“And I’m kind of the same way. You can’t show me something without me giving you some criticism. And I guess in a lot of ways that’s my form of torture.”
Huang said he believes feedback works best when delivered immediately, and with improvement (not punishment) in mind.
“Just like a Taiwanese parent, once the feedback is given, you’re back to loving the person again,” Huang said. “And so, I’m always critical of everybody’s work so that I can help them be better.”
Huang pointed to Nvidia’s high retention rates as evidence that the demanding culture works.
“People don’t quit easily from Nvidia,” he said. “…I think that ultimately the purpose of leadership is to create the conditions for other people to realize their dreams, to be part of yours of course and to be part of something bigger, but to be able to turn their job, their profession, their craft hopefully into their life’s work. And at NVIDIA you could do that.”
Plus, even though Huang has sky-high expectations for Nvidia employees, he appears to hold himself to an ever tougher standard.
But even as many people his age begin thinking about retirement, Huang said stepping away isn’t on his radar.
“I would like to work as long as I can,” he told CNA. “I hope to die on the job. That would be a dream come true.”
Fortune reached out to Nvidia for further comment.
Huang isn’t the only Silicon Valley executive to argue that growth often comes from discomfort.
“When you choose the hardest challenges, you choose the fastest path to growth and the greatest chance to make a difference,” Su added.
