Episode 48: Qualcomm - Broadcom

Ben & David cover the proposed largest tech M&A deal of all time, and in the process dive into the evolving dynamics of the industry that started everything in Silicon Valley—silicon. Just when VCs thought innovation was dead in semiconductors, a new wave of startups and large companies are redrawing the lines of competition in an industry dominated for a half-century by the “Wintel” duopoly of Intel and Microsoft.

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Topics Covered Include:

• Innovation and disruption in the semiconductor industry over the past two years
• Intel’s acquisition of Nervana
• Graphcore and other ML-focused semiconductor startups
• CDMA and the telephone network effect
• Qualcomm’s early cell phone handsets
• Vertical integration + commoditization in smartphone chipsets

The Carve Out:

• Ben: The de-watering of Niagara Falls
• David: Big Daddy’s Antiques
• Bonus: The Mystery Show