# An Interview with Brett Fox and Dr Jeroen Fonderie - Device Doubling Decretum

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2013-01-22
- Length: 1h 26m
- Episode: 129
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/the-amp-hour-129-device-doubling-decretum/

## Summary

Brett Fox, CEO, and Dr. Jeroen Fonderie, VP of Engineering, of Touchstone Semiconductor discuss the challenges and realities of launching a fabless analog IC startup in the post-2008 economic climate. They detail their fundraising journey, the critical role of foundry partners like TSMC, and the technical nuances of designing low-power analog circuits using standard process design kits. The conversation also covers their product strategy, distribution via DigiKey, and the broader industry trends affecting semiconductor entrepreneurship.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum#t=0) Introduction and Company Background
- [2:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum#t=146) Fundraising and Venture Capital Dynamics
- [9:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum#t=558) The Rise of Fabless Analog and Foundries
- [15:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum#t=931) Product Development and Second Sourcing
- [33:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum#t=1993) Distribution Strategy and DigiKey
- [36:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum#t=2185) Qualification, Testing, and Characterization
- [52:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum#t=3160) EDA Tools, Patents, and Mask Costs
- [59:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum#t=3544) First Silicon Failure and Troubleshooting
- [1:12:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum#t=4337) Industry Outlook and Future Predictions

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Touchstone Semiconductor (company)
- Maxim (company)
- Linear Technology (company)
- TSMC (company)
- DigiKey (company)
- Cadence (tool)
- Opus Capital (company)
- Coastal Ventures (company)
- Mentor (tool)
- Monolithic Systems (company)
- Texas Instruments (company)
- National Semiconductor (company)
- Cypress (company)
- Microchip (company)
- Vitesse (company)
- Future (company)
- WPG Group (company)
- Jim Williams (other)
- Rick Cassidy (other)
- Gil Kogan (other)
- Pierre LeMond (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The State of Analog Design in 2023](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2023-01-20-the-state-of-analog-design-in-2023) (EE Times Current)
- [36: Drive the Boat with a Wii Mote](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-01-22-36-drive-the-boat-with-a-wii-mote) (Embedded.fm)
- [The Circuit Ep:1 - Introductions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2022-12-21-the-circuit-ep-1-introductions) (The Circuit)
- [Oxide's $100M Series B](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-08-09-oxides-100m-series-b) (Oxide and Friends)
- [44: Light Up Strikes Back](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-03-26-44-light-up-strikes-back) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-22-an-interview-with-brett-fox-and-dr-jeroen-fonderie-device-doubling-decretum. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.