Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making

by Tony Fadell

Overview

**New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday Bestseller for May 2022**

Tony Fadell led the teams that created the iPod, iPhone and Nest Learning Thermostat and learned enough in 30+ years in Silicon Valley about leadership, design, startups, Apple, Google, decision-making, mentorship, devastating failure and unbelievable success to fill an encyclopedia.

So that’s what this book is. An advice encyclopedia. A mentor in a box. 

Written for anyone who wants to grow at work—from young grads navigating their first jobs to CEOs deciding whether to sell their company—Build is full of personal stories, practical advice and fascinating insights into some of the most impactful products and people of the 20th century.

Each quick 5-20 page entry builds on the previous one, charting Tony’s personal journey from a product designer to a leader, from a startup founder to an executive to a mentor. Tony uses examples that are instantly captivating, like the process of building the very first iPod and iPhone. Every chapter is designed to help readers with a problem they’re facing right now—how to get funding for their startup, whether to quit their job or not, or just how to deal with the jerk in the next cubicle.

Tony forged his path to success alongside mentors like Steve Jobs and Bill Campbell, icons of Silicon Valley who succeeded time and time again. But Tony doesn’t follow the Silicon Valley credo that you have to reinvent everything from scratch to make something great. His advice is unorthodox because it’s old school. Because Tony’s learned that human nature doesn’t change. You don’t have to reinvent how you lead and manage—just what you make. 

And Tony’s ready to help everyone make things worth making. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063046061
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	74,013
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Tony 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 Future Shape, where he mentors the next generation of startups that are changing the world. 

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part I Build Yourself

Chapter 1.1 Adulthood 5

Chapter 1.2 Get a Job 14

Chapter 1.3 Heroes 20

Chapter 1.4 Don't (Only) Look Down 26

Part II Build Your Career

Chapter 2.1 Just Managing 43

Chapter 2.2 Data Versus Opinion 57

Chapter 2.3 Assholes 65

Chapter 2.4 I Quit 76

Part III Build Your Product

Chapter 3.1 Make the Intangible Tangible 95

Chapter 3.2 Why Storytelling 107

Chapter 3.3 Evolution Versus Disruption Versus Execution 115

Chapter 3.4 Your First Adventure-and Your Second 126

Chapter 3.5 Heartbeats and Handcuffs 138

Chapter 3.6 Three Generations 150

Part IV Build Your Business

Chapter 4.1 How to Spot a Great Idea 171

Chapter 4.2 Are You Ready? 180

Chapter 4.3 Marrying for Money 189

Chapter 4.4 You Can Only Have One Customer 201

Chapter 4.5 Killing Yourself for Work 206

Chapter 4.6 Crisis 218

Part V Build Your Team

Chapter 5.1 Hiring 229

Chapter 5.2 Breakpoints 242

Chapter 5.3 Design for Everyone 261

Chapter 5.4 A Method to the Marketing 270

Chapter 5.5 The Point of PMs 281

Chapter 5.6 Death of a Sales Culture 292

Chapter 5.7 Lawyer Up 300

Part VI Be CEO

Chapter 6.1 Becoming CEO 321

Chapter 6.2 The Board 333

Chapter 6.3 Buying and Being Bought 345

Chapter 6.4 Fuck Massages 356

Chapter 6.5 Unbecoming CEO 364

Conclusion: Beyond Yourself 373

Acknowledgments 377

Reading List 381

Index 383

Editorial Reviews

"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 and biographer of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci

"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 I've ever read." — Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Revisionist History and author of Outliers and Talking to Strangers

“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 twenty-one.” — Ben Horowitz, founding partner of Andreessen Horowitz

“Insightful. Funny. Instructive. Unvarnished. In a book brimming with energy and enthusiasm, Tony Fadell, builder of epoch-defining products, draws on his experience with failure and accomplishment to coach you through every stage of your career.” — Joanna Hoffman, former vice president of marketing at General Magic and member of the original Macintosh team

“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 and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

From the Publisher

Insightful. Funny. Instructive. Unvarnished. In a book brimming with energy and enthusiasm, Tony Fadell, builder of epoch-defining products, draws on his experience with failure and accomplishment to coach you through every stage of your career.

Joanna Hoffman

"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 I've ever read."

Malcolm Gladwell

"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

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

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 twenty-one.

Ben Horowitz