I'd agree with you about it being more reachable. Slightly related, but after I read your initial comment, I actually found this blog [0] by a guy at CMU who is manufacturing his own ICs at home.
I'm definitely not super knowledgeable of the hardware space, but from what little I know, your current plan sounds reasonable and well-scoped! I wish you the best of luck with undertaking this project if you decide to go forward with it.