Chipmakers' Software Ecosystem Anxiety

Chipmakers often worry about others writing software that interfaces with their chips, fearing that poorly written software will reflect badly on their products. This fear stems partly from the close relationship between hardware and software, and partly from an undervaluation of external engineers' capabilities. However, Joy's Law states that "No matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else." Chipmakers need to acknowledge this and actively embrace external engineers to build successful software ecosystems.