Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making

Tony Fadell

May 2022 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

**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. 

Ratings and reviews

If there is one way to describe this book, it would simply be to say it was vividly illuminating. Tony Fadell’s BUILD is a stark contrast from other business books or memoirs as it cuts away the fluff and gives you the foundational knowledge to interpret, react, and assess the different aspects of creating new products but also establishing the infrastructure and framework to achieve the goals of your business. Fadell distills 30+ years of experience into 414 pages of pure practicality.

A must-read for any entrepreneur. Clear, direct, complete and insightful. A global overlook of companies, business and how to BUILD something from scratch.

No BS book on how to have a fulfilling work! Thanks Tony for sharing your story and what your learned along the way! We've build a few copies of the book for the Pictarine team!

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.