Build

Date: 2024-08-05

Book Author: Tony Fadell

This book was like a conversation with someone who's seen the trenches and the top. Tony Fadell helped build the iPod, the iPhone, and Nest — and Build is his uncensored, blunt, tactical guide to doing great product work, surviving toxic bosses, and managing your own ambition.

💡 Key Punches: • "Your idea is probably bad. Work on it anyway." • Great products come from customer obsession, not founder ego. • Learn to fire yourself — delegate before you burn out.

❤️ What Works: • Brutally honest — especially about startup burnout and product failures. • Structured like a reference guide: mentorship, hiring, roadmaps, ego management. • Doesn’t glorify hustle — just demands clarity.

🤔 What's Intense: • Reads like 100 direct messages in a row — can be overwhelming. • Less for first-time founders, more for product operators or scale-up leads.

📈 Verdict: This book doesn’t waste your time. If you’re in the building phase — read it, reread it, mark it up.

Rating: 4.8/5