The location of ISCAS 2023 in Monterey in close proximity of the famous Silicon Valley creates an excellent opportunity to reflect on the relationship and symbiosis between the industrial and academic communities. This is especially important at a time when traditional scaling of CMOS technology is running out of steam, novel and alternative solutions are rapidly emerging, and information and semiconductor technology take a huge hold on society. There are plenty of new and exciting ideas as is reflected in the conference program, yet many of them never result in real impact. In a fireside chat format, the panelists, who are established leaders in the field, will reflect on these challenges and provide some advice toward successful careers in the circuits and systems domain.