ACCESS Taking on Apple with Nothing CEO Carl Pei
15 snips
Oct 16, 2025 
Carl Pei, the visionary Founder and CEO of Nothing, shares insights from his journey in the tech world. He discusses the challenges of building a smartphone company that can compete with giants like Apple. Pei highlights his strategies for attracting Gen Z users and the unique identity of Nothing. He dives into the potential of AI in enhancing user experiences and shares plans for future innovations beyond smartphones, including wearables. With a focus on design and consumer engagement, Pei paints an exciting picture of the tech landscape ahead.
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How A Broken iPod Sparked A Career
- Carl Pei traced his phone career from a broken iPod to working at Meizu, Oppo, and co-founding OnePlus.
- Those early experiences in China taught him product passion and international smartphone business mechanics.
Hardware Chains Crush Startups
- Smartphone hardware is a brutal value chain with many failure points for startups.
- Nothing survived by securing unusual supplier and sales-channel arrangements early on.
Pace Product Ambition
- Pace your capability building: start with proven product categories and iterate.
- Grow foundations first, then take bigger product risks once you can execute.
