Apple's iPod went from idea to product in a single year, according to the 'father' of the iconic music player

• Apple's iconic iPod went from idea to prototype to product in a single year, according to the man credited with leading the creation of Apple's wildly popular music player.
• According to Tony Fadell, the "father of the iPod," Apple's plan to create a portable music player went from idea to shipped product entirely in one year: 2001.
• "There was no team, prototype, designs, nothing," Fadell told Stripe CEO Patrick Collison. The project wasn't even approved by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs until nearly the end of March, Fadell said.
• The first iPod launched to critical and commercial acclaim in October 2001.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

One of Apple's most iconic devices, the iPod, went from idea to launch in a single year: 2001.

That's according to Tony Fadell, the man regularly credited as the "father of the iPod." Fadell told Stripe CEO Patrick Collison about the history of the iPod's creation for Collison's blog.

Fadell said his first conversation with Apple about the iPod project didn't take place until January 2001. "There was no team, prototype, designs, nothing," Fadell said.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

By late March, the project was just receiving the green light from former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Fadell wasn't even hired as a full-time Apple employee until the second week of April.

Between May 2001 and October 2001, Apple's ambitious iPod project went from the drawing board to full-on production, according to Fadell.

Fadell's history of the device, which helped turn Apple into the handheld electronics juggernaut it is today, was corroborated by Jon Rubinstein, who was also critical to the iPod's creation.

Rubinstein told Wired in 2006 that he hired Fadell to help create the iPod, starting with a phone call in February 2001. "He was on the ski slope at the time," Rubinstein told Wired. "I didn't tell him what he was going to work on. Until he walked in the door, he didn't know what he was going to be working on."

By October of the same year - just eight months later - Apple CEO Steve Jobs was on stage in California, enthusiastically unveiling the first ever Apple iPod.

I asked Tony Fadell about the iPod timeline for my fast project page. Summary: ��. pic.twitter.com/mf0CfbAEtB

- Patrick Collison (@patrickc) January 12, 2020