Creativity, Inc.

participants (those at the center of the table, those at the ends, and those not at the table at all). Without intending to, we d created an obstacle that discouraged people from jumping in.

Over the course of a decade, we held countless meetings around this table in this way ­completely unaware of how doing so undermined our own core principles. Why were we blind to this? Because the seating arrangements and place cards were designed for the convenience of the leaders, including me. Sincerely believing that we were in an inclusive meeting, we saw nothing amiss because we didn t feel excluded. Those not sitting at the center of the table, meanwhile, saw quite clearly how it established a pecking order but presumed that we ­the leaders ­had intended that outcome. Who were they, then, to complain?

It wasn t until we happened to have a meeting in a smaller room with a square table that John and I realized what was wrong. Sitting around that table, the interplay was better, the exchange of ideas more free-­flowing, the eye contact automatic. Every person there, no matter their job title, felt free to speak up. This was not only what we wanted, it was a fundamental Pixar belief: Unhindered communication was key, no matter what your position. At our long, skinny table, comfortable in our middle seats, we had utterly failed to recognize that we were behaving contrary to that basic tenet. Over time, we d fallen into a trap. Even though we were conscious that a room s dynamics are critical to any good discussion, even though we believed that we were constantly on the lookout for problems, our vantage point blinded us to what was right before our eyes.

Emboldened by this new insight, I went to our facilities department. Please, I said, &

Prof. Gary P. Pisano, Harvard Business School

Business gurus love to tell stories about Pixar, but this is our first chance to hear the real story from someone who lived it and led it. Everyone interested in managing innovation or just good managing needs to read this book. Chip Heath, co-author of Switch and Decisive
 
A fascinating story about how some very smart people built something that profoundly changed the animation business and, along the way, popular culture . . . [Creativity, Inc.] is a well-told tale, full of detail about an interesting, intricate business. For fans of Pixar films, it s a must-read. For fans of management books, it belongs on the value added shelf. The Wall Street Journal
 
Pixar uses technology only as a means to an end; its films are rooted in human concerns, not computer wizardry. The same can be said of Creativity Inc., Ed Catmull s endearingly thoughtful explanation of how the studio he co-founded generated hits such as the Toy Story trilogy, Up and Wall-E. . . . [Catmull] uses Pixar s triumphs and near-disasters to outline a system for managing people in creative businesses one in which candid criticism is delivered sensitively, while individuality and autonomy are not strangled by a robotic corporate culture. Financial Times
 
A wonderful new book . . . Unlike most books written by founders, this isn t some myth-heavy legacy project it s far closer to a blueprint. Catmull takes us inside the Pixar ecosystem and shows how they build and refine excellence, in revelatory detail. . . . If you do creative work, you should read it, now. Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code
 
A superb debut intended for managers in all fields of endeavor . . . He takes readers inside candid discussions and retreats at which participants, assuming the early versions of movies are bad, explore ways to improve them. Unusually rich in ideas, insights and experiences, the book celebrates the benefits of an open, nurturing work environment. An immensely readable and rewarding book that will challenge and inspire readers to make their workplaces hotbeds of creativity. Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
Punctuated with surprising tales of how the company s films were developed and the company s financial struggles, Catmull shares insights about harnessing talent, creating teams, protecting the creative process, candid communications, organizational structures, alignment, and the importance of storytelling. . . . [Creativity, Inc.] will delight and inspire creative individuals and their managers, as well as anyone who wants to work in an environment that fosters creativity and problem solving. Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
For anyone managing anything, and particularly those trying to manage creative teams, Catmull is like a kind, smart godfather guiding us toward managing wisely, without losing our souls, and in a way that works toward greatness. Perhaps it s all Up from there. The Christian Science Monitor

Many have attempted to formulate and categorize inspiration and creativity. What Ed Catmull shares instead is his astute experience that creativity isn t strictly a well of ideas, but an alchemy of people. In Creativity, Inc. Ed reveals, with commonsense specificity and honesty, examples of how not to get in your own way and how to realize a creative coalescence of art, business, and innovation. George Lucas
 
This is the best book ever written on what it takes to build a creative organization. It is the best because Catmull s wisdom, modesty, and self-awareness fill every page. He shows how Pixar s greatness results from connecting the specific little things they do (mostly things that anyone can do in any organization) to the big goal that drives everyone in the company: making films that make them feel proud of one another. Robert I. Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No A**hole Rule and co-author of Scaling Up Excellence