From just the schematic you get nothing close

We’re, in the industrial world, convinced that the electric schematic of our product is the first thing to be protected from third party eyes.

Yes, I think this is true and I totally agree if this schematic contains complex analog parts or innovative methods to analyze-decode-doing something. Things between physics and mathematics may come from a huge and expensive period of experiments and financially risky things being done.

This is much less true as we use much higher end digital devices, or generic high end chips. Also if the schematic is going to be ,complex, because to route 1000 pin of a complex CPU is a job, even though what we’ve done is not so different from what the application notes and datasheet of the chip manufacturer recommend.
Simply because this is how this complex system shall work.
If done differently it does not.

However, the big problems start after the schematic.

First big step is the development of the PCB, that is not only a huge source of bugs should the design goes beyond the control and experience of the PCB developer, but from another things that require visions of the market, because impact on shape, connectors’ availability and cost

Then, you need to prototype and debug what comes back from the contract manufacturer i suppose external to your company, at least a problem and In any case good luck.
And the debugging is not only hardware debugging, but requires software writing-adapting from the boot system to the mail files system able to wake up the unit. A huge, long, complex job, not always ending correctly.

Then, do you think you’ve done the job and you can start the industrial production and go straight to your most wanted profit phases of your business?

Maybe you need to think again.

Not only do you need to certify your product (this result may contain bad news requiring significant rework/redesign), but you need to setup some test process that assures the quality and reliability of your product and you must label it correctly to be able to recognize your product after months or year. Every single products. Yes.

Then, set up the process to check the overall global quality prior to shipment of your product, from the packaging to the instruction for use. Of every single product again.

Lastly, setup a system to manage any potential calls from a customer asking for information because they suspect a non-working part. And if you’ve sold thousands of parts, several thousand, this system cannot be simply email based.

And this is the scenario when all the things goes well, so problems are excluded.

So a lot of things do to after the schematic, which is an important part of the product, but not so much...