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An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making

Tony Fadell
HarperBusiness, 2022

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Applicable
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Few people can match Tony Fadell’s qualifications to offer guidance on innovative technology and entrepreneurship. He designed and built the iPod, iPhone and the Nest Learning Thermostat, three of Time’s “50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time.” Fadell describes the anguish, exhilaration and learning experience of his remarkable journey through Silicon Valley. He attributes his success to great mentors, good fortune and commitment to working hard under unimaginable pressures. While Fadell offers indispensable advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators, any reader will appreciate this insightful, instructive and entertaining work.

 

Summary

“Do, fail, learn” – You can reap bountiful lessons from the classroom of life.

Contrary to popular belief, your education is only beginning when you graduate from college. Universities don’t always prepare you to succeed in life. Adulthood entails learning from your mistakes. Failure is the world’s greatest teacher – particularly if you plan on creating and innovating. When you choose a livelihood, prioritize maximizing your learning opportunities and doing what you naturally find interesting instead of seeking money, titles or glory. Follow your curiosity, and don’t fret over your mistakes. Bear in mind that the choices you make and the companies you “join or start” during your 20s will most likely not work out. That’s the natural way of things, so don’t be discouraged.

In 1991, Tony Fadell, then 21, drove from his native Michigan to California. He landed a diagnostic engineering job at General Magic, a boldly innovative and largely unknown electronics and software firm. Fadell had been CEO of his own little start-up back home. That company enjoyed modest success and had a promising future, but Fadell felt stuck. He wanted to accelerate...

About the Author

Tony Fadell created the iPod, the iPhone and the Nest Learning Thermostat. In 2014, Time named Fadell on its "100 Most Influential People in the World." Today he leads Future Shape, an investment and advisory firm that mentors start-ups.

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