Welcome to Chipstrat
Comprehensive yet accessible insights into the semiconductor industry
Semiconductor chips are transforming every industry, the economy, and even global power dynamics. However, the general public lacks the necessary understanding to evaluate the impact of semiconductor advancements.
We struggle to fully grasp semiconductors because of the way we're educated about them.
University engineering education emphasizes how semiconductor technology works but overlooks the why behind engineering decisions. Rarely do professors explain the impact of engineering decisions on business strategy because the average professor hasn’t built products in industry.
Meanwhile, MBA curriculum discusses business strategy and marketing but doesn’t teach the technical foundations needed for a true understanding of semiconductor businesses. Hence, classroom discussions and case studies on chip companies are superficial.
Both instructional methods are simplistic, implicitly suggesting that engineering choices can be made independently of business considerations and vice versa. In reality, technical decisions and business strategy are deeply intertwined.
Chipstrat takes a holistic approach, explaining both the why and how of the world’s most impactful technology. Topics are discussed in enough depth to be useful yet in a manner accessible to a broad audience, including students, teachers, engineers, product managers, investors, and a variety of business leaders and professionals.
Future posts will build on this foundational base, analyzing developments in the evolving tech landscape. Questions to explore include
Should OpenAI design their own hardware?
Does Intel have the best strategy to fill their fab?
Could custom AI chips overcome NVIDIA’s CUDA software moat?
If you’re new to semiconductors and these questions don’t mean much yet, don’t worry! I am building a back catalog of free articles to bring you up to speed. The only ingredient you need is curiosity. Subscribers can email me with questions and feedback.
To get started, we’ll explore the fundamentals of chips that help systems “think” - CPUs, GPUs, ASICs, and FPGAs. You can get started here:
