Episode

#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
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1:52:26
Published: Wed Apr 27 2022
Description

Brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions marketing platform with ~770M users, LMNT electrolyte supplement, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. More on all three below.Tony Fadell (@tfadell) is an active investor and entrepreneur with a 30+ year history of founding companies and designing products that profoundly improve people’s lives. As the principal at Future Shape, a global investment and advisory firm coaching engineers and scientists working on foundational deep technology, he is continuing to help bring technology out of the lab and into our lives. Currently, Future Shape is coaching 200+ startups innovating game-changing technologies. Tony began his career in Silicon Valley at General Magic, the most influential startup nobody has ever heard of. He is the founder and former CEO of Nest, the company that pioneered the “Internet of Things” and created the Nest Learning Thermostat. Tony was the SVP of Apple’s iPod Division and led the team that created the first 18 generations of the iPod and the first three generations of the iPhone. Throughout his career, Tony has authored more than 300 patents. In May 2016, TIME named the Nest Learning Thermostat, the iPod, and the iPhone as three of the “50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time.” His new book is Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making. Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness, generate leads, or build long-term relationships that result in real business impact.With a community of more than 770 million professionals, LinkedIn is gigantic, but it can be hyper-specific. You have access to a diverse group of people all searching for things they need to grow professionally. LinkedIn has the marketing tools to help you target your customers with precision, right down to job title, company name, industry, etc. To redeem your free $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to LinkedIn.com/TFS!*This episode is also brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Pro Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.And now, my dear listeners—that’s you—can get $250 off the Pod Pro Cover. Simply go to EightSleep.com/Tim or use code TIM at checkout. *This episode is also brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness.LMNT came up with a very special offer for you, my dear listeners. For a limited time, you can claim a free LMNT Sample Pack—you only cover the cost of shipping. For US customers, this means you can receive an 8-count sample pack for only $5. Simply go to DrinkLMNT.com/Tim to claim your free 8-count sample pack.*How did Tony overcome his lack of patience long enough to write Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making? [07:38]What did Tony learn from Steve Jobs about taking vacations, and why did he lead the “Killing Yourself for Work” chapter in Build with this story? [12:30]As a CEO, what did Tony accomplish in his downtime? [21:03]Tony shares his thoughts on managing big jobs with small teams, and how to chalk up wins that best alleviate burnout. [24:07]The best practices Tony has found for efficiently dividing labor among the members of a small team. [28:40]What do the headcount and org chart look like within Future Shape? [36:20]How does Future Shape differ from a VC firm, and what is its mission? Why was the COVID pandemic minimally disruptive to the way the company handles meetings and does business? [39:17]What is programmable electrification, and how is Future Shape involved in its development? [44:50]“The story doesn’t exist to sell your product. It’s there to help you define it.” Tony shares how this concept played into the creation of Build, and what Build is intended to provide to its readership. [51:00]How did Steve Jobs use story to define projects and products at Apple? [59:47]Tony admits that plenty of people think he’s an asshole. But what differentiates an acceptable asshole from an unacceptable asshole? [1:01:43]In our last conversation, Tony drove home the necessity of finding creative ways to cope with the world’s overabundance of plastics. What progress has been made on this front since then, and what other materials can be reclaimed from the things we throw away regularly? [1:06:12]How does Tony’s small team leverage its time and resources to focus on solving the problems that will have the largest impact? [1:09:17]Underestimated targets related to climate change that Tony thinks deserve more attention. [1:13:16]Tony’s thoughts on the efficacy of carbon removal, and companies that are aiming to do it right. [1:17:45]How will geopolitics figure into the supply chain for an electron-based economy? [1:24:28]How can we cultivate optimism in our younger generations when the constant barrage of doom and gloom from the media is generating higher-than-ever levels of apathy and passivism in the populace? What can we do to consume a healthier media diet? [1:30:34]Audience asks and parting thoughts. [1:37:58]*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
Element is a supplement that provides the perfect balance of electrolytes and is ideally suited to individuals following a keto, low carb, or paleo diet.
00:00 - 02:06 (02:06)
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Electrolytes
Summary

Element is a supplement that provides the perfect balance of electrolytes and is ideally suited to individuals following a keto, low carb, or paleo diet. The product is free from sugar, artificial ingredients, and coloring, making it a healthy option.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss discusses sleep enhancement tools with the crowd favorite being the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover, claiming that it helps users fall asleep faster, reduces sleep interruptions, and improves the overall sleep quality.
02:07 - 08:20 (06:13)
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Sleep Enhancement
Summary

Tim Ferriss discusses sleep enhancement tools with the crowd favorite being the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover, claiming that it helps users fall asleep faster, reduces sleep interruptions, and improves the overall sleep quality.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
David Meltzer discusses his book "Connected To Goodness" and shares advice for entrepreneurs on handling failure and achieving success.
08:20 - 12:30 (04:10)
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Entrepreneurship
The speaker talks about the struggle to balance work and personal life as an entrepreneur, with a particular story about the pressure to work while on vacation.
12:30 - 20:24 (07:53)
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Entrepreneurship
Giving yourself time off from certain activities or tasks may actually lead to better performance and clarity of thought while approaching them.
20:24 - 28:00 (07:35)
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Time Management
Summary

Giving yourself time off from certain activities or tasks may actually lead to better performance and clarity of thought while approaching them. Allowing your brain to consolidate memories and approach problems with a fresh perspective can lead to better results.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker advises creating proactive job descriptions with specific roles and tasks, as well as encouraging task and time-sharing between team members who get along well with each other.
28:00 - 34:09 (06:09)
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Team Management.
The Future Shape organization aims to stay flat and lean, keeping away from the traditional corporate structure.
34:09 - 38:01 (03:51)
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Future Shape, LinkedIn, advertising
Summary

The Future Shape organization aims to stay flat and lean, keeping away from the traditional corporate structure. LinkedIn has become the number one B2B display advertising platform in the US.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the risk and potential reward of investing, acknowledging that a majority of investments will not succeed financially but emphasizing the potential for dramatic success as well.
38:01 - 44:45 (06:44)
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Investing
Summary

The speaker discusses the risk and potential reward of investing, acknowledging that a majority of investments will not succeed financially but emphasizing the potential for dramatic success as well. They also briefly mention the importance of maintaining team morale and sharing funny stories to foster strong team dynamics.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The inefficiencies in today's energy result in 60% of energy created to be lost.
44:45 - 50:21 (05:35)
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Energy Efficiency
Summary

The inefficiencies in today's energy result in 60% of energy created to be lost. Finding efficient solutions can improve the energy transmission and consumption process, including lighting solutions in houses and traffic signals.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Understanding your audience while concepting is important.
50:21 - 55:14 (04:53)
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Audience
Summary

Understanding your audience while concepting is important. It helps you know the rational and emotional reasons behind your product and also to make all your technology in service of your audience.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses how they wrote a press release and used tools to plan the structure of their book before starting to write it.
55:14 - 1:02:00 (06:45)
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Writing Process
Summary

The speaker discusses how they wrote a press release and used tools to plan the structure of their book before starting to write it. This allowed them to ensure accessibility and readability for a wide audience.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The act of challenging people to be better and improving the product doesn't necessarily make someone an asshole.
1:02:00 - 1:05:13 (03:12)
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Leadership
Summary

The act of challenging people to be better and improving the product doesn't necessarily make someone an asshole. It is important to understand why people may perceive someone as an asshole, and to delineate between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The focus recently has been how to extract all the minerals and elements out of e-waste and other waste streams in general since it's way cheaper to extract from a waste stream than it is to extract from the planet and better for the environment.
1:05:13 - 1:09:21 (04:08)
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E-waste
Summary

The focus recently has been how to extract all the minerals and elements out of e-waste and other waste streams in general since it's way cheaper to extract from a waste stream than it is to extract from the planet and better for the environment.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The world needs new solutions to make products more efficient and bring a win-win-win for the environment, customers, and manufacturers.
1:09:21 - 1:16:10 (06:48)
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Climate Change
Summary

The world needs new solutions to make products more efficient and bring a win-win-win for the environment, customers, and manufacturers. Investors have tremendous opportunities to make a great return on investment and contribute to fixing climate change at the same time.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The three areas that offer a solution to carbon capture are the hydrogen economy, the biomass economy, and carbon sequestration.
1:16:10 - 1:22:46 (06:36)
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Carbon Capture
Summary

The three areas that offer a solution to carbon capture are the hydrogen economy, the biomass economy, and carbon sequestration. These areas are necessary and urgent to start the transition to a cleaner future.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses the importance of establishing good relationships to ensure the supply of raw materials for the growth of the global economy, including the need to work with like-minded individuals and countries, and how new technologies can help find and mine elements easily inside national borders or the borders of true friends.
1:22:46 - 1:29:06 (06:19)
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Raw Materials
Summary

The podcast discusses the importance of establishing good relationships to ensure the supply of raw materials for the growth of the global economy, including the need to work with like-minded individuals and countries, and how new technologies can help find and mine elements easily inside national borders or the borders of true friends.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The current economic system of low worker pay and lack of healthcare is a major issue for entrepreneurs who are trying to succeed in business.
1:29:06 - 1:36:03 (06:56)
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Society
Summary

The current economic system of low worker pay and lack of healthcare is a major issue for entrepreneurs who are trying to succeed in business. It is important to change our media diet and listen to people who offer possible solutions for these problems to benefit society and the planet.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker suggests two books- Build Subtitle, An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making and The Changing World Order- which provide an unorthodox guide to understand the latest technologies and the changes in the world order respectively, both of which have the potential to help deal with climate change.
1:36:03 - 1:44:32 (08:28)
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Books.
Summary

The speaker suggests two books- Build Subtitle, An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making and The Changing World Order- which provide an unorthodox guide to understand the latest technologies and the changes in the world order respectively, both of which have the potential to help deal with climate change.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses different tools and gadgets to enhance sleep, including Aidsleep which has been shown to help users fall asleep faster, reduce sleep interruptions, and get more restful sleep overall.
1:44:32 - 1:49:20 (04:48)
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Sleep Enhancement
Summary

The speaker discusses different tools and gadgets to enhance sleep, including Aidsleep which has been shown to help users fall asleep faster, reduce sleep interruptions, and get more restful sleep overall. The speaker polls social media to gather insights from listeners.

Episode
#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Get a free sample pack of Element, an electrolyte supplement recommended by Navy SEAL teams, NFL teams, and formulated for keto, low carb, or paleo diets.
1:49:20 - 1:52:24 (03:03)
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