A Note to Readers: What's Changing in 2026

Big price change, and per-post options.

Dec 28, 2025

Dear Reader,

I’m writing to share some changes coming to this newsletter in January, 2026. It has not been easy to converge on my new offer, but allow me to explain.

The Short Version

On 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time (PST) on January 3, 2026, subscription pricing will increase from $150/year to $500/year (and from $15/month to $50/month).

If you’re already a paid subscriber: Nothing changes. Your rate is locked in for as long as you remain subscribed.

If you’re considering subscribing: Lock in the current $150/year rate before January 4. That rate stays with you unless you cancel.

For the time being, I am offering a 7-day free trial you can use to sample the back catalog of articles. Be sure to lock in your rates before January 4, 2026, even if you’re on a trial period, to make sure you get lower rates.

If your firm has a research budget, this subscription qualifies. Consider expensing it.

New Ways to Access

I understand that not everyone needs or wants a full subscription. Starting in January, you’ll be able to purchase individual articles or bundles for download in ebook/pdf formats.

This ensures that readers can access just the analysis that matters to them, without committing to a full subscription. It is more work to create different publication formats, but it helps readers pick and choose what they want.

I also plan on building a collection of digital resources around semiconductors like mini-courses that will be useful to a wider audience interested in semiconductors, and priced individually. I will be rolling this out gradually.

Going forward, annual paid subscribers get free access to all digital downloads of newsletter articles and assets. This is always tailored for maximum value.

If bandwidth allows outside my work on this newsletter, I plan to slowly expand my educational efforts onto my YouTube channel, to reach students, engineers, and curious minds around the world who may never be able to afford a subscription. The support of paid subscribers helps make that possible.

For Free Readers

If you prefer to stay on the free tier, you’ll continue to have access to educational parts of paid posts. If you’re a student or can’t afford the full price subscription, I recommend you stay on the free tier because you will still get enough value.

What the New Price Reflects

The $500 paid subscription supports the deep, time-intensive research that takes weeks to produce. The price reflects what this work has become since I started, with a future expectation of where it will go in the years to come. Specifically:

The value of specialized expertise. There are few sources that combine technical depth with industry-oriented analysis - from physics to behavior of markets - in a variety of semiconductor industry verticals.
The cost of producing this work. Conference attendance, access to high-quality data sources via subscriptions, and the time required to write in-depth technical content.
Alignment with professionals and investors. At $500, this newsletter is directed towards engineers, analysts, and investors who value depth over volume, while supporting the level of research they expect.

Who This Newsletter Is For

This newsletter is for you if:

You value an engineer’s perspective on what’s real vs. what’s hype.
You want an understanding of the semiconductor industry from first-principles.
You want to understand why certain technologies win, not just that they’re winning.
You invest in semiconductors and want to understand the hardware infrastructure layer.
You’re a leader in the semiconductor industry who wants to make well-informed decisions.

This newsletter is not for you if:

You want stock picks or price targets.
You’re looking for daily market commentary.
You prefer broad coverage over deep expertise in specific semiconductor verticals.

Who I Am

I’m an engineer with a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University, and 15 years of semiconductor industry experience across companies of all sizes. I’ve published over 20 papers in leading IEEE journals and conferences, which have been cited over 750 times. I hold several patents.

My approach is engineer-first, analyst-second. I start with physics and work up to the industry implications. I explain how the technology actually works, why certain tradeoffs matter, and what that means for who wins and loses.

This is technical depth, translated for professionals and investors.

The Ask

If you’ve been considering a paid subscription, now is the time. Subscribe before January 4 and lock in $150/year for as long as you stay subscribed.

If you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you. You’re the reason this newsletter exists, and your rate isn’t changing. If you want to upgrade to an annual subscription from a monthly subscription, follow the steps here.

And if $500/year makes sense for the value you get, I’d be grateful for your support at the new rate when it takes effect.

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, email me at subscriptions@vsekar.com.

- Vik

A Personal Word

Raising prices dramatically like this is in a word: terrifying. I have lost weeks of sleep over this. I have asked everyone save the neighbors dog what I should do. I have come to believe that I have to “go big, or go home.”

All the business books I have ever read and podcasts I’ve ever listened to say that I have to either price low and get volume, or price at a premium and deliver results to a specific niche. The middle tier is the valley of death.

I figured the worst thing that can happen is my grandfathered subscribers will mostly stick around, and new subscriptions will drop to zero. That’s still okay as long as everyone does not unsubscribe en-masse, which I imagine will not happen as long as I keep writing. A reasonable assumption.

Alex Hormozi says, “There is no wrong price, only a wrong offer.” Even my 10 year old asked me if I can write more than three times better. I just have to step up my game, and deliver the best possible content I can on this newsletter. In 2026, my newsletter will have a much bigger focus on the semiconductor industry, while being deeply rooted in technology and engineering as always.

Here’s to hoping I didn’t just nuke my newsletter! 🍻

Sample Posts

If you’re new or a recent subscriber, here are some fully free and paid articles that are representative of what you can expect from a paid subscription. To see the paywalled articles, sign up for the 7-day trial period and cancel it before the trial period ends if you decide that the content is not for you.

Free Articles