Hacking Mercedes: From DIY Car Internet to CEO of R&D | MotoMan Podcast #018

In this episode, we sit down with **Dr. Philipp Skogstad**, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, to discuss the radical shift in how the world’s oldest car company builds for the future. While Philipp’s background includes a rebellious streak—hacking a serial port into his father’s car in the 90s to get internet on the road —his primary focus today is bridging the gap between German craftsmanship and the Silicon Valley mandate to **"spend money, not time"**. We dive deep into the internal processes and technological philosophies driving Mercedes-Benz today: **The Software Revolution:** How Mercedes built a 100-person backend team in Seattle from the ground up to handle the shift toward software-defined vehicles. **Democratization of Technology:** Why the decision was made to debut advanced tech lower end cars first, targeting a younger, tech-savvy audience rather than the traditional top down rollout. **The "Knobs vs. Screens" Debate:** Philipp addresses the tension between haptic feedback and physical controls, defending a "safety-first" DNA while pushing for holistic digital design.  This conversation is a technical masterclass on how Mercedes-Benz is balancing its legacy of safety and craftsmanship with the aggressive execution required to compete in the modern era. **Chapters** 00:00:00 Intro with Philipp 00:00:22 The Vault Episode: Mercedes R&D 00:01:57 Munich Roots and the S-Class 00:03:46 Hacking the 90s Car Internet 00:08:56 From Germany to Saint Louis 00:11:30 Engineering and Business Strategy 00:15:13 Career Advice: Core Business Focus 00:16:12 The Stanford vs. MIT Dilemma 00:19:03 The Art of Showing Up Serious 00:21:24 Protecting Creative Confidence 00:24:26 Lane Keeping and Design Thinking 00:28:25 Silicon Valley: Spend Money, Not Time 00:31:08 PhD and Total Cost of Ownership 00:35:40 Complexity vs. Engineering Progress 00:40:50 Why Driver Assistance Matters 00:42:16 Predicting Future Ownership Costs 00:46:11 Leaving Cars for SAP Software 00:49:05 GitHub and Modernizing Workflow 00:52:03 Cutting Release Cycles to 90 Days 00:54:10 Tesla Speed vs. Traditional Safety 00:55:47 The Cult of Apple and Tesla 00:58:31 The LinkedIn Message to Mercedes 01:00:58 Building the Seattle Backend Team 01:02:15 MBUX and the A-Class Strategy 01:07:12 The Button Debate and Safety DNA 01:08:14 Training for Level 3 Autonomy 01:13:29 How the US Studio Impacts Stuttgart 01:15:13 The Quest for Constant Learning 01:18:11 Saint Louis and Family History 01:19:32 Philipp’s Rules for Success #MercedesBenz #AutomotiveEngineering #SiliconValley #Innovation #MBUX #SelfDriving #SoftwareStrategy #MotoManTV #FutureOfCars For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips **Help us grow the show!** If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please **Subscribe** and **Share** this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a **written review** and tell us who your favorite guest has been.