Defining innovation
Wow. Judging from the response (in the blog comments, emails and phone calls I got) to the earlier post I think I hit a nerve. Nobody in semiconductors or EDA likes to be told they are not innovating. But the VCs that responded, as well as some people in EDA, where generally in agreement with me. I think it may come down to the definition of the term. I did some looking and found a blog that actually puts it in a way that meets my definition. It's called Broken Bulbs . Simply put, it is the "the profitable implementation of ideas." That's where I think the semi industry is missing it, because they have not been profitable in a long time. The reason it isn't profitable, from the top end custom chip all the way down to the EDA tool, is because they are not concentrating on innovation. They are patching holes and it may be time just to throw the cloth away. But let's look at the profitability iss...