Desi Slice 13: How NVIDIA Got Kicked Out Repeatedly And Still Became A Giant: Lessons in Resilience and Innovation for Startups
If you are the kind who gives up early, then startups are not for you
As entrepreneurs and founders, we often draw inspiration from the success stories of trailblazing companies. Nvidia's journey, marked by resilience and innovation, offers invaluable lessons for startups navigating the challenges of building and scaling.
Nvidia's story is one of repeated setbacks and breathtaking comebacks. After developing groundbreaking technology, they were edged out of multiple billion-dollar markets by partners turned competitors. Yet, they persisted, reinventing themselves and pioneering new frontiers.
In 2000, Nvidia revolutionized graphics processing with its first GPU. Seeking wider adoption, they partnered with AMD, only to be restricted and eventually forced out. Undeterred, they collaborated with Intel, creating integrated chipsets that achieved enormous success.
However, Apple's entry led Intel to exit, pushing Nvidia out once more. This pattern repeated with Arm and Qualcomm. Each setback could have been devastating, but Nvidia refused to give up.
Instead, they identified a blue ocean – deep learning – and dominated it. Their 2010 innovations in robotic space laid the groundwork for today's AI landscape.
Build for the longterm:
The more I study these long-term successes I realize that relentless pursuit with a deep vision is the uncompromisable formula for success. When your time scale becomes a lifetime, then you will see ups and downs as minor failures in the long journey ahead. If you are thinking in terms of quarterly profitability and yearly earnings, your vision is already stunted and you are in pure operational mode.
Check out my summary from the video “How Elon Thinks’ and you will find relentless long-term big thinking is key. I am working on one from the life of SoftBank - same story.
We need to change our X-axis - the timeline. Do not think of anything under 3 decades (visualize deep impact long-term view of the future and build something that will sustain). It changes your thinking and personality significantly. It alters your psychology and moderates your decisions. This is not to say, do not have a plan for today but if you have no directional map, you become the rudderless ship that has nowhere to go.
What can startups learn from Nvidia's remarkable journey?
Resilience is key: Startups face countless hurdles. Nvidia's story demonstrates that perseverance and adaptability are essential.
Continuous Innovation: Stay ahead of the curve by innovating and improving constantly.
Long-term vision: Success rarely happens overnight. Focus on the long game, and be willing to iterate and adjust.
Go-To-Market Strategies: Develop effective strategies to take your product to market quickly and efficiently.
Customer profiling and AI integration: Understand your customers and leverage AI to enhance your product and marketing.
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At Tonse Pai Academy, I teach startup founders GTM Strategies, lead generation, and content strategies. My approach is a combination of courses and webinars on these crucial topics, empowering entrepreneurs to build successful products and a journey you will enjoy.
Nvidia's remarkable story serves as a testament to the power of resilience and innovation. As you embark on your startup journey, remember:
*Stay resilient
*Keep innovating
*Think long-term
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Patience and perseverance play a very important role in such stories. Those who accept failure and give up quickly can never achieve worthwhile.