--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It can't be that difficult to build a…" description: "\"It can't be that difficult to build a great thermostat. So I decided to figure out: What would the thermostat for the iPhone generation look like? I go..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e9/tony-fadell-11652_about_it-can-t-be-that-difficult-to-build-a-gr_2847933.png" --- # It can't be that difficult to build a great thermostat. So… ![“It can't be that difficult to build a great thermostat. So I decided to figure out: What would the thermostat for the iPhone generation look like? I got this bug. It really infected my brain. I kept thinking about it. This could be a cool product that matters and a cool product that has a great…” quote by Tony Fadell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e9/tony-fadell-11652_about_it-can-t-be-that-difficult-to-build-a-gr_2847933.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e9/tony-fadell-11652_about_it-can-t-be-that-difficult-to-build-a-gr_2847933.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e9/tony-fadell-11652_about_it-can-t-be-that-difficult-to-build-a-gr_2847933.png) > “It can't be that difficult to build a great thermostat. So I decided to figure out: What would the thermostat for the iPhone generation look like? I got this bug. It really infected my brain. I kept thinking about it. This could be a cool product that matters and a cool product that has a great business.” [Tony Fadell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-fadell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Designing a thermostat for modern smartphones is challenging but feasible, prompting intense focus and creative thinking. **In simple terms:** Creating a smartphone thermostat is hard but doable. Key Takeaway Embrace focused problem solving. Themes innovation design focus Mood determined curious Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - smartphone design - home automation - prototype iteration Key Concepts product development user experience Questions to Reflect On - What core features would a smartphone thermostat need? - How can you balance simplicity with functionality? A Different Perspective Complex hardware constraints may limit feasibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Bug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bug/) [Build](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Cool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cool/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Figure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figure/) [Figure Thermostat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figure-thermostat-3772866/) [Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation/) [Got](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-business/) [Infected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infected/) [Iphone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iphone/) [Iphone Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iphone-generation-3772864/) [Kept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kept/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/product/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Thermostat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thermostat-1791199/) [Thermostat Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thermostat-decided-3772865/) [Thermostat Iphone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thermostat-iphone-3772863/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [People don't want to give up their SUVs. They don't want to turn the thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/people-don-t-want-to-give-up-their-suvs-they-don-t-want-to-turn-the/) [Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/) > [A father's words are like a thermostat that sets the temperature in the house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-father-s-words-are-like-a-thermostat-that-sets-the-temperature-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You've got to be a thermostat rather than a thermometer. A thermostat shapes the climate of opinion; a thermometer just reflects it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-ve-got-to-be-a-thermostat-rather-than-a-thermometer-a-thermostat/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [“Turn down the thermostat. Let the air be a touch cold rather than a touch hot. Others can choose to wear extra clothing if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-durant/turn-down-the-thermostat-let-the-air-be-a-touch-cold-rather-than-a/) [John Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-durant/) > [“At any point in your career, you are either a thermostat or a thermometer. You either define the temperature of the people around you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/at-any-point-in-your-career-you-are-either-a-thermostat-or-a/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [Turning the thermostat down is something that I do pretty reluctantly. I like to be able to walk around in whatever I fancy at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/turning-the-thermostat-down-is-something-that-i-do-pretty-reluctantly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He is a thermostat leader, not a thermometer...He does not react to the environment he's in. He changes every environment he's in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-dilfer/he-is-a-thermostat-leader-not-a-thermometer-he-does-not-react-to-the/) [Trent Dilfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-dilfer/) > [Personally, I have already turned down the Downing St thermostat by 1 degree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/personally-i-have-already-turned-down-the-downing-st-thermostat-by-1/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [“some people are thermometers, some are thermostats. You’re a thermostat. You don’t register the temperature in a room, you change it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/some-people-are-thermometers-some-are-thermostats-you-re-a-thermostat/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [“Choose your own mental state, rather than letting the environment govern it. 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People will feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-fadell/even-if-you-have-constrained-resources-don-t-cut-corners-people-will/) [Tony Fadell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-fadell/) > [There are a lot of designers who think they understand technology and a lot of technology guys who think they understand design. But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-fadell/there-are-a-lot-of-designers-who-think-they-understand-technology-and/) [Tony Fadell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-fadell/) > [Learn by doing. Learn through experiences. 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