Tony Fadell, "father of the iPod," steps down from CEO post at Google's Nest

2

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 49
    boeyc15boeyc15 Posts: 986member
    I didn't read Tony's blog announcing that he is leaving Google, because I have read plenty of these tales over the years -- including a couple of knee-slappers from my own ex-bosses. Here's a guess: Mr. Fadell is leaving his job at Google so he can spend more time with his family. He has been planning this move for several months. His exit comes while he is still at the top of his game. He has already started working on another exciting project, which he will announce at a later date. He will be sorely missed by everyone at Google. He will continue sharing his experience and insights with the company in the months ahead.

    Hey watch out --- you'll get slapped with copyright infringement from 'Name a Ivy League School' masters of business course - 502 - Effective Corporate Employee Communication [translation - how to BS, avoid blame and say nothing to your employees. Note - be aware, if they really believe you, you have idiots working for you!]   /s
    anton zuykovcornchiplolliverbadmonk
  • Reply 22 of 49
    Ecobee is better. I think Apple should buy them. Probably super cheap too.
    jbdragon
  • Reply 23 of 49
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    Tony should take some of that money and get that awful wart removed. Looks like an old crone.
    It's a Lemmy homage.
  • Reply 24 of 49
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    A hack through and through, but a product of amazing timing. Without it, he's making $55k/year in some no-name engineering firm.
    patchythepirateargonaut
  • Reply 25 of 49
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    A hack through and through, but a product of amazing timing. Without it, he's making $55k/year in some no-name engineering firm.
    The guy had the nerve to say he is carrying on the legacy of Steve Jobs and Bill Campbell. Arrogant sob.
    jbdragonpatchythepiratecornchiplolliverargonaut
  • Reply 26 of 49
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Imback said:
     Fawaz was formerly an executive at Motorola Mobility, which Google also acquired, failed to turn around, and eventually sold off to Lenovo.
    Google got everything it wanted out of Motorola Mobility. It was never their intention to turn it around.

    -ib
    They paid 10 times over for this IP so not sure what the hell you're talking about; except maybe another "Google knows WTF it's doing" even when clearly they don't.
    edited June 2016 anton zuykov1983patchythepiratelolliver
  • Reply 27 of 49
    vvswarupvvswarup Posts: 336member
    Imback said:
     Fawaz was formerly an executive at Motorola Mobility, which Google also acquired, failed to turn around, and eventually sold off to Lenovo.
    Google got everything it wanted out of Motorola Mobility. It was never their intention to turn it around.

    -ib
    First of all, Motorola Mobility wasn't an acquisition. It was a shakedown. Motorola was losing money but it had a valuable asset-patents. At the time, Google's Android was getting hit with lawsuits from Apple and Microsoft. Then-CEO Sanjay Jha took Google to the cleaners for every last dollar. He threatened to entertain offers from Microsoft and Google didn't want that happening. 

    Second of all, I haven't crunched the numbers fully but I don't think the Motorola deal was massively profitable for Google. I think Google managed to cut its losses with Motorola and got out cash positive. Google didn't behave like a tech company with the Motorola deal. It behaved more like a private equity firm. It bought Motorola and started selling off its assets one by one. Tech companies like Google don't make those kinds of acquisitions just to play investment banker and start selling off its assets. I think Google wanted to do something with Motorola but it got tired of covering its losses. 
  • Reply 28 of 49
    starwarsstarwars Posts: 72member
    wonder google has ever turned around a hardware company it acquired?
    wonkothesanejbdragoncornchip
  • Reply 29 of 49
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    I didn't read Tony's blog announcing that he is leaving Google, because I have read plenty of these tales over the years -- including a couple of knee-slappers from my own ex-bosses. Here's a guess: Mr. Fadell is leaving his job at Google so he can spend more time with his family. He has been planning this move for several months. His exit comes while he is still at the top of his game. He has already started working on another exciting project, which he will announce at a later date. He will be sorely missed by everyone at Google. He will continue sharing his experience and insights with the company in the months ahead.
    Pretty spot on. Don't forget how "excited" he is about the future of the company, too. So excited, that he doesn't want to be a part of it. 

    Tony has always been a narcissist. It's widely known, and shared by his ex-colleagues, how much he exaggerated his role and influence at Apple in order to push his new company. 
    edited June 2016
  • Reply 30 of 49
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    foggyhill said:
    Imback said:
     Fawaz was formerly an executive at Motorola Mobility, which Google also acquired, failed to turn around, and eventually sold off to Lenovo.
    Google got everything it wanted out of Motorola Mobility. It was never their intention to turn it around.

    -ib
    They paid 10 times over for this IP so not sure what the hell you're talking about; except maybe another "Google knows WTF it's doing" even when clearly they don't.
    This is true the problem is all the IP they bought was render worthless when the US government told Google they could not use it to sue other cell phone companies out of existence. Then they licensed it all to Samsung and then gave it all to Lenovo as part of sale.
  • Reply 31 of 49
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    vvswarup said:
    Imback said:
     Fawaz was formerly an executive at Motorola Mobility, which Google also acquired, failed to turn around, and eventually sold off to Lenovo.
    Google got everything it wanted out of Motorola Mobility. It was never their intention to turn it around.

    -ib
    First of all, Motorola Mobility wasn't an acquisition. It was a shakedown. Motorola was losing money but it had a valuable asset-patents. At the time, Google's Android was getting hit with lawsuits from Apple and Microsoft. Then-CEO Sanjay Jha took Google to the cleaners for every last dollar. He threatened to entertain offers from Microsoft and Google didn't want that happening. 

    Second of all, I haven't crunched the numbers fully but I don't think the Motorola deal was massively profitable for Google. I think Google managed to cut its losses with Motorola and got out cash positive. Google didn't behave like a tech company with the Motorola deal. It behaved more like a private equity firm. It bought Motorola and started selling off its assets one by one. Tech companies like Google don't make those kinds of acquisitions just to play investment banker and start selling off its assets. I think Google wanted to do something with Motorola but it got tired of covering its losses. 
    Yes very close to the truth. Google was Sanjay's exit strategy. But Motorola was Google plan B when they loss out on the Nortel IP. What Sanjay did not tell Google at the time was Apple originally told Motorola they would pay a one time $4B to license Motorola IP. Sanjay turned down because he want Apple to cross license all of its IOS IP as well and Apple said no. This why Google could not us the Motorola IP the way they wanted and finally agree to settle with Apple.
  • Reply 32 of 49
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,897member
    lkrupp said:
    Google literally can do no wrong while Apple can do no right, even for its so-called supporters here on AI who constantly bitch and whine about what Apple does or doesn’t do. 
    So if you "support" Apple (whatever that means) you are not allowed to point out any of their failings? Sounds rather "Trumpish" to me. The real world works differently from high school pal, so being a "team supporter" at all costs is kind of a losing proposition.
    1983cornchipsingularity
  • Reply 33 of 49
    lukeilukei Posts: 379member
    So was this because Fadell's unhappy with what Google is doing with Nest, or because Google isn't happy with Fadells performance?
    Given his new advisory role the latter seems unlikely 
  • Reply 34 of 49
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    lukei said:
    So was this because Fadell's unhappy with what Google is doing with Nest, or because Google isn't happy with Fadells performance?
    Given his new advisory role the latter seems unlikely 
    That means nothing. Scott Forstall had an advisory role too. As did Fadell when it was announced he was leaving Apple. I doubt he's going to do much advising for Larry Page.
    1983jbdragoncornchiplolliverpscooter63
  • Reply 35 of 49
    dick applebaumdick applebaum Posts: 12,527member
    lukei said:
    So was this because Fadell's unhappy with what Google is doing with Nest, or because Google isn't happy with Fadells performance?
    Given his new advisory role the latter seems unlikely 
    That means nothing. Scott Forstall had an advisory role too. As did Fadell when it was announced he was leaving Apple. I doubt he's going to do much advising for Larry Page.
    Yeah ...  It's called a non-compete/non-disclosure clause in the termination settlement! It usually has a duration (in hi-tech) of 18-24 months -- where the the tech the "advisor" was involved with becomes obsolete.  Meanwhile, the "advisor" gets paid and is able to execute his vested stock options.


    edited June 2016 cornchip
  • Reply 36 of 49
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,178member
    starwars said:
    wonder google has ever turned around a hardware company it acquired?
    They didn't own any "hardware companies" before Motorola did they? Anything else has been in the last two years. 
  • Reply 37 of 49
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,178member
    maestro64 said:
    foggyhill said:
    Imback said:
    Google got everything it wanted out of Motorola Mobility. It was never their intention to turn it around.

    -ib
    They paid 10 times over for this IP so not sure what the hell you're talking about; except maybe another "Google knows WTF it's doing" even when clearly they don't.
    This is true the problem is all the IP they bought was render worthless when the US government told Google they could not use it to sue other cell phone companies out of existence.
    Wrong
    Then they cross-licensed it all to with Samsung
    Fixed
    and then gave it all to Lenovo as part of sale.
    Wrong
    Google kept the patents and Lenovo got a license.

    IMO If
    what Google wanted out of the deal was Moto's threat to sue other companies including Android licensees to be nullified and prevent those patents from going to someone else who WOULD use them offensively then it worked. Worst case is it cost 'em $3B for as much IP as the the RockStar Group bought. At the time both of those big patent buys looked smart but both ended up as perhaps short-sighted over-reactive overpayments. Everyone was running scared, but things have since settled down. Apple, Google and Microsoft are all far too patent wealthy now to even try attacking each other over IP anymore in my opinion.

    And no the US government didn't tell Google they couldn't protect their property, nor is there any indication, zero, that Google ever intended to initiate any new patent lawsuits. Google has never been about suing anyone (other than the US government :) ), making them an outlier compared to the other big techs with no such qualms. That's fact.
  • Reply 38 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    I'm so glad I still have my pre Google Mk 1 Nest.  Still works perfectly and has never had any issues.
    1983
  • Reply 39 of 49
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    slurpy said:
    I didn't read Tony's blog announcing that he is leaving Google, because I have read plenty of these tales over the years -- including a couple of knee-slappers from my own ex-bosses. Here's a guess: Mr. Fadell is leaving his job at Google so he can spend more time with his family. He has been planning this move for several months. His exit comes while he is still at the top of his game. He has already started working on another exciting project, which he will announce at a later date. He will be sorely missed by everyone at Google. He will continue sharing his experience and insights with the company in the months ahead.
    Pretty spot on. Don't forget how "excited" he is about the future of the company, too. So excited, that he doesn't want to be a part of it. 

    Tony has always been a narcissist. It's widely known, and shared by his ex-colleagues, how much he exaggerated his role and influence at Apple in order to push his new company. 
    In his Nest bio he said he was responsible for the first 3 generations of iPhone. The way it was worded made it sound like iPhone was his creation alone. Yet we know there were two competing phone projects - the purple project that Ive and Forstall were involved with and what Fadell's iPod team was working on - and we know which one was chosen. Also lets not forget Steve never made Tony SVP of all hardware. Bob Mansfield was overseeing the Mac and Steve brought in Mark Papermaster to oversee the iPhone; once he left iPhone (and iPad) went to Mansfield. It's also around this time frame when Fadell and his wife decided to leave Apple. The guy clearly has some sort of complex in the way he feels the need to exaggerate his credentials/influence.
    1983cornchiplolliverargonaut
  • Reply 40 of 49
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    welshdog said:
    lkrupp said:
    Google literally can do no wrong while Apple can do no right, even for its so-called supporters here on AI who constantly bitch and whine about what Apple does or doesn’t do. 
    So if you "support" Apple (whatever that means) you are not allowed to point out any of their failings? Sounds rather "Trumpish" to me. The real world works differently from high school pal, so being a "team supporter" at all costs is kind of a losing proposition.
    Spot on!
Sign In or Register to comment.