of digital transformation within their organisations, and collaborate to align on strategy and execution. Adapting to economic shifts The past years of elevated interest rates have left a lasting imprint on corporate debt servicing. Unless companies are cash-rich and can redeem their debt, they are bound to grapple with the increased borrowing costs, a trend that is expected to persist even as interest rates begin to ease. Businesses that relied on low-cost borrowing (for example heavy leveraged Tech companies) during the era of ultra-low interest rates, now face the challenge of recalibrating their financial strategies. According to a global forecast by Moody's, loan default rates should drop globally below 3% by October 2025, but even at this lower level, the strain on some businesses navigating these financial headwinds of increased costs of borrowing will persist, with the resulting impact felt by the banking industry at some point in time. The environment predicted for 2025 will necessitate innovative approaches from CFOs. Effective debt restructuring, renegotiation of loan terms, and robust risk management strategies are essential tools to mitigate the impact of defaults. Additionally, CFOs must focus on maintaining healthy cash reserves and exploring alternative financing options to bolster their organisations against potential liquidity crises. The coming months: Technology, innovation and embracing change In navigating the complexities of 2025, CFOs must strike a delicate balance between cost control, maintaining positive returns and ensuring strategic investments. Agility and foresight are indispensable traits as economic conditions continue to evolve. Technology, particularly AI and automation, will play an instrumental role in enabling organisations to adapt, compete, and grow. Again, quoting Jamie Dimon, who is very bullish on AI: 'Every time I go to a business review at any level, I ask, what are you doing in AI?', it is like hearing an echo of our Mashreq CEO, Ahmed Abdelaal. With the UAE's aim of being the top global leader in AI, I feel uniquely positioned being a CFO [of a leading bank] in the UAE, to capitalize on the momentum. The path forward demands a commitment to innovation and a willingness to embrace change. By leveraging advanced technologies, optimising costs, and maintaining a strategic focus on growth, CFOs can lead their organisations through uncertainty and toward a future of sustained success. The evolving economic landscape may pose challenges, but it also presents opportunities for those prepared to seize them. With the right strategies, CFOs can turn these challenges into catalysts for long-term resilience and prosperity.
