Praise for "Innovate the Pixar Way" ""This tremendous book brings the magic and genius of Pixar to the page and lets us in on the secrets and intuitive synergy of such a successful company."" -- Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8th From Effectiveness to Greatness""Pixar is one of the most creative organizations in the world. Read Innovate the Pixar Way and explore the true beauty in how they sustain the environment. Who knows, maybe a little Pixar dust will fall on you!"" -- John Christensen, coauthor of Fish! and playground director CEO, ChartHouse Learning""Creativity makes it possible for our dreams to become real--my life is my proof. This book puts all those possibilities in the hands of the reader . . . for those who will be creating the future."" -- Carol Lawrence, singer, dancer, actress, and national spokesperson for the Opening Minds Through the Arts student achievement program""With great and useful tips from beginning to end, this book will inspire workplaces to have more fun AND more success. I guarantee it!"" -- George Zimmer, founder and CEO, Men's Wearhouse""This insightful work is a great primer for leaders who are looking to unleash creative potential and instill a sense of joy and playfulness in their organizations."" -- Brian Walker, president and CEO, Herman Miller, Inc.Animate your team and unleash their creative power . . . The Pixar Way""Creativity doesn't follow titles; it just comes from where it comes from."" -- Ed Catmull, Pixar cofounder, Pixar and Disney Animation Studios presidentIn movies from Toy Story to The Incredibles to WALL-E to Up, Pixar Studios continues to set new standards for commercial and critical achievement. Pixar is a place where collaboration sets the tone for ""artists and geeks" to work side by side in a spirit of mutual respect and trust. The key lies not just in who--writers, animators, directors, tech wizards, and others--makes Pixar outstanding, but in how Pixar creates the ultimate haven where creativity overflows.In this eye-opening book, Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson, authors of "The Disney Way," reveal how Pixar has reawakened the innovative spirit of Walt Disney. They explore how president Ed Catmull and chief creative officer John Lasseter and the rest of Pixar's brain trust have built an organization on the simple philosophy that quality is the best businessplan. It makes no difference if you are making a movie that takes four years or serving a customer that takes four minutes, you have only one chance to deliver that magical, magnetic, enchanting experience for your customer.In this concise, accessible book, Capodagli and Jackson offer examples of how it's done--and explain what it takes to get your people to achieve greatness by unleashing their power to Dream like a child . . . Have a vision, and be able to clearly communicate your objectives and goals. Believe in your playmates . . . Hire creative people, trust in their skills and judgment, and inspire them to trust their colleagues. Dare to jump in the water and make waves . . . Challenge the status quo. Encourage risktaking, but permit your people to fail, get back up, and try again. Unleash your childlike potential . . . Focus on the details; make quality work your business's highest priority.Learn not only from Pixar but also from how other leading organizations--Google, Griffin Hospital, Men's Wearhouse, OMA (Opening Minds Through the Arts) student achievement program, Nike, Target, and the Internet shoe giant Zappos--unshackle their people's imaginations and do outrageously great things. And by motivating your team to "Innovate the Pixar Way" you, too, can discover the magic that will help your business stay ahead of the competition, attract the best talent, and fatten the bottom line.In 1993, Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson cofounded Capodagli Jackson Consulting in West Olive, Michigan. They have helped scores of organizations revamp their customer service experiences and develop innovative products, and they also have developed performance strategies to impact organizational change using Walt Disney's "Dream, Believe, Dare, Do" success credo. Bill Capodagli is the most requested keynote speaker on the creative cultures of both Disney and Pixar.Visit the authors at capojac.com
The authors of Innovate the Pixar way promise to (paraphrasing here) "analyze and reveal the business secrets of the bottled lighting in a bottle that is Pixar Animation Studios". The book they created is, ironically, a pale imitation of every other business book on the market. Filled with Business 101 platitudes on every page, the authors would have been more successful if they had taken their own advice of "innovate, don't imitate."
There are some fantastic business books on the market. This is not one of them.
«And it’s the fortitude to stay the course all the way through what Mohammed Ali called “the lonely work” - the part of work where you don't get any kudos, accolades, or rewards. It takes a firm belief that something will turn out wonderful in the end»
«Those kind of irrational what-ifs eventually lead to something that makes you go, 'Wow, I never would have thought about it.’»
«Pursuing long-term results takes time, focus, and com-mitment. Commitment can be defined as "being intellectually or emotionally bound to a course of action." […] Never, ever compromise your long-term dream for the sake of short-term gains.»
Good reminders about how to create environments where good ideas can come about. Maybe the single biggest personal takeaway is that it's easier to innovate when you're having fun. Also, a good failure (one from which you learn a useful lesson) is better than a mediocre success (one from which you don't learn a useful lesson...)
Since none of us work in isolation, the people with whom we surround ourselves really matter. Get the team right and the ideas will follow.
Management is often described as "bad" and "clueless" because... well, they're management, so they must be bad. Works for villains in Pixar movies, but I like a little more intelligence in my business books.
Whimsical analysis of Pixar’s “fun is work” corporate philosophy
Despite a blue-sky tone, this book offers a fascinating window into the singular culture of Pixar, the world’s foremost animation studio. Management consultants Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson balance their accounts of technological advances, cutthroat corporate politics and astonishing profits with descriptions of Pixar’s arcane approach to strategy and human resources. The tale of how Pixar’s leaders exercise their determination to run the shop their own way – while standing up to interference from Disney, their corporate parent – injects narrative drama into this straightforward presentation of Pixar’s in-house philosophy. Its leaders’ willingness to accept failure, and their faith in their own judgment about products and people, prove inspiring. The lessons offered at the end of each chapter err toward the simplistic and don’t usually demonstrate how conventional businesses might apply Pixar’s methods. Instead, the authors mostly leave extrapolation of Pixar’s business teachings to the reader. A lengthy index citing other companies that thrive under a “fun” matrix helps make up for that shortcoming. getAbstract finds that those examples, plus revealing quotes from Pixar executives, will enable readers to emulate Pixar’s strategy as they enjoy this inside-the-theatre corporate profile.
Over the past year, Jamestown Community College has been tightening their belt as they adjust to a declining enrollment. Smartly, they have also been pursuing a culture of innovation in an effort to more efficiently use the dollars they have as well as create an environment that is attractive to students and businesses alike. I am a fan of continual process improvement, which I blame on my career in the Air Force. Oh, by the way, Happy 69th birthday, United State Air Force.
When I look for books to read, I look for companies to benchmark in terms of processes and culture. I am a huge fan of Google and how they operate but I am also a fan of Pixar based on what and how they do things. When I saw Innovate the Pixar Way: Business Lessons from the World's Most Creative Corporate Playground* in a used bookstore, I knew I wanted to learn from them. I was not disappointed. As a bonus, I have a signed copy; a benefit of shopping at a used bookstore. Read more
I liked this book because it encouraged me to be creative at work and to not take myself so seriously. The authors had some fun ways to make the office culture more exciting. However, the writing felt really biased, as if Pixar was an amazing company without any shortcomings. I think they should have tried to write from a balanced perspective, but given that it is a business book and not strictly nonfiction, it is passable. It is a fast read, but don't expect the writing to be very polished. This is a good read for people who work in medium to large creative or technology companies.
I actually read this with a backdrop of my breakup/depressed playlist so.. it's a weird mix. Mostly this just makes me feel like I'm missing out on such great company culture. Where do you even find places that breed such creativity? To be in a place that is dense with innovation and ideas. 'alienus non diutius' A little simplistic- makes you think like where is the chaos and bad stuff that happens with all these 'free-rein' but I guess nobody wants to publish that.
A short and simple book on the PIxar Way of doing things. Lots of interesting observations and lessons that can be used in managing a company. Wished there were more specific details related to the animations / movies themselves or visuals that show the work place or the work environment. Some good lessons to take away.
O livro em si tem um formato de escrito bem tradicional, mas o conteúdo é fantástico - impressionante como a Pixar conseguiu ser uma injeção de criatividade e inovação nos moldes da Disney original na veia da Disney dos dias de hoje. Muita coisa em que pessoalmente acredito em termos de ambiente de trabalho, motivação, imaginação, e principalmente muita inspiração para seguir!!!
Very good. A fascinating look at creativity and an innovative company that doesn't follow the regular business or Hollywood mold. Lots of good ideas of creating a creative work environment where people can actually have fun and made something of high quality.
It shows the steps to assembly of great companies. The creative process must be unreleted of goals and keep people free to inovate. On the other hand, people must committed to delivery good products and experiencies for their customers success.
I'm one of Pixar biggest fans. It was a very nice opportunity to know more &learn more from Pixar through this book. Thanks, Pixar for being in the world, for innovation & for teaching us a lot :)