The Story Behind Nothing: A New Smartphone Venture

Meet Carl Pei, a 34-year-old entrepreneur who co-founded OnePlus. After leaving the company, he embarked on a new journey with Nothing—a smartphone venture. Why smartphones? Because, as Pei explains, they're the biggest consumer product in the world, with a billion sold each year. He believes that if Nothing can grow, the opportunities to make money on software and services will follow. But starting a new venture isn't easy, especially when it comes to raising money. Pei had to go out and pitch his idea to potential investors. One piece of advice he received was to ditch the pitch deck and just talk to the investors. He took that advice and admitted it was the right move. "The deck was terrible, " he said. Earlier in 2021, there were rumors that Pei might name his new firm Essential, after buying the name from Andy Rubin, known as the "father of Android. " Rubin founded Android, Inc. in 2003 and helped shape Android into a touchscreen-friendly OS after the iPhone's debut.