One random encounter can change the course of a complete enterprise profession—and for SoundHound AI cofounder Keyvan Mohajer, that got here when he met Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang round 10 years in the past.
“It’s been one of the good things in my life to cross paths with Jensen and Nvidia,” Mohajer instructed Fortune, recalling that the 2 turned acquainted as a result of Huang “had a passion for what’s the next big thing, and he became very interested in our field.”
That “thing,” was SoundHound AI—an AI voice communication firm that first started in 2004 in his Stanford College dorm room.
And the unlikely encounter set the stage for a decade-long relationship that resulted in management inspiration and even a little bit of homework for Mohajer on some weekends.
On a Sunday morning, particularly, Huang would ship Mohajer analysis papers with notes. “I had to read it and give my feedback,” Mohajer recalled.
This always-on mentality is one thing that’s unsurprising coming from Huang; in spite of everything, he’s admitted he’s somebody who works seven days of the week and even finds it arduous to not take into consideration work. However Huang’s hands-on nature, of all-in on enterprise—even on weekends—turned a supply of inspiration for Mohajer.
Ultimately, their exchanges impressed Huang and even contributed to the corporate’s success.
SoundHound IPO’d in 2022, and by the top of 2023, Nvidia turned an investor, buying about 1.73 million shares in Mohajer’s firm. Its market cap has since soared to about $5.4 billion at time of publication.
“He’s an amazing person, engineer and leader,” Mohajer mentioned warmly about Huang. “Our relationship with him has been great.”
Work-life stability is not any downside, if you discover your ardour
Rising an thought right into a multi-billion-dollar firm has been no straightforward feat for anybody, however Mohajer mentioned it has been made simpler by the actual fact he’s discovered what he loves doing—and it’s allowed him to blur the strains between work-life stability.
In actual fact, Mohajer begins his day earlier than the morning time, normally earlier than 5 a.m., a time that he referred to as his “golden hours” when nobody else is awake to answer to his messages.
“Work-life balance is not a problem because I really enjoy it,” he mentioned. “If you work to live, then work-life balance is a big question… but in my case, I really enjoy my work, so it’s not a problem.”
And even when he escapes to spend time together with his household, his ardour for his work nonetheless creeps again in—however as a substitute of being mad about it, he embraces it.
“I do spend a lot of hours working. And even sometimes I go wash dishes and I’m still thinking about my work,” Mohajer mentioned. “That can be therapeutic, and it can give you really good ideas. Sometimes I go exercise, and when I’m on a run, I come up with great ideas or solve new problems.”
Mohajer’s management inspirations: Jensen Huang—and Charlie Chaplin
On high of studying about being hands-on from Huang, Mohajer mentioned he’s been impressed by one among his favourite movies, Fashionable Occasions—which was launched in 1936.
“What really inspired me was that Charlie Chaplin, he directed it, he produced it, he was the main actor, he wrote the story, and he made the music,” Mohajer mentioned to Fortune. “And it’s just an example of something being so hands on—and they’re all amazing. The music is amazing, the storyline is amazing, the acting is amazing.”
Mohajer mentioned he wished to emulate Chaplin in his personal firm: understanding know-how, enterprise, fundraising, recruitment, and extra.
“When it’s for the first time I’m doing it, I know that I’m not experienced, and then I learn, and I become good at it, and I expand my horizon,” Mohajer mentioned. “And I just saw that in him, and he was just so fluent at it and that was an inspiration.”
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