The Tim Ferriss Show
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Future Shape focuses on deploying experts into disruptive deep technology companies to improve efficiency and reduce energy wastage.
- Crafting meaningful narratives that resonate with customers helps shape products and connect with audiences on a deeper level.
- Defining the purpose and scope of a book before writing, and providing actionable advice, makes it accessible and valuable to a wide audience.
- Passionate leadership, driven by clear vision and a commitment to excellence, can lead to exceptional outcomes and positive impacts.
Deep dives
The mission of future shape
Future shape focuses on deploying experts into disruptive deep technology companies that address environmental, societal, or health issues. The goal is to make these systems more efficient and reduce wastage of energy.
Programmable electrification
Programmable electrification involves targeting inefficiencies in the entire value chain of energy consumption, from production to consumption. For example, Future shape invests in companies like Turntide, which develops highly efficient motors, and Menlo Micro, which innovates in energy distribution systems such as relays. The aim is to reduce energy waste and improve energy efficiency in various applications.
The purpose of storytelling
Storytelling is not just about selling a product, but using narratives to define it. By understanding the audience, their pain points, and the rational and emotional aspects of the story, companies can shape their products to better resonate with customers. This approach helps in crafting meaningful narratives that connect with customers on a deeper level.
Using stories to define the product
An example of using stories to define a product is Steve Jobs' presentations for the launch of the iPhone. Jobs' ability to deliver captivating presentations without notes was a result of honing the story through interactions with customers and understanding their needs. This approach helped Apple define and shape the product to meet customer expectations.
Creating a Clear Vision for Writing a Book
The podcast episode discusses the process of creating a clear vision for writing a book. The speaker emphasizes the importance of defining the purpose and scope of the book before starting to write. They explain how they wrote the press release for the book before beginning the actual writing process, using it as a guideline to stay on track. The focus was on providing actionable advice rather than just storytelling, making the book easily digestible and accessible to a wide audience.
The Power of Passion in Leadership
The podcast episode highlights the importance of passion in leadership. The speaker shares the example of Steve Jobs, who didn't write a press release for every project but had a clear vision in his mind that he refined and communicated to his team. Passionate leaders push themselves and their teams to be better and strive for excellence. They care deeply about the mission and are willing to challenge people to achieve the best results. This type of leadership, although demanding, often leads to exceptional outcomes and positive impacts.
Recognizing the Difference Between Effective and Toxic Behaviors
The podcast episode explores the distinction between effective and toxic behaviors, particularly in relation to leadership. The speaker emphasizes that challenging people and pushing them to be better does not make someone toxic. It is essential to understand the motivation behind the behavior. Effective leaders focus on improving results and helping others grow without degrading or belittling them. Toxic behaviors, on the other hand, stem from ego and self-centeredness, often causing harm rather than fostering growth. Recognizing this difference is crucial when evaluating leadership styles and dynamics.
Exploring New Solutions for Climate Change
The podcast episode delves into the importance of exploring and implementing new solutions for climate change. The speaker emphasizes the need for a wide range of innovations, ranging from clean energy sources to sustainable materials. They highlight the potential of a hydrogen-based economy, biomass economy, and carbon removal technologies. By fostering technological advancements and strategic sourcing, it becomes possible to address climate change challenges, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and create a more sustainable future.
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Tony Fadell (@tfadell) is an active investor and entrepreneur with a 30+ year history of founding companies and designing products that profoundly improve people’s lives. As the principal at Future Shape, a global investment and advisory firm coaching engineers and scientists working on foundational deep technology, he is continuing to help bring technology out of the lab and into our lives. Currently, Future Shape is coaching 200+ startups innovating game-changing technologies.
Tony began his career in Silicon Valley at General Magic, the most influential startup nobody has ever heard of. He is the founder and former CEO of Nest, the company that pioneered the “Internet of Things” and created the Nest Learning Thermostat. Tony was the SVP of Apple’s iPod Division and led the team that created the first 18 generations of the iPod and the first three generations of the iPhone. Throughout his career, Tony has authored more than 300 patents. In May 2016, TIME named the Nest Learning Thermostat, the iPod, and the iPhone as three of the “50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time.”
His new book is Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making.
Please enjoy!
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How did Tony overcome his lack of patience long enough to write Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making? [07:38]
What did Tony learn from Steve Jobs about taking vacations, and why did he lead the “Killing Yourself for Work” chapter in Build with this story? [12:30]
As a CEO, what did Tony accomplish in his downtime? [21:03]
Tony shares his thoughts on managing big jobs with small teams, and how to chalk up wins that best alleviate burnout. [24:07]
The best practices Tony has found for efficiently dividing labor among the members of a small team. [28:40]
What do the headcount and org chart look like within Future Shape? [36:20]
How does Future Shape differ from a VC firm, and what is its mission? Why was the COVID pandemic minimally disruptive to the way the company handles meetings and does business? [39:17]
What is programmable electrification, and how is Future Shape involved in its development? [44:50]
“The story doesn’t exist to sell your product. It’s there to help you define it.” Tony shares how this concept played into the creation of Build, and what Build is intended to provide to its readership. [51:00]
How did Steve Jobs use story to define projects and products at Apple? [59:47]
Tony admits that plenty of people think he’s an asshole. But what differentiates an acceptable asshole from an unacceptable asshole? [1:01:43]
In our last conversation, Tony drove home the necessity of finding creative ways to cope with the world’s overabundance of plastics. What progress has been made on this front since then, and what other materials can be reclaimed from the things we throw away regularly? [1:06:12]
How does Tony’s small team leverage its time and resources to focus on solving the problems that will have the largest impact? [1:09:17]
Underestimated targets related to climate change that Tony thinks deserve more attention. [1:13:16]
Tony’s thoughts on the efficacy of carbon removal, and companies that are aiming to do it right. [1:17:45]
How will geopolitics figure into the supply chain for an electron-based economy? [1:24:28]
How can we cultivate optimism in our younger generations when the constant barrage of doom and gloom from the media is generating higher-than-ever levels of apathy and passivism in the populace? What can we do to consume a healthier media diet? [1:30:34]
Audience asks and parting thoughts. [1:37:58]
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