Big company innovation and being a lighthouse customer with Rob Oshana

Rob Oshana's BioRob has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a PhD in Computer Science from Southern Methodist University. Rob is currently SVP Software and Security Group at Analog Devices in Austin, TX.Previously he was Vice President Software Engineering, Research and Development, Edge Processing, NXP Semiconductors where he managed a global team of SW engineers developing run time enablement/application software and tools for multiple business lines including Auto, Consumer, Media, IoT, Industrial, Networking, and mass market.Rob was chairman of the NXP Software Technology board; leading cross company efforts focused on software reuse, efficiency, collaboration, and cross business alignment for multiple SW business unitsRob has been on multiple university advisory boards and research boards.For over 25 years he has been Adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas, and Concordia UniversityHe has been an international speaker on topics related to SW engineering, IoT, embedded systems, multicore software, software testing and software quality. Rob has over 200 publications and presentations, and four books to his name.SummaryThis conversation discusses the collaboration between a startup and a big company in the semiconductor industry, focusing on the challenges and opportunities in the Internet of Things (IoT) market. The conversation explores the benefits of hardware-software co-design, the importance of area and power reduction in semiconductor chips, and the challenges of the hardware IP licensing business model. It also discusses alternative business models and the importance of understanding timeframes and revenue in the semiconductor industry. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the timing and success of startups in the industry. In this conversation, Jothy Rosenberg and Rob Oshana discuss various topics related to technology and innovation. They explore the future of RISC-V, the interest in startups, the challenges and opportunities for innovation in large companies, the importance of a culture of innovation, the role of QA in software quality, and the promotion of quality and innovation. They also touch on the impact of functional safety and AI in controlling sophisticated systems.TakeawaysCollaboration and commitment between startups and big companies can lead to successful partnerships and innovation.Hardware-software co-design is essential for optimizing performance, power consumption, and security in semiconductor chips.Understanding the economics of the semiconductor industry, including area and power reduction, is crucial for startups.Exploring alternative business models, such as Dolby's IP licensing model, can provide new opportunities for startups in the semiconductor industry. RISC-V is expected to continue to be successful and has become part of the natural discussion around ISA selections for different markets.Large companies can innovate at scale if they have the right culture, infrastructure, and support in place.QA is a critical discipline in software development, and companies should prioritize it to ensure high-quality software.Promoting a culture of innovation and creating opportunities for collaboration can drive innovation in both large companies and startups.Functional safety is crucial in industries where AI controls sophisticated systems.LinksRob's company: https://www.analog.com/en/index.htmlLink to Jothy's site: https://www.jothyrosenberg.com/Link to The Who Says I Can’t Foundation site: https://www.whosaysicant.org/Link to Podchaser to leave a review: https://www.podchaser.com/AdventuresOnTheCanDoChapters00:00 Introduction and Meeting00:35 Introduction to RISC-V03:04 Working with a Big Company03:50 Internet of Things and Security04:20 Business Opportunities in IoT05:19 Lighthouse Customer Perspective06:21 Collaboration and Innovation07:29 Hardware-Software Co-design08:27 Commitment and Collaboration09:26 Importance of Area and Power Reduction10:14 Economics of Semiconductor Industry11:13 Software-First Approach to Security12:44 Hardware-Software Co-design Benefits13:31 Collaboration and Commitment14:24 Challenges of Business Model15:21 Hardware IP Licensing Model17:48 Alternative Business Models18:20 Understanding Timeframes and Revenue19:48 Differentiating and Creating Market Pull21:50 Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches22:53 Examining Different Business Models24:21 Dolby's Business Model26:22 ARM's Partner Model27:45 Timing and Success of Startups28:15 The Future of RISC-V33:18 Interest in Startups35:18 Innovation in Large Companies37:31 Culture of Innovation39:27 QA and Software Quality46:07 Promoting Quality and Innovation50:23 Functional Safety and AI