This episode is a deep dive into practical product innovation with Walter and Scott Herbst—a legendary father-son duo boasting over 230 patents and decades of product success. They share their proven, data-driven methodology, pivot stories, and the importance of truly understanding customer problems. Listeners learn how to avoid common innovation pitfalls, leverage multiple solution paths, and set themselves up for product success, whether they’re in a Fortune 100 or a startup.

How does product innovation really work? This episode is a master class in the art and science of product innovation with two masters of the craft – a father and son duo who together hold over 230 patents and have shaped products you likely use every day. Innovation isn’t a buzzword for our guests – it’s the family business spanning three generations. For product managers feeling the constant pressure to create the next big thing while managing stakeholders, resources, and market realities, you’ll learn how creative ideas become commercial successes. 

Our guests are Walter and Scot Herbst of the Herbst Produkt design firm. They bring an extraordinary perspective to product innovation. Dr. Walter Herbst, recognized by Business Week as one of the ‘Fathers of Product Design,’ founded his first design consultancy in 1962 and later created Northwestern University’s prestigious Master of Product Design and Development Management program. His son Scot now leads their Silicon Valley design firm, partnering with Fortune 100 companies and breakthrough startups alike on award-winning products across healthcare, consumer tech, and more. 

We are about to learn practical wisdom earned through sixty years of successful product development – insights that could make the difference between your next product’s success or failure. 

“There is no prize for solving correctly what proves to be the wrong problem.”  – Emeritus Dean Julio Ottino from Northwestern University

“Lasting products are built on a solid foundation. A strategic approach is your bedrock.”  – Scot Herbst

Walter is a partner in Herbst Produkt, Santa Cruz, CA, which has won more design awards in the US, per employee, and has been honored by the Edison Foundation every year for the last 13 years. He holds 124 US patents in housewares, hardware, medical, and commercial products. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the recipient of the “Distinguished Professor” award from Northwestern University where he founded the Master of Product Design and Development Management program. Additionally, Walter has served as an expert for the UN World Intellectual Property Organization, presenting his winning methods for the design and development of products both at the UN in Geneva as well as to individual organizations representing developing countries. 

Scot Herbst is a 2nd generation designer and creative director based in the SF Bay Area. His diverse range of award winning work includes consumer electronics, packaged goods, medical, life-science, furniture and lifestyle products. He and the team at Herbst Produkt have consistently delivered innovative products, experiences and brands that help propel design-driven companies from startups to established Fortune 100 companies.
herbstprodukt.com

Scot is currently the Creative Director and Principal at Herbst Produkt and holds advisory roles:
Chief Product Officer @ SLICE (sliceproducts.com) industry leader of innovative ceramic tools.
Design Advisor @ CUE (cuehealth.com) the future of personal health diagnostics

Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.

Source