# 509: Swarmed by Engineers

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2025-09-05
- Length: 1h 13m
- Episode: 509
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers
- Listen: https://embedded.fm/episodes/509

## Summary

Steve Hinch, a former executive at Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies, discusses his book 'Winning through Innovation' and his 35-year career in high-tech. He contrasts the long-term, employee-centric culture of early HP under Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard with the short-term investor focus of modern public companies. Hinch outlines four types of innovation (incremental, disruptive, product, process) and argues that process innovation often yields greater value than product innovation, citing Amazon's marketplace expansion. He also provides advice on management transitions, defining the distinct roles of CTO, engineering manager, and team lead based on their strategic time horizons.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers#t=6) Introduction and Career Overview
- [6:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers#t=363) HP Culture and the Shift to Short-Termism
- [27:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers#t=1637) Innovation Definitions and Types
- [32:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers#t=1952) Fostering an Innovative Environment
- [43:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers#t=2632) Product vs. Process Innovation
- [47:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers#t=2841) Navigating the IC to Manager Transition
- [58:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers#t=3497) Defining CTO, Engineering Manager, and Team Lead Roles
- [1:08:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers#t=4106) Outdoor Books and Conclusion

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Hewlett-Packard (company)
- Agilent Technologies (company)
- Keysight Technology (company)
- TeamLogic IT (company)
- Winning through Innovation: Lessons from the Front Lines of Business (product)
- The HP Way (product)
- Bill Hewlett (other)
- Dave Packard (other)
- Dell (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Kindle (product)
- BMW (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- Apple (company)
- Mouser Electronics (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S6E27 Stephen Hinch | Lessons from HP & Disruptive Innovations](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-07-04-s6e27-stephen-hinch-lessons-from-hp-disruptive-innovations) (Being an Engineer)
- [Exploring Innovation as a Mindset with Chuck Swoboda](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-03-24-exploring-innovation-as-a-mindset-with-chuck-swoboda) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [026 - "Quality" with H. James Harrington](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2022-03-30-026-quality-with-h-james-harrington) (Let's Combinate)
- [Creating Manufacturing Environments Where Engineers Can Thrive w/ Josh Tarbutton](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-02-creating-manufacturing-environments-where-engineers-can-thrive-w-josh-tarbutton) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [S2E31 How to Lead Engineers & Engineering Managers – Chris McKenzie](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-07-16-s2e31-how-to-lead-engineers-engineering-managers-chris-mckenzie) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-09-05-509-swarmed-by-engineers. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.