# Ep. 42 | Groq CEO and Ex-Googler Jonathan Ross on the Petaflop AI Chip and First Ever TPU

- Show: [Moore's Lobby](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby)
- Published: 2022-03-29
- Length: 51m
- Episode: 2
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-03-29-ep-42-groq-ceo-and-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-on-the-petaflop-ai-chip-and-first-ev
- Listen: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/podcast/ep-42-groq-ceo-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-petaflop-ai-chip-first-ever-tpu

## Summary

Jonathan Ross, founder and CEO of Groq, discusses his journey from designing Google's first TPU to building Groq's deterministic AI chip, which achieves petaflop performance using older process nodes through unique architecture. He explains how Groq's hardware solves latency and throughput issues in AI inference by providing deterministic timing, enabling applications in autonomous vehicles, finance, and nuclear fusion. Ross also reflects on his time at Google X, the importance of empathy in innovation, and the cultural dynamics of building a high-performance computing company.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-03-29-ep-42-groq-ceo-and-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-on-the-petaflop-ai-chip-and-first-ev#t=1) Introduction: Jonathan Ross and Groq's Deterministic AI Chip
- [1:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-03-29-ep-42-groq-ceo-and-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-on-the-petaflop-ai-chip-and-first-ev#t=101) Ross's Background: From Software to Hardware and FPGAs
- [4:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-03-29-ep-42-groq-ceo-and-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-on-the-petaflop-ai-chip-and-first-ev#t=273) Defining Machine Learning and the 'Success Disaster' at Google
- [7:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-03-29-ep-42-groq-ceo-and-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-on-the-petaflop-ai-chip-and-first-ev#t=448) High-Frequency Trading, Google X, and the TPU Origin Story
- [15:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-03-29-ep-42-groq-ceo-and-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-on-the-petaflop-ai-chip-and-first-ev#t=925) Groq's Chip Architecture: Determinism, Latency, and Throughput
- [24:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-03-29-ep-42-groq-ceo-and-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-on-the-petaflop-ai-chip-and-first-ev#t=1440) The Meaning of 'Groq' and Innovation Through Empathy
- [27:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-03-29-ep-42-groq-ceo-and-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-on-the-petaflop-ai-chip-and-first-ev#t=1625) Technical Feats: Petaflop Performance, Error Correction, and Use Cases
- [42:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-03-29-ep-42-groq-ceo-and-ex-googler-jonathan-ross-on-the-petaflop-ai-chip-and-first-ev#t=2550) Sales Challenges, Customer Pain Points, and Company Culture

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Groq (company)
- Google (company)
- TPU (chip)
- Google X (company)
- Nvidia (company)
- TSMC (company)
- GlobalFoundries (company)
- Argon National Labs (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [AI Chip Revelations | A Corporate Soap Opera | The Sounds of a Pandemic](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-17-ai-chip-revelations-a-corporate-soap-opera-the-sounds-of-a-pandemic) (EE Times Current)
- [EP 162: TPUs Via Cloud Next, Intel Earnings, Foundry Scarcity](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2026-04-27-ep-162-tpus-via-cloud-next-intel-earnings-foundry-scarcity) (The Circuit)
- [2025 Finale: Yann LeCun Raises $3B, Domain Addiction Confessions & Built 2 Scale Year Wrap](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/built-2-scale/2025-12-22-2025-finale-yann-lecun-raises-3b-domain-addiction-confessions-built-2-scale-year) (Built 2 Scale)
- [MEMS: Fun, Fun, Fun in the Future | The Linley Conference | The Flakiest AI Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2019-11-08-mems-fun-fun-fun-in-the-future-the-linley-conference-the-flakiest-ai-startup) (EE Times Current)
- [EP 161: TSMC Earnings, Cerebras S1, Custom Semi Rumors, Apple CEO Change](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2026-04-21-ep-161-tsmc-earnings-cerebras-s1-custom-semi-rumors-apple-ceo-change) (The Circuit)

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