Tony Fadell, like many employees, used to quietly celebrate his boss’s vacation.

Fadell then joined Apple in 2001, realizing that Steve Jobs’ downtime wasn’t like most bosses vacations. A podcast episode “The Podcast” recently featured Fadell.The Tim Ferriss Show,” Fadell – known as the inventor of the iPod and co-creator of the iPhone – said that when Jobs left the office, Apple’s employees would get two or three days of relative silence. As soon as Jobs left the office, employees would start to receive calls from Jobs, many times without notice.

“Steve would be on vacation and he would be pondering … the next product, the next direction for Apple, new technologies,” said Fadell, a former senior vice president of Apple’s iPod division who worked with Jobs for nearly 10 years. “He used that vacation to expand his thoughts and step outside the Apple world’s everyday.”

Fadell said that Jobs would read up on new technology and engage in conversations with others about it when Jobs wasn’t working. Jobs also used the same methods to stimulate creativity at work: Walter Isaacson (author of his book “Steve Jobs“Biography about “taking a long stroll was [Jobs’]”The preferred method to have a serious discussion.”

Isaacson said that Jobs had asked him to create the biography during a walk.

Jobs’s vacation habits made it difficult for his family. Fadell claimed that Apple employees heard from Jobs six times a day. His thoughts would turn to “Oh, lets go buy a record company” or “Should this product be made?” “What kind of technology is required to accomplish this?” Fadell stated. “You would look like Google to me.”

Fadell explained that it is common to simply type out some research and email it to Jobs. Fadell stated that Jobs often calls back with a new idea within fifteen minutes.

In some ways, Fadell said, the attention was flattering – an opportunity to brainstorm Apple’s next product with Jobs himself. Fadell acknowledged that the pressure can be overwhelming due to Apple employees often working on high-pressure tasks.

Fadell, who left Apple to start Google’s Nest Labs, said that he began adopting Jobs’ vacation routines after establishing the company. Fadell stated that taking a few extra hours from work each day helped improve both his productivity and personal well-being.

“There’s a way to do it – to be high-performing, do amazing things, but to also give yourself the right amount per day, as well as per year, of time off and time to think,” he said, noting that he’s personally benefited from working out, eating healthily and cutting out alcohol. “During those times, I was capable of coming up with great ideas. I also solved problems that were occupying my mind.”

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