Disco68: Semiconductors from Idea to Product

https://rys.sommefeldt.com/2015/02/25/semiconductors-from-idea-to-product.html

This is an amazing text explaining the whole process of chip design from the initial idea to final mass production. The article gives you a lot of insight into the complexity and the amount of effort that has to go into building a chip. The text is somewhat technical, of course, but not so much down into details and acronyms as to leave the layman behind – at least not too far.

You should read the whole text even if it is long. However, if you don't, there's at least one take-away which might help you keep your patience when things are taking long, are taking longer, and dead-, um, timelines are not met again:

Nothing in the semiconductor business happens really quickly. It really does normally take years to go from an idea about a chip, all the way through design, build, validation, integration, testing, sampling, possible rework, and mass production.

(I haven't read the second text yet.)