Comments from VCs and senior industry people whom we've talked to resonate constantly in our minds. Especially those which express concern over how we're going to sell our simulation and PLD-matching services.
For example, our goal of providing accurate technical information to simplify the process of FPGA/CPLD selection for any design might not sound too pleasing to chip manufacturers, because heck, sellers may want to sell the highest-margin products, not necessarily the ones that suit customers best. From a business perspective, this is only natural.
But from the perspective of helping manufacturers sell chips by making programmable logic design easier, we think we're providing value to both PLD makers and users alike. Guess it depends on who you talk to. Looking at examples in the PC and automotive industry, it does seem like having more information spurs innovation and choices, resulting in higher efficiencies for everyone.
Of course, it is rather premature to be talking about annoying chip makers when our product is not even close to launch! However, it does have implications on how we market and sell. For example, various sales channels exist for PL design services and tools. We could perhaps bundle our services with a larger company's distribution channels and be part of a more complete package of, say, boards, test equipment, etc. That will immediately grant us a large number of customer leads. If our partners think that our services will lead to lower sales for any of their products, our unions won't last very long, would it? 🙂