Nvidia Part I: The GPU Company (1993-2006)

Nvidia, founded by Jensen Huang, played a key role in the development of graphics processing units and has grown into a leader in machine learning and artificial intelligence. The company's early struggles and strategic shifts are examined, along with the impact of industry dynamics and key decisions on its success. Takeaways • Despite challenging beginnings at Oneida Baptist Institute, Jensen Huang's resilience and diverse experiences laid the foundation for his future achievements. • Nvidia's early chip designs suffered from memory limitations, but standardization and focusing on performance as well as introducing programmable shaders and advanced features helped it overcome rivals and become a leader in graphics cards. • Nvidia's strategic shift towards scientific computing and its investment in Keyhole before it became Google Earth exemplify its foresight, expanding computer graphics applications beyond video games. • NVIDIA's focus on unique competencies and developing the CUDA platform set the stage for its success in machine learning and artificial intelligence.