In a late-night phone call, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang dispensed unconventional leadership advice to Shiv Rao, the founder of healthcare AI startup Abridge. Rao recounted the exchange on the "20VC" podcast, describing how Huang called him at midnight after receiving an email seeking guidance. The conversation centered on a core principle: to love whatever the job demands.
Abridge, an AI-powered platform for clinical documentation, was last valued at $5.3 billion. Nvidia is among its investors, giving the exchange added weight. Huang's counsel flips the common career advice to simply find work you love, instead urging founders to cultivate passion for the tasks at hand.
Rao said Huang's message was that a founder's role is to "fall in love with whatever the job is" — a mindset that can be actively adopted. The Nvidia chief is known for such direct mentorship, often stressing perseverance and commitment over chasing passion.
The call highlights a growing pattern of tech leaders offering hands-on support to portfolio startups. For Rao, the midnight conversation served as both a tactical intervention and a philosophical blueprint for navigating founder challenges.
Some critics argue that such advice risks glossing over structural issues like burnout, but many founders see it as a pragmatic tool for sustaining focus.