Nvidia Without Jensen Huang: 60 Directs, Uncertain Succession
Jensen Huang stepped down from his role as CEO of Nvidia after advocating for an organization built around project teams and significant autonomy for executives. With 60 direct reports, he did not designate a natural successor. A public exchange in San Francisco sheds light on this model and the uncertainties it raises for the future.
Nvidia operated through projects, according to Jensen Huang
Jensen Huang described a company structured around projects, with teams forming and evolving based on needs. He claimed to grant executives extensive autonomy to decide and collaborate, rather than imposing top-down orders. According to him, regardless of internal or external threats or opportunities, the organization would naturally adapt to new possibilities. "That was the organization I created," he summarized. When asked about the best leadership structure in the age of AI, he admitted he did not know the answer.
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Sixty direct reports and no designated heir
Jensen Huang resigned from his position as CEO of Nvidia. He had established a setup where 60 executives reported directly to him, an architecture he claims to have designed over 30 years ago, when PCs and emails were disrupting traditional practices. This configuration of 60 direct reports leaves no obvious successor to take the reins. The reasoning put forth is that with two or three direct reports, those individuals would have accumulated more experience and responsibilities, which the current dispersion does not allow to concentrate.
A public exchange in San Francisco on November 3
Nine days before his departure, Jensen Huang spoke at a conference in San Francisco. At the end of the exchange, Lin Qiao, CEO of Fireworks AI, questioned him about his management style and then about the leadership structure suited for the age of AI. The conversation concluded with Jensen Huang expressing heartfelt thanks to his interlocutor and a message: "I am super proud of you" and "Don't forget these little people one day."
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