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Principal, Build Collective & Former SVP, Apple
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Anthony Michael "Tony" Fadell (born March 22, 1969) is a prominent American engineer, entrepreneur, designer, and investor, widely recognized for his instrumental role in the creation of several iconic consumer electronics products that defined the early 21st century. Often referred to as the "father of the iPod," Fadell’s career spans over three decades, marked by his work at major technology companies and his subsequent emergence as a influential startup mentor and venture investor. Born in Michigan to a Lebanese-American father and a Polish-American mother, Fadell developed an early fascination with computers and electronics. He attended Grosse Pointe South High School in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, and later pursued his higher education at the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering in 1991. During his undergraduate years, he demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit by founding Constructive Instruments, a company that developed multimedia software for children. Following graduation, Fadell began his professional career at General Magic, an innovative but ultimately commercially unsuccessful startup where he spent three years working on advanced handheld communicator prototypes. This experience was foundational to his technical expertise. He later joined Philips Electronics, where he co-founded the company's Mobile Computing Group. As Chief Technology Officer and later Vice President of Strategy and Ventures, he was instrumental in developing early personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as the Philips Velo and Nino. After leaving Philips, he founded a tech startup called Fuse, seeking to create a new generation of consumer electronics devices. In 2001, Fadell’s career reached a turning point when he was hired by Apple Inc. as an outside contractor to help the company develop an MP3 player. His concept for a small, hard disk-based music player—coupled with an online music store—caught the attention of Steve Jobs, leading Fadell to join the company full-time. He was soon tasked with establishing and leading Apple's "Special Projects" group, which would evolve into the iPod division. As Senior Vice President, he oversaw the hardware, software, and accessory development for the first 18 generations of the iPod. Following the success of the iPod, Fadell played a crucial role in the development of the first three generations of the iPhone, cementing his reputation as a key figure in the mobile revolution. After leaving Apple, Fadell co-founded Nest Labs in 2010. The company revolutionized the smart home market with the introduction of the Nest Learning Thermostat in 2011, which utilized machine learning to optimize home energy usage. Under Fadell’s leadership as CEO, Nest expanded its product line to include smoke detectors and security systems. The company was acquired by Google in 2014 for $3.2 billion, a transaction that underscored the immense value of the IoT ecosystem Fadell helped create. He remained with the company for a period following the acquisition before stepping down in 2016. Since his departure from Nest, Fadell has pivoted toward investment and advisory work. He currently serves as the Principal of Build Collective, an investment and advisory firm that supports deep-tech startups and engineers working on climate-positive and "human-centric" innovations. A prolific inventor, Fadell has authored over 300 patents throughout his career. In 2022, he published the book *Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making*, an autobiographical advice book that outlines his philosophy on leadership, product design, and navigating the complexities of the Silicon Valley landscape. Based in Paris, France, Fadell continues to influence the technology industry as a mentor, investor, and board member for companies such as Arm Holdings. His contributions to consumer electronics have been recognized with numerous accolades, including his inclusion on Time magazine’s list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2014.
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Universally recognized as the 'Father of the iPod' engineering the hardware that fundamentally transformed Apple from a struggling computer company into a massive consumer electronics juggernaut
Co-created the first three generations of the iPhone establishing the foundational hardware architecture of the modern smartphone
Founded Nest Labs and invented the Nest Learning Thermostat officially popularizing the concept of the 'smart home' before executing a massive 3.2 billion dollar sale to Google
Engaged in intense fiercely competitive internal political wars during his time at Apple specifically clashing with Scott Forstall over whether the iPhone should run a modified version of Mac OS X or a scaled-up iPod operating system
His tenure as the CEO of Nest under Google was marked by massive internal cultural friction high employee turnover and a highly publicized struggle to integrate his strict Apple-style hardware perfectionism into Google's freewheeling software-first corporate culture
In 2016, Nest (under Fadell's leadership) faced significant public backlash after announcing it would shut down the cloud servers for the Revolv smart home hub, effectively rendering the devices useless and 'bricking' them for consumers.
Authored the highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling business and engineering book 'Build An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making'
Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1991.
Joined General Magic in 1992, where he worked as a systems architect on handheld devices like the Sony Magic Link and Motorola Envoy.
Joined Philips Electronics in 1995 as the Chief Technology Officer and Director of Engineering for the Mobile Computing Group.
Founded the tech startup Fuse in 1999 to develop portable music players.
Joined Apple Inc. in 2001 as a contractor to lead the iPod project.
Promoted to Senior Vice President of the iPod Division at Apple in 2006, overseeing development for the iPod and the first three generations of the iPhone.
Co-founded Nest Labs in 2010 to develop smart home technology.
Launched the first Nest Learning Thermostat in 2011, a smart device designed to optimize home energy usage.
Received the Alva Award in 2012, honoring him as 'the next great serial inventor.'
Named to Vanity Fair's Next Establishment list in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Recognized as one of Business Insider's Top 75 Designers in Technology and Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in 2013.
Included in CNBC's Top 50 Disruptors and Fortune's list of '11 people changing business' in 2013.
Nest Labs was acquired by Google for $3.2 billion in 2014.
Named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2014.
Received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 2014.
Named one of Fortune's World's Top 25 Eco-Innovators and included on the CNN 10: Thinkers list in 2014.
Stepped down as CEO of Nest Labs in 2016.
Time magazine named the Nest Learning Thermostat, the iPod, and the iPhone as three of the '50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time' in 2016.
Founded the investment and advisory firm Future Shape (now Build Collective) in 2017 to coach deep-tech startups.
Received the Presidential Award for Global Contribution in the Field of Information Technology from the Republic of Armenia in 2017.
Published the book 'Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making' in 2022.
In early 2016, reports from outlets like The Information highlighted severe criticism of Fadell's management style at Nest, with former employees describing a 'toxic' and 'fear-driven' corporate culture, including instances of micromanagement and verbal abuse, which contributed to high employee attrition before his departure from the company.