Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making
author: Tony Fadell
related books: The Personal MBA, Give and Take, Advice to a Young Scientist, Designing your Life, So Good They Can't Ignore You, Antifragile
The main takeaway
Tony Fadell had a career to be envious of: hard- and software designer (co-creator of the iPod and iPhone!), entrepreneur and CEO (founder of Nest, the company that made thermostats sexy), investor etc. Despite such a stellar track record, Fadell admits to making plenty of mistakes, just like the rest of us! Any successful person likely has plenty of mentors before becoming a mentor themself. In Build, Fadell bundles what he considers his most important advice to build a fruitful career. It covers aspects from your first job to how to become a CEO.
The book is subdivided into six sections, each containing several small chapters with tidbits of practical advice. It covers
Build yourself; where planning your first career should mainly be centred around what you want to learn rather than what you want to earn. Work hard, and work with established leads in your field of choice ("heroes"). I prefer small companies or groups where you can make a difference.
Build your career how to work in a group, why managing is a distinct skill and how to deal with various types of assholes. It also covers the etiquette of how and when to quit.
Build your product, good product design focuses on the customer. A successful product reveals and solves a problem your customer might not know they had ("painkillers are better than vitamins"). Your product should have a story that appeals to people's emotional and rational side. Reaching profitability will always take longer than you think.
Build your business is just as important as building the product! A good business idea starts with the why (one should care). It covers accepting venture capitalists, work-life balance and coping with a crisis;
Build your team covers hiring, dealing with the growth of the company and the roles of sales, designers and lawyers.
Be the CEO; there can be several founders but only one CEO. You must deal with a board, buying and being bought while maintaining company culture. Fadell has some good views on perks (no free massages!), don't give regular free stuff that becomes an acquired right though the occasional surprise boosts morale. Not all founders have what it takes to become a CEO, and even for successful CEOs, there might be a natural point to step down when you cannot let your company grow anymore, and you've effectively become a babysitter.
Who is this for?
This book generally contains good advice for those planning a career in a technical field. Many aspects might also be relevant for an academic profile, e.g. building and managing a group.