Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang once called Abridge CEO Shiv Rao at midnight to offer leadership advice. According to Rao, the conversation happened after he emailed Huang earlier that day seeking guidance on a challenge he was facing as a founder of the healthcare AI startup.Speaking on the “20VC” podcast, Rao recalled receiving the unexpected call and discussing the issue with Huang, whose company is an investor in Abridge. Rao said (as reported by Business Insider), “He once called me at midnight, and it was like on his way home, and I knew it was him. I picked it up, and it was awesome. He wanted to unpack a challenge that I was experiencing.”Rao said the exchange left him with a lesson that reshaped his approach to work and leadership. Talking about Huang’s advice, he said, “One of the lessons for me that day was your job is to fall in love with whatever the job is. That is something you can do, and you can convince yourself.”
How Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang ’s advice helped Abridge CEO Shiv Rao
Rao said the advice influenced how he adapted to responsibilities he had not expected to enjoy as a startup founder, including frequent travel.“If you caught me like five years ago, I’d be like, ‘Never. We’re not going to do that. We’re going to find other ways to grow and scale.’ But this is what the job requires, and I enjoy it,” he said. The advice shared with Rao aligns with comments Huang has made publicly in the past about learning to enjoy work rather than searching for an ideal career.In a 2023 podcast appearance, Huang said, “I loved it when I was a dishwasher. I loved it when I was a busboy. I loved it when I was delivering papers. I loved every single day at Nvidia that I’ve ever had, and I just learned to love what I’m doing.”Huang, who co-founded Nvidia in 1993, has repeatedly argued that people can develop a passion for their work over time rather than relying solely on finding work they already love.For the unaware, Abridge, founded in 2018 by Rao, develops AI tools to transcribe and summarise patient visits. The healthcare startup raised a $300 million Series E funding round in June, led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Khosla Ventures, valuing the company at $5.3 billion.
