Jensen Huang: "Now is the best time in history to start a business—don’t overthink ‘how hard can it be’."

According to Fortune, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang told attendees at Y Combinator’s Startup School 2026 that the present is the best time in history to launch a company, advising young entrepreneurs not to overthink due to rapid technological shifts or fear of failure. When facing challenges, he suggested asking himself: “How hard can it be?” Huang emphasized that entrepreneurs don’t need all the answers from day one; the core is being willing to confront reality and continuously learn. In NVIDIA’s early days, the company bet on the wrong graphics technology. When the team lacked solutions, he purchased three technical textbooks and gave them to his engineers. He noted that as long as one retains a learning mindset, specific technologies themselves are not the most critical factor. That said, Huang doesn’t believe success comes easily. He revealed he still works seven days a week and has long worried about the company collapsing; this sense of vulnerability, uncertainty, and insecurity has never faded. His advice: don’t imagine all difficulties in advance, lest anxiety derail action, but let challenges arise gradually and solve them one by one. Data shows U.S. business applications hit a record 3.23 million in the first half of 2026, up 12.1% year-over-year. However, startup risks remain high: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates nearly half of businesses cease operations within five years of launch.