NeST Technologies history

Fadell talked to The Verge back in 2011: "The problem with Silicon Valley is that you all want to impress your friends — you want to make the next thing and revolutionize it.

If it were, the installed base would be higher because 2013 would have represented nearly 1 million sales, assuming linear growth.

But before the smart-thermostat startup – acquired in 2014 – could become one of Google's biggest brands, it had to be broken down and devoured by the tech giant.

Nest was reportedly underperforming, with 2015 sales of $340 million that only met Google's $300 million sales target by including sales figures from Dropcam, acquired for $555 million.

But discontent was simmering and, in 2016, Dropcam founder Greg Duffy wrote that he regretted his decision to sell to Nest after Fadell criticised the security camera firm's staff.

NEST continued to have positive revenue growth year after year and in 2017, Rob Almond announced the opening of a fourth office in Greensboro, NC. The company expanded the construction and estimation group and introduced formal Lean Six Sigma principles when developing client solutions.

In July 2018 CNET reported that Nest staff had been pushing for new management, complaining that Fawaz was "more of an operations manager than a leader", with an emphasis on delivering "on-time mediocre products", and that "he was planted in the role by Google to keep us under his thumb".