Jensen Huang shares a lesson on networking skills: After multiple failed attempts, Nvidia co-founder's unusual method made TSMC CEO contact him instead

Building a successful business often depends on finding the right people at the right time. But getting their attention can be difficult, specially when a company is still trying to establish itself. Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang faced this same challenge in the late 1990s, when he was in need of a manufacturing partner for his company's graphics chips but could not get through to the person he wanted to speak to.

His efforts to contact Morris Chang, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), eventually led to a partnership that has lasted nearly three decades. According to Business Insider, recalling the experience in a conversation with podcaster Lex Fridman, Huang described how repeated phone calls failed and why he decided to try writing a letter instead.

How Jensen Huang tried to contact Morris Chang

At the time, Nvidia was still quite a young company looking for a manufacturer capable of producing its graphics chips. Finding one was not straightforward as manufacturing capacity was limited, and some foundries required companies to license their technology in exchange for production access.


Huang had heard about TSMC and decided to approach the company. His first step was simple, as he looked up the US office's telephone number in the Yellow Pages,.

He called, left his contact details and explained what Nvidia was building. But his efforts did not produce the response he had wanted. Huang tried again several times only to be met with the same silence. “Nobody called me. Nobody called me back,” he recalled.

Instead of giving up on this, Huang changed completely his approach. He wrote a lengthy letter to Chang, explaining what Nvidia was trying to build. Even after sending it, he had to wait but then, one evening, the phone rang.

Unexpected call that gave Nvidia hope

The caller introduced himself directly, “This is Morris Chang from TSMC,” he said, according to Huang.

“Hey, guys, shut up. It's Morris Chang,” Huang recalled saying to Nvidia employees who were playing video games nearby.

For Huang, the call meant more than finally getting a response from a big business leader. Nvidia needed a manufacturing partner, and the conversation offered hope that the young company could find a way forward.

Huang then went to Taiwan to visit TSMC and also visited United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), another chipmaker he was considering as a manufacturing partner. He finally decided to work with TSMC and their partnership has lasted for over 30 years now.

Huang's story gives a practical lesson for people who want to build professional relationships with others. His initial calls did not work, but he did not treat the lack of a response as the end of the conversation and instead found another way to explain his ambitions.