Tony Fadell, a visionary engineer and designer known for co-creating the iPod, iPhone, and Nest Thermostat, shares his insights into the tech world. He discusses the challenges faced during the early development of the iPod, emphasizing the importance of solving genuine user pain points. Fadell highlights the necessity of authentic marketing that resonates emotionally with consumers, as well as the art of collaboration between design and engineering. His reflections on startup strategies and the personal growth journey offer invaluable advice for aspiring innovators.

Tony Fadell, an entrepreneur behind the iPod and CEO of Nest, shares his vast expertise in tech innovation. He discusses the evolution of product design, revealing insights from his career at Apple and the value of effective team dynamics. Fadell emphasizes the importance of mentorship and storytelling in driving innovation. He also explores cutting-edge strategies for climate solutions, highlighting the shift from petroleum to sustainable electron-based economies. Listeners gain practical advice on creativity and leadership from his new book, 'Build.'

Tony Fadell led the teams that created the iPod, iPhone, and Nest Learning Thermostat. In his new book, “Build,” he shares everything he’s learned about building great companies and game-changing products.---Download the Next Big Idea app today at nextbigideaclub.com/app

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/tony-fadell-how-to-build-the-futureFor many of us, being the co-creator of two of the most transformative products of the early 21st century—the iPod and iPhone—would be enough for one career. But Tony Fadell was just getting started.After his time at Apple, Tony went on to start Nest Labs, known for its smart home products like thermostats and fire alarms, which sold to Google for over 3 billion dollars. He’s authored more than 300 patents, and with his newest venture, the Build Collective, he’s investing time and money to help engineers and scientists build a greener world.He’s also written a book about what he’s learned over the years called Build. In this interview, we chat with him about what some of his early failures taught him, why the best teams are multigenerational, and how to deal with the different types of—for lack of a better word—a*holes you might encounter in your career.BioTony Fadell started his 30+ year Silicon Valley career at General Magic, the most influential startup nobody has ever heard of. Then he went on to make the iPod and iPhone, start Nest and create the Nest Learning Thermostat. Throughout his career Tony has authored more than 300 patents. He now leads the investment and advisory firm Build Collective, which invests its money and time to help engineers and scientists build a greener world, in which every person enjoys a longer, richer life.*Help us make the show even better by taking a short survey: www.dbtr.co/surveyIf you're interested in sponsoring the show, please contact us at: sponsors@thecuriositydepartment.comIf you'd like to submit a guest idea, please contact us at: contact@thecuriositydepartment.com*This episode is brought to you by:Fable: Build inclusive products: https://makeitfable.com/designbetter/ Freehand by InVision: The intelligent whiteboard that's half the price of Miro and Mural: https://freehandapp.com/Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds: https://methodicalcoffee.com/ (use code "designbetter" for 10% off of your order). Athletic Greens: Build a foundation for better health: http://athleticgreens.com/designbetter 

Tony Fadell, known as the 'father of the iPod,' shares insights from over 30 years in tech innovation, including his pivotal roles at Apple and Nest Labs. He emphasizes the importance of taking risks and storytelling in innovation, particularly the bold decision to develop the iPod when Apple was struggling. Fadell also discusses his journey to sobriety and the impact of travel on creativity, urging listeners to embrace downtime for personal growth. His current work with FutureShape focuses on mentoring startups to tackle pressing global challenges.

Tony Fadell was instrumental in the development of the iPod and iPhone at Apple and then co-founded Nest Labs, which kicked off the consumer smart home market with its smart thermostat in 2011. Tony sold Nest to Google for $3.2 billion in 2014 and eventually left Google. He now runs an investment company called Future Shape. Links:Inside the Nest: iPod creator Tony Fadell wants to reinvent the thermostatGeneral Magic - TrailerInside Facebook’s metaverse for workSilicon GraphicsGoogle is reorganizing and Sundar Pichai will become new CEOFire drill: can Tony Fadell and Nest build a better smoke detector?Google purchases Nest for $3.2 billionTwitter accepts buyout, giving Elon Musk total control of the companyNest is rejoining Google to better compete with Amazon and AppleApple Music Event 2005 - Motorola Rokr E1 / iTunes PhoneActivision Blizzard hit with another sexual harassment lawsuitNest buying video-monitoring startup Dropcam for $555 millionWhat matters about Matter, the new smart home standardZIGBEE ON MARS!Directory:Steve Jobs, CEO of AppleAndy Grove, former CEO of IntelPat Gelsinger, current CEO of IntelSundar Pichai, current CEO of AlphabetElon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring CompanyJeff Williams, COO of AppleMatt Rogers, Nest co-founderJeff Robbin, VP of consumer applications at AppleSteve Hoteling, former CEO gesture recognition company Finger WorksJon Rubinstein, senior VP of the iPod division at AppleSteve Sakomen, hardware engineer and executive at Apple Avie Tavanian, chief software technology officer at AppleScott Forstall, senior VP of iOS software, AppleJony Ive, chief design officer, AppleTranscript:https://www.theverge.com/e/22817673Credits:Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Tony Fadell and Pete Flint discuss the role of fresh perspectives in entrepreneurship and how climate change can be addressed as a design problem. They explore the importance of storytelling in startups, the iterative process of startup development, and the value of learning from failure. The conversation also covers reflections on the product design process and the relationship between constraints and creativity. It’s not often you get to see through the eyes of someone who created a product that you and hundreds of millions of other people use, hundreds of times a day, every single day, and have for a decade or more. Tony Fadell is the legendary inventor of the iPod, co-inventor with Steve Jobs of the iPhone, and Founder of Nest. Now he is the Principal at Future Shape, an investment and advisory firm coaching over 200+ startups. There’s almost an infinity of things to learn from Tony, but what we most wanted to uncover are his product frameworks and first principles for design. How can Founders think about designing products that are both high-utility and beloved -- that achieve dent-in-the-universe levels of adoption? As Tony puts it: For truly great designs, 50% of the design is the design. 50% of the design is the story behind the design. And it all begins with re-learning how to see. (0:00) Introduction and guest Tony Fadell (3:01) The role of naivety and fresh perspective in entrepreneurship (8:15) Addressing climate change as a design problem and the role of storytelling (14:25) Learning from the pandemic and the relationship between constraints and creativity (20:00) The importance of storytelling in startups and decision making (23:04) The iterative process of startup development and assisting founders (35:21) The importance of being a troublemaker and learning from failure in entrepreneurship (44:17) Reflections on product design process, sprints, and failure modes

Creative energy is the raw fuel of entrepreneurship, but if you fail to direct that energy effectively, you risk chasing multiple ideas and delivering none. Tony Fadell learned this lesson time and again through his journey to co-create the iPod, iPhone, and Nest. He shares how he struck the tricky balance of channeling his creative experimentation into world-changing products.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tony Fadell, creator of iPod, iPhone, and Nest, shares wisdom on building careers and products, emphasizing defining success, giving back, embracing change, and sustainable practices. Discusses life cycles, beginner's mindset, personal growth, impact of carbon border tax, and importance of dreams and collaborations.

Tony Fadell, known as the father of the iPod, shares his journey from childhood entrepreneurship selling eggs to leading innovations at Apple and Nest Labs. He discusses the importance of mentorship and being coachable for entrepreneurs. Fadell emphasizes the need for direct communication among VCs and explores opportunities in sustainability and climate-focused innovation. He reflects on redefining wealth and happiness, advocating for experiences over materialism, and outlines his vision for a sustainable future that engages both technology and agriculture.