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.Chapters00:00:00 Intro with Philipp00:00:22 The Vault Episode: Mercedes R&D00:01:57 Munich Roots and the S-Class00:03:46 Hacking the 90s Car Internet00:08:56 From Germany to Saint Louis00:11:30 Engineering and Business Strategy00:15:13 Career Advice: Core Business Focus00:16:12 The Stanford vs. MIT Dilemma00:19:03 The Art of Showing Up Serious00:21:24 Protecting Creative Confidence00:24:26 Lane Keeping and Design Thinking00:28:25 Silicon Valley: Spend Money, Not Time00:31:08 PhD and Total Cost of Ownership00:35:40 Complexity vs. Engineering Progress00:40:50 Why Driver Assistance Matters00:42:16 Predicting Future Ownership Costs00:46:11 Leaving Cars for SAP Software00:49:05 GitHub and Modernizing Workflow00:52:03 Cutting Release Cycles to 90 Days00:54:10 Tesla Speed vs. Traditional Safety00:55:47 The Cult of Apple and Tesla00:58:31 The LinkedIn Message to Mercedes01:00:58 Building the Seattle Backend Team01:02:15 MBUX and the A-Class Strategy01:07:12 The Button Debate and Safety DNA01:08:14 Training for Level 3 Autonomy01:13:29 How the US Studio Impacts Stuttgart01:15:13 The Quest for Constant Learning01:18:11 Saint Louis and Family History01:19:32 Philipp’s Rules for Success#MercedesBenz #AutomotiveEngineering #SiliconValley #Innovation #MBUX #SelfDriving #SoftwareStrategy #MotoManTV #FutureOfCarsFor driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCarsDownload the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOthttps://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcastConnect with our Short Form content here:https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/https://x.com/MotoManTVhttps://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantvhttp://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShortshttp://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClipshttp://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShortshttp://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClipsHelp 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.