A well-developed succession plan forces you to confront brutal truths…

Jensen Huang is certain “NVIDIA will outlive us all.”

Not, “I’m working on finding a replacement.”

Not, “We have a succession committee.”

A declaration of organizational immortality.

Meanwhile, Brad Jacobs has built eight billion-dollar companies. United Waste. United Rentals. XPO and its spinoffs.

Every single one designed from day one to thrive without him.

Same principle. Radically different execution.

Jensen’s been CEO of NVIDIA for 31 years. One company. One mission. One lifetime commitment. His succession plan? Build systems so deep that no single person matters. Including him.

40+ direct reports. No hierarchical bottlenecks. Every division runs independently. Information flows everywhere, not through him.

The company doesn’t need Jensen. The company IS Jensen. His thinking embedded in every process, every hire, every decision framework.

Brad takes the opposite path. Eight companies in 40 years. Each one built, scaled, and transitioned. $15+ billion in value created across ventures.

His succession plan starts on day one. Before buying or building any company, he identifies who could run it without him. At XPO, he developed Mario Harik for years before handing over the CEO role. The company kept thriving after he left.

Brad builds companies FOR buyers and shareholders, not for founders.

Jensen builds a company that needs NO buyer because it will never be sold.

Here’s what most founders get wrong:

They think succession planning means finding someone like them.

Jensen and Brad know better. Succession isn’t about replacement. It’s about self-reliance; making the company self-reliant. Make yourself unnecessary from the start.

The harsh truth every founder must face: If your company needs you, you haven’t built a company. You’ve built a job.

Jensen made NVIDIA need his thinking, not his presence. Every senior leader can step into another’s role. Every system operates without central command. He once told his team: “If a bus hits me tomorrow, don’t even pause the product roadmap.”

Brad made his companies need systems, not him. Processes over personality. Frameworks over founders. Scale over saviors. Before selling United Waste for $2.5 billion, multiple executives could run any division. The buyer got a machine, not a dependency.

Two paths. One destination: Organizations that outlast their creators.

But here’s the real succession secret Jensen and Brad both mastered:

The plan comes before the person. Not “Who can replace me?” but “What must the next era accomplish?”

A well-developed succession plan forces you to confront brutal truths:

→ The gaps in your current leadership team

→ The concerns that keep you up at night

→ The opportunities you’re missing because of your blind spots

→ The possibilities that only fresh eyes can see

Most founders start with the candidate. That’s backwards.

Start with crystal clarity on what must be accomplished under the next term of leadership.

What does the business need to achieve in the next 5 years? 10 years? What capabilities must the next leader possess? What cultural shifts must occur?

Only then do you pursue the ideal fit with relentless focus.

Not the most convenient choice. Not the longest-tenured executive. Not your favorite. The ideal fit for the plan.

I always coach leaders – build the plan first, then find the person who can execute it.

Because succession without a clear plan is just replacement.

And replacement without the ideal candidate is just hope.

And hope is not a strategy.

Your move.