For as large as the Intel employee base in the Portland area is — the largest collection of Intel employees anywhere — it doesn’t have much of a presence in the startup community. But the health of the organization has a significant impact on the overall economics of the region. Not to mention the US as a whole.
And from a startup perspective, a healthy Intel also continues to hold the promise of generating wealth that leads to early stage capital for startups from existing and newly minted Angels. So it makes sense to pay attention to what’s happening out there.
As you may have heard, Intel will be getting a new CEO. Again. And when Pat Gelsinger returns to Intel to take the CEO role, he’ll be inheriting a series of existing problems.
What is critical to understand, though, is that regaining U.S. competitiveness, much less leadership, will take many years; the federal government has a role, but so does Intel, not by seizing its opportunity, but by accepting the reality that its integrated model is finished.
For more insights on the problems at Intel — and the potential solutions — visit Stratechery.