Tony Fadell talks AI, building products for SEA in exclusive interview

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Hi there,

I was fortunate enough to grow up during a time when the world was transitioning from analog to digital, and the evolution of technology around music was especially fascinating to me.

My earliest memory of listening to music was tuning in to the radio and playing vinyl records on the gramophone. I was amazed when cassette tapes came out a few years later – how did the contents of those huge discs get packed into such small rectangles?

My elder brothers started creating mixtapes by putting speakers of two music players together and pressing the “play” button on one and hitting “record” on the other.

This was also the time of the Sony Walkman. Having a portable device with earphones meant that you could listen to music anytime – yes, even while you’re walking.

It wasn’t long before computers came into the scene, along with CDs and the Discman (also from Sony). By the time I was in high school, I took the mixtape idea and started my own business – I made and sold mixed music CDs for kids at school.

Sadly, my music bootlegger days ended with the emergence of the iPod and MP3 players. When I finally got my hands on an iPod Classic, I was awestruck. You could now scroll through an entire playlist just by fiddling with the smooth round toggle button.

Recently, I got a chance to chat with the man who invented the iPod and co-created the iPhone: Tony Fadell. In an exclusive interview, we talked about how to build great products in Southeast Asia and the future of generative AI. Our premium story also details what Fadell said about his investment firm Build Collective’s plans for the region.

Speaking of investment plans, my colleague Huong interviewed Jeffrey Seah, a Quest Ventures partner who recently set up his own VC fund. Her Q&A with him uncovers the idea behind Asia Fund X and its target markets and sectors in Southeast Asia.

The region is also the focus of this week’s Making Waves, with my colleague Nikita shining a light on how Chinese electric vehicle (EV) firms are moving their manufacturing facilities to countries in the region.

— Collin

THE BIG STORY

1️⃣Exclusive insights from Tony Fadell on ChatGPT and the AI gold rush

Image credit: Timmy Loen

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