TONY FADELL has spent the last three decades making things and founding companies that have profoundly changed millions of lives. Tony started his career at General Magic, the infamously innovative and doomed Silicon Valley startup that shipped the world's first smartphone in 1994, a decade before its time. Then he created a startup of his own, where he worked to build a new kind of music player, before the business was bought by a then-struggling Apple. There Steve Jobs gave Tony a simple task- save my company. So that's what Tony did, leading the team that created the first eighteen generations of the iPod and first three generations of the iPhone. Tony founded Nest Labs in 2010 to tackle a completely new industry, bringing Apple-style aesthetics and state-of-the-art technology into the stagnant world of household electronics. As Nest became a household name, Google bought the company for $3.2B in 2014, combining Tony's hardware prowess with Google's vast software business. Under Tony's leadership, Nest has revolutionised the smart home ecosystem. Tony's latest venture, Future Shape, invests in and mentors over 200 companies, focusing on teams who will literally save the world. Getting rid of single use plastics, reinventing farming, manufacturing micro-electronics so small that they look like fog but can do almost anything - Tony is guiding the companies who are making it happen.
'Tony Fadell has made more cool stuff than almost anyone else in the history of Silicon Valley, and in Build he tells us how. This is the most fun - and the most fascinating - memoir of curiosity and invention that I've ever read.' Malcolm Gladwell, Host of the Revisionist History podcast. Author of Outliers and Talking to Strangers. * . * 'Tony Fadell is one of the world's great experts in starting companies and creating insanely great products. He's distilled his wisdom in this book, providing wildly useful mentorship in a delightfully readable set of stories.' Walter Isaacson, Author & Biographer of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein & Leonardo DaVinci * . * 'Tony Fadell distills his epic career into refreshingly candid, often contrarian advice that you can put into practice right away. Whether you're looking to build a great product, a creative team, a strong culture, or a meaningful career, Tony's guidance will get you thinking and rethinking.' Adam Grant, Author of Think Again & Host of the TED podcast WorkLife * . * 'Tony Fadell is the legendary technologist, engineer and entrepreneur who's lived so many lives in the pressure-cooker of Silicon Valley bringing visionary ideas into existence, one after another. The chance to now share his insights, instincts and wisdom is essential reading and a precious gift for any inventor hungry to change the world.' Thomas Heatherwick, Award Winning Designer & Founder Heatherwick Studio * . * 'Based on hard won, real life lessons as an entrepreneur, Tony Fadell's Build delivers priceless advice for any young person who wants to build something great or change the world for the better. I wish I had this book when I was 21.' Ben Horowitz, Founding Partner, Andreessen Horowitz * . *