I’m dropping a bonus post in the middle of our usual two-week schedule to share some thoughts about Joe Costello’s talk with Jim Hogan at a special EDAC event last night. For those who may not follow EDA as intently as we do:
- EDAC is the Electronic Design Automation Consortium, the main trade group for the EDA industry
- Jim Hogan is a well-known EDA investor and entrepreneur
- Joe Costello is the former President and CEO of Cadence, now leading Orb Networks
These facts don’t capture the almost mythical role that Joe Costello plays in the EDA industry. I joined Cadence long after he had departed, but in my five years there I’ll bet I heard his name brought up nearly every week. His stint as the head of Cadence is inextricably intertwined with the glory days of the EDA industry. Many are nostalgic for those days and many have urged him to come back to the EDA fold. He has done so to some extent through his investments.