Book review: Build by Tony Fadell

I’ve been listening to an audiobook titled Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fadell. While a lot of the content isn’t immediately relevant if you’re just starting a business, many of the ideas and lessons Tony shares are really helpful. Even as an employee — whether you’re a manager or an individual contributor — the content of this book can be valuable, if you pay attention.

Fadell blends stories from his 30+ year career in Silicon Valley with practical advice aimed at entrepreneurs, product designers, engineers, and anyone looking to lead or build something meaningful. There were sections I skipped or didn’t pay much attention to — mostly the guidebook-style chapters that didn’t feel relevant to me at the time. But the personal stories? They’re very compelling and probably my favorite part of the book.

If you’re building products, working in tech, dreaming about launching a startup, or even just curious about how iconic things like the iPod or Nest came to be… this book is a gem.

But more than the name-dropping or cool behind-the-scenes stories, what really stuck with me is this: Tony Fadell deeply, genuinely cares about the user.

He wasn’t trying to invent something new just for the sake of it. He was obsessed with fixing the things that were broken — or overlooked — in existing products. He knew that just because something worked didn’t mean it felt good to use. His goal was always to enhance the experience for the customer, even in subtle ways. And that level of care? It’s rare.

Build is part memoir, part how-to manual, part tough-love pep talk. It’s like having a brutally honest mentor sitting across the table, telling you what actually matters when you’re trying to make something great.

Tony breaks the book into bite-sized chapters, each one tackling a specific topic: early career lessons, building amazing products, leading teams, pitching VCs, handling burnout — it’s all in there. And you can read it in any order, which I loved.

It’s packed with stories from his time at Apple (working with Steve Jobs), founding Nest, his early failures at General Magic, and how he bounced back after burning out.

My favorite quote:

“Don’t start a company unless you can’t not do it.”

That one really filters a lot of ideas and thoughts I have about potential businesses. It’s bold and direct: only start a company if you truly don’t have a choice.

Here are a few of the takeaways that hit hard for me:

• Solve real problems. Don’t just build flashy things — build things that matter to people.

• User experience is everything. It’s not just about functionality — it’s about how something makes people feel when they use it.

• Just because something exists doesn’t mean it can’t be better. That’s a big one. The iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player. Nest wasn’t the first thermostat. But they were better because they focused on what people actually cared about.

• Simplicity is powerful. Tony constantly pushed for simpler, cleaner solutions — even when it meant more work for the team.

• Don’t hire “brilliant jerks.” No matter how talented someone is, if they poison the culture, it’s not worth it.

• Burnout is real. And ignoring it can cost you more than just your energy — it can take your joy, your creativity, and your drive to build.

If you’ve read Build, I’d love to hear what stuck with you.

You can grab the book here, I highly recommend it.