CEO Interview: Sameer Wasson of MIPS -- "Have a Steady Hand, Don't be Distracted"

In this episode of Silicon Grapevine, we talk to MIPS CEO Sameer Wasson about the experience of going from an intern doing FPGA programming, to the breadth of experience of almost 18 years at Texas Instruments (TI). He talks about how he enjoyed the hands-on-experience of his internship at Analog Devices, which prompted him to stay in the industry after graduating and joined the processor team at TI. He said that the breadth of experience one gains at a company like TI forces you to “think systems.” Working on radar at TI was the key experience that changed him, he said, making him very entrepreneurial as it stretched him beyond his comfort zone.

He also talks about the rebranding of MIPS, and its new focus on moving data more effectively. In his spare time, he likes to pick one thing at a time to focus on, and that is currently tennis. His favorite technology is his sleep tracker because he just “likes data.” And his advice to his young self? He says have patience, stability in thought and process, don’t be distracted. A steady hand is very important—you can shift strategies but if you shift strategies too often, you’re not going to succeed.