Nest: How an iPhone creator tried to reinvent the thermostat
Tony Fadell, co-creator of the iPhone, founded Nest after frustration with outdated thermostats. The product quickly succeeded but had both hits and misses.
The founding story of Nest is a near-perfect tech myth. Legendary product maker Tony Fadell, who helped create the iPhone, left Apple and then returned for one more job: reinventing the thermostat. This episode of "Version History" podcast tells the early days of Nest.
Fadell was frustrated with outdated, expensive temperature controls and quickly jumped back into product development. Nest was remarkably successful in a short time, largely due to Fadell himself. However, the thermostat itself was a mixed bag: it got many things right—and Nest's big idea about the future eventually proved remarkably correct—but also missed the mark in important ways. One standout feature was the included screwdriver.
This is the third episode of the fourth season of Version History, part of a smart home season that also covers the Harmony remote and Roomba vacuum.
