Imagine the world of software if your editor, compiler, virtual machine, etc. each cost a million dollars a year per programmer.
This is reality in VLSI CAD.
Now you understand why everything in hardware engineering is stupidly dysfunctional.
We don't need "shift left". We need tools that don't cost a megabuck.
Is OpenROAD on the right path? https://today.ucsd.edu/story/open-source-semiconductor-chip-...
Then stop paying Cadence and Synopsys to screw you over. Fund and support open source tools, demand open PDKs.