Tony Fadell

Anthony Michael Fadell (born March 22, 1969) is an American engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and investor. He was senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple Inc. and founder and former CEO of Nest Labs.

Fadell joined Apple Inc. in 2001 and oversaw all iPod hardware, software, and accessories development. He is known as the "father of the iPod". As the co-creator of the iPhone, he also worked on the first three generations of the iPhone and oversaw all iPhone hardware, firmware, and accessories development from March 2006 to November 2008.

In May 2010, he co-founded Nest Labs, which announced its first product, the Nest Learning Thermostat, in October 2011. Nest was acquired by Google in January 2014 for $3.2B.

Fadell has authored more than 300 patents and was named one of Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2014. In 2016 Time named the Nest Learning Thermostat, the iPod and the iPhone as three of the “50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time".

Education and early life

Fadell was born on March 22, 1969,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> in Michigan, to a Lebanese father and Polish mother.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fadell is an alumnus of Grosse Pointe South High School in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Computer Engineering in 1991.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

General Magic

After college, Fadell worked for Apple spinoff General Magic for three years, working with Sony, Philips, Matsushita, Toshiba and other consumer electronics firms in the "General Magic Alliance" to develop a line of personal handheld communicators. He started in 1992 as a diagnostics engineer and progressed to a systems architect.<ref name="fastCompany">Template:Cite web</ref>

Philips Electronics

In 1995, he was hired by Philips where he co-founded their Mobile Computing Group and served as the chief technology officer, and director of engineering. He developed a number of Windows CE-based hand-held devices, notably the Philips Velo and Nino PDA.<ref name=fastCompany /> Fadell went on to become a vice president of Philips Strategy and Ventures where he was in charge of developing Philips's digital audio strategy consisting of technology direction for silicon and software, as well as its investment portfolio and potential business models.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=newYorkTimes>Template:Cite news</ref>

Fuse

After Philips Fadell worked at RealNetworks for six weeks.<ref name="newYorkTimes"/>

In July 1999, Fadell started his own company called Fuse to develop the "Dell of the Consumer Electronics". One of the devices he had in mind was a small hard disk-based music player and an online-store-for-music. Fuse failed, however, to find a second round of funding, and Fadell started exploring developing the product at other companies.<ref name="newYorkTimes"/><ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref>

Apple Inc.

Fadell is known as the "father of the iPod".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=fast>Template:Cite web</ref> Fadell found support for his business idea of an MP3 player complemented by an online music store in Apple. In 2001 Fadell was hired by Apple as a contractor designing the iPod and planning Apple's audio product strategy.<ref name="newYorkTimes" /> His idea for a small hard disk-based music player and an online-store-for-music had caught Steve Jobs's attention. During that time, he created the concept and initial design of the iPod. He was then hired by Apple to assemble and run its iPod & Special Projects group in April 2001. He was tasked with overseeing the design and production of the iPod and iSight devices.<ref name="newYorkTimes" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Due to the engineers and resources at Apple being constrained with the Mac line, Fadell hired engineers from his startup company, Fuse, and veteran engineers from General Magic and Philips to build the core iPod development team. He also hired an outside company to develop the software for the player.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He was promoted to vice president of iPod engineering in 2004 and on October 14, 2005, Apple announced that Fadell would replace the retiring Jon Rubinstein as Senior Vice President of the iPod Division on March 31, 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=ted>Template:Cite web</ref>

On November 3, 2008, The Wall Street Journal broke the story of Fadell's departure from Apple.<ref name="wsj200811">Template:Cite news</ref>

Nest Labs, Inc.

Template:Main Fadell developed the business plan for Nest while living in Paris in 2009.<ref name=fast/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Together with Matt Rogers, a former Apple colleague, he set out to redesign the traditional thermostat. In May 2010 Fadell and Rogers co-founded Nest Labs in Palo Alto, CA.<ref name="NY Times, Ex-Apple Leaders...">Template:Cite web</ref> Nest announced its first product, the Nest Learning Thermostat, in October 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nest was acquired by Google in January 2014 for $3.2B.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> Fadell announced his resignation as CEO of Nest on June 3, 2016.<ref name="TR">Template:Cite web</ref>

Build Collective

As of 2017, Fadell has been running a venture fund originally called Future Shape, now called Build Collective.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Author

His book Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making was released May 3, 2022. Build has been named a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best seller.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Awards and honors

In 2012, he was the recipient of the Alva Award, honoring him as "the next great serial inventor".<ref name="Glei">Template:Cite web</ref> Vanity Fair also recognized him as a trailblazer on their 2012 Next Establishment list.<ref name="Chafkin, Matt">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, Fadell was acknowledged as one of Business Insider's Top 75 Designers in Technology,<ref name="Dickey">Template:Cite web</ref> Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People,<ref name="Fast Company">Template:Cite web</ref> and CNBC's Top 50 Disruptors.<ref name="CNBC Disruptor 50">Template:Cite web</ref>

Overview of awards and recognitions:

• (2012) Alva Award, "The Next Great Serial Inventor"<ref name="Glei" />
• (2012) (2013) (2014) Vanity Fair, Next Establishment list<ref name="Chafkin, Matt" />
• (2013) Business Insider, Top 75 Designers in Technology<ref name="Dickey" />
• (2013) Fast Company, 100 Most Creative People<ref name="Fast Company" />
• (2013) CNBC, Top 50 Disruptors<ref name="CNBC Disruptor 50" />
• (2013) Fortune, Trailblazers: 11 people changing business<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• (2014) Fortune, The World's Top 25 Eco-Innovators<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• (2014) Time, 100 Most Influential People in the World<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
• (2014) CNN, CNN 10: Thinkers<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• (2014) Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement, presented by Awards Council member George Lucas<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• (2016) Time, named the Nest Learning Thermostat, the iPod and the iPhone as three of the "50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time"<ref name=":1">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
• (2017) Global High-Tech Award, State Award of Armenia for Global Contribution to Humanity through High-Tech<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>