Many remarkable products were launched this year, and we’ll cover some of them. However, unlike most years when the decision was challenging, one product stood out exceptionally well above the rest as revolutionary. What made it particularly special was that it was a bold gamble that paid off and helped its manufacturer become one of, and for a time, the most valuable company in the world.

Typically, I don’t do a Product of the Week for this column as it focuses on the Product of the Year, but I came across a confection that I’ve become almost addicted to, thanks to my love of dark chocolate, so I’m compelled to squeeze it in. It’s from a small company called Sweet as Fudge. So, before we revisit 2024 and discuss some of the standout products, let’s talk about this chocolate.

The product is Dark Chocolate Triple-Dipped Malt Balls. There’s also a sugar-free version that’s surprisingly good. A pound costs around $15, but these treats are so good. I keep them in the refrigerator so they melt more slowly in my mouth. If you’re into chocolate and like malt (chocolate malt is my go-to drink in the summer), give them a try this holiday season.

Now, let’s move on to the main event. Let’s begin with the contenders that didn’t quite make the top of my list and conclude with the one that earned the title of Product of the Year.

Fisker Ocean

The backstory on this part and Nvidia’s entire AI effort is a tale of legend. Back in the early 2000s, when only IBM was really working with AI, Jensen Huang became convinced it was a much more near-term future event. For much of the next 20 years, Nvidia’s financial performance dragged as the company basically bet its future on AI. Had Huang not been a founder, he likely would have been fired.

Then OpenAI asked for help, and Nvidia provided it. Thanks to Nvidia, we now have generative AI that works. Blackwell is the current culmination of this work, a massive GPU that is extremely power-hungry but also incredibly efficient. While it uses a ton of power, it does much more work than any group of other GPUs or NPUs can do with that same power.

AMD’s Threadripper CPU was equally innovative, but it was designed for existing market needs. Nvidia was working on Blackwell before AI became a market, and that’s just never done. By taking what seemed to be an unreasonable risk and executing on it, Nvidia caught its competitors sleeping, and now Nvidia is nearly synonymous with AI.

Back when there were pensions, CEO compensation was more reasonable, and boards more supportive of long-term strategic moves, an effort like this wouldn’t have been that unusual. But in today’s world, you just don’t see that.

Nvidia’s Blackwell effort gave me hope that the U.S. might be able to return to a more strategic future. It caught the imagination of a world increasingly focused on and concerned about AI. Blackwell was a once-in-a-generation leap in performance and a massive bet that could have gone badly, so it is my choice for Product of the Year.