Hi

Let’s cut to the chase: You’re bored.
Bored of emails that scream “URGENT!!!” but deliver nothing. Bored of courses that teach theory but leave you Googling “how to actually build a RISC-V SoC.”

Here’s something different – a story in two acts.

Act 1: The Ghibli Effect
Studio Ghibli’s art thrives on layers – intricate details hidden in every frame. A forest isn’t just trees; it’s a universe of moss, light, and whispers.

Act 2: The VSD Paradox
Most hardware courses are like coloring books: fill predefined blocks, get a “certificate.” This program? It hands you a blank canvas, a chisel, and says: “Carve your own RISC-V SoC. Every transistor, every timing arc – make it yours.”

Why Engineers Are Obsessed With This Program:

1. You’ll Build a SoC That Breathes

• Not just simulate – synthesize, route, and validate a RISC-V based SoC from Verilog to GDSII.
• Break it, fix it: Inject clock skew, battle setup violations, and resurrect your design post-GLS (Gate-Level Simulation).

2. Tools? No Training Wheels

• OpenLANE, Sky130 PDK, OpenSTA – the same open-source stack shaking up Silicon Valley. No “toy” tools. Just gritty, industry-relevant workflows.
• Characterize cells in Ngspice, debug DRCs in Magic – because real engineers don’t hide behind GUIs.

3. The “Aha” Moments You Crave

• Why your synthesis lies (and how GLS exposes it).
• When your STA report goes red – and you fix it by rewriting constraints, not prayers.
• Holding timing reports proving your SoC outperforms post-synth estimates. You did that.

This Isn’t a Course. It’s a Time Machine.

In 10-weeks, you’ll fast-forward past years of trial/error. By 9th Week, you’ll have:

• A tapeout-ready RISC-V based SoC validated across PVT corners.
• A GitHub repo screaming, “This engineer doesn’t just code – they architect silicon.”
• Stories for interviews: “Let me walk you through my noise margin simulations…”

Registration Link:
👉 https://www.vlsisystemdesign.com/hdp/

Why Forward This?
Because your friend stuck writing Verilog testbenches deserves to build something that’ll outlive their resume.

Last Thing:
This email breaks every “best practice.” No emojis (okay, one). No “limited seats!!” scaremongering. Just raw respect for your time – and a challenge.

Enroll. Build. Prove you can.

P.S. The first 10 enrollees get my personal STA cheat sheet – 15 timing fixes I’ve used in tapeouts. Reply “Ghibli CPU” and I’ll send it.

Team VSD

P.S. Yes, you’ll fail. Then you’ll debug. Then you’ll be unstoppable.

No unicorns were harmed in making this program. Just egos.