Why Custom Chips Are the Next Big Thing in Hardware Design

From Tesla’s BMS innovations to $7K prototype runs — how affordable custom silicon is transforming hardware design. Custom chip design is no longer reserved for billion-dollar tech giants. In this episode, Seve (founder of tscircuit) and Matt (founder of atopile) explore how advances in tooling, prototyping, and the EDA industry are making custom silicon accessible to startups, makers, and engineers like never before. You’ll discover: How Tesla’s early battery management challenges led to unique custom chip solutions The surprising economics of a $7K run for 5,000 prototype chips Why most microcontrollers still use massive 90nm processes, and why that works Analog vs. digital scaling: where Moore’s Law still applies and where it doesn’t Funding trends in hardware startups, from Diode to SnapMagic The state of open-source electronics after the OpenSauce conference CNC milling “micron accuracy” claims: myth vs. reality Why PCB milling often isn’t worth the time for serious prototyping Whether you’re a hardware engineer, startup founder, or electronics enthusiast, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the tools, economics, and decisions shaping the next generation of hardware.