How Pixar Fosters

Collective Creativity
Brief Introduction
Peer Culture
Operating Principles
Management Challenges
Discussion Time
Brief Introduction
Peer Culture
Operating Principles
Management Challenges
Discussion Time
 Pixar
• George Lucas’ Lucas film company
 Pixar

Pixel
Pixar
Pixar
 Films

1995 1998 1999 2003 2004

 Films

2006 2007 2008 2009

Brief Introduction
Peer Culture
Operating Principles
Management Challenges
Discussion Time
 Good people is rarer and more
valuable than good ideas
• The Root of Pixar’s Culture
– Smart people are more important
than good ideas.
 In the case of Toy Story 2
• Team A were working
on ‘A bug’s Life’

• Team B worked with

a good initial idea,
but…
In the case of Toy Story 2

If you give a good idea

to a mediocre team,
they’ll screw it up.
In the case of Toy Story 2
But if you give a
mediocre idea to a great
team, they’ll make it work.
In the case of Toy Story 2
–Team A took over the
creative leadership of
Toy Story 2
Will Woody make a
different choice ？
 Peer Culture

Brain
Trust

Peer
The Culture Magic ！
Art
Dailies Technology
 Peer Culture
• Communication in bathroom
• Creation source

Accumulate
Detail
Brief Introduction
Peer Culture
Operating Principles
Management Challenges
Discussion Time
 Pixar’s Operating Principles
• Communicate

• Safe to offer ideas

• Close to academic community.

Pixar University
Brief Introduction
Peer Culture
Operating Principles
Management Challenges
Discussion Time
 Management Challenges
To solve
When yourthese problems
company ：
is successful, it’s
difficult to :
Communication
Systematically
Fight Complacency
Routine
Postmortems Competitors
Uncovering
Problems
 Goals
Making the first
computer-animated film

Create
Magic
Brief Introduction
Peer Culture
Operating Principles
Management Challenges
Discussion Time
Discussion Time