Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making - The New York Times bestseller - Softcover

Fadell, Tony

Softcover

ISBN 10: 055217775X ISBN 13: 9780552177757

Publisher: Penguin, 2026

Synopsis

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER.

An unorthodox guide to making things worth making, from 'the father of the iPod and iPhone' and the creator of Nest.

Everyone deserves a mentor.

For every career crisis, every fork in the road, you need someone to talk to. Someone who's been there before, who knows exactly how wobbly and conflicted you feel, who can give it to you straight:

Here's how to think about choosing a job.
Here's how to be a better manager.
Here's how to approach design.
Here's how to start a company.
Here's how to run it.

Tony Fadell learned all these lessons the hard way. He spent the first 10 years of his career in Silicon Valley failing spectacularly, and the next 20 building some of the most impactful devices in history - the iPod, iPhone, and Nest Learning Thermostat. He has enough stories and advice about leadership, design, startups, mentorship, decision making, devastating screwups, and unbelievable success to fill an encyclopedia.

So that's what this book is. An advice encyclopedia. A mentor in a box.

But Tony's doesn't follow the standard Silicon Valley credo that you have to radically reinvent everything you do. His advice is unorthodox because it's old school. Because it's based on human nature, not gimmicks.

Tony keeps things simple: he just tells you what works. He gives you exactly what you need to make things worth making.

PRAISE FOR BUILD
This is the most fun - and the most fascinating - memoir of curiosity and invention that I've ever read.'

Malcolm Gladwell,
Host of the Revisionist History podcast. Author of Outliers and Talking to Strangers.


Whether you're looking to build a great product, a creative team, a strong culture, or a meaningful career, Tony's guidance will get you thinking and rethinking.'

Adam Grant,
Author of Think Again & Host of the TED podcast WorkLife

About this title

About the Author

Tony Fadell started his 30+ year Silicon Valley career at General Magic, the most influential startup nobody has ever heard of. Then he went on to make the iPod and iPhone, start Nest and create the Nest Learning Thermostat. Throughout his career Tony has authored more than 300 patents. He now leads the Build Collective where he invests in and mentors the next generation of startups that are changing the world.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 055217775X
• ISBN 13: 9780552177757
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416