Make no mistake, smart home fans, Nest is not for sale. That was the message Nest CEO Marwan Fawaz drove home in an email to company employees earlier this week, in which he wrote, “Nest is not for sale, and scaling and innovation aren’t mutually exclusive.” Much of the speculation regarding Nest’s future appears to stem from co-founder Tony Fadell’s announcement of his departure, which sent tongues wagging about whether or not Alphabet was planning on parting ways with Nest soon as well. According to Fawaz, the answer is a resounding no.
The Verge obtained the memo Fawaz sent to employees, in which the new CEO applauded the “collective passion and sense of mission” of the Nest team. And while Fawaz nodded at the inevitable growing pains that come with a change in leadership, he stressed that the future of the company ought to be bright.
“I mentioned on Friday that my skills and passion are around scaling great companies — and products — to reach more customers,” Fawaz wrote. “It’s what I like to think about and what I like to deliver. My only agenda for Nest is to scale and grow with innovative products. Nest is not for sale, and scaling and innovation aren’t mutually exclusive.”
While Nest has always maintained a high level of quality for its smart home products, including its thermostat, smoke detector, and camera, it’s no secret that its revenue figures aren’t exactly what Alphabet might’ve hoped for when it acquired the company a couple years ago. But Fawaz seems ready to rise to that challenge, telling his new team, “I’m counting on each one of you to help maintain our culture of disruption, the source of the Nest magic. This culture is how we’ll continue to lead in the connected home space, continue to attract the best talent around, and help save even more energy and lives.”
In conclusion, the new CEO wrote, “We need to focus on delivering the great road map we have in place … This is how we’ll reset the narrative about Nest, reminding our customers, partners, and competitors of how we became the #1 connected home brand in the first place.” Emphasizing that there is no “change in strategy or direction,” Fawaz said, “Nest understands design, customer needs, and the importance of home. I know you will all work hard in the coming weeks to ensure we continue to surprise and delight our customers and I’m very excited to be a part of it.”
