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Creativity, Inc. summary

Creativity, Inc.

Ed Catmull · 2014

Good value given

Every Pixar film started out 'ugly'.
The Braintrust gives candid notes without forcing changes.
Leaders should protect new ideas while they're fragile.
Hidden problems are the biggest danger.
Steve Jobs's support helped Pixar survive and grow.

How did Pixar keep making great films?

Catmull says the key was building a culture where people could be candid about problems early. Pixar's Braintrust gave honest notes on films in progress, and Catmull believes every film starts out bad, so the job is to find and fix problems without blame.

Worth reading?Good value given. A thoughtful book on how Pixar built a creative culture. One of the best management books by a founder.

ActionableLessons

Actionable

Set up a small group to give honest feedback on one project.
Share a rough draft earlier than feels comfortable.
Ask your team what problems they're afraid to raise.
Protect one new idea from early criticism.

Lessons

Candor makes work better.
Early versions are supposed to be rough.
Fear hides problems.
Culture needs constant care.

Quick answer

Our summary of Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull (2014), in our own words.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

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Who are Ed Catmull and Pixar?

Ed Catmull co-founded Pixar and led Pixar and Disney Animation.

He wrote this with Amy Wallace.

The story in 5 parts

Early computer graphics.
Lucasfilm.
Pixar and Toy Story.
Building the Braintrust.
Leading Disney Animation.

A closer look

Catmull tells how Toy Story 2 nearly failed. The film wasn't working months before release, so Pixar remade much of it in a short time. He uses this to show how quality has to come before deadlines.

He also explains how Pixar fixed Disney Animation after Disney bought Pixar in 2006, by bringing the same feedback culture to a struggling studio.

Throughout, he argues that managers should look for problems they can't see, because people often hide them out of fear.

Catmull also describes the Braintrust, a group of directors who watch early cuts of each film and give blunt notes. The rule is that the notes are suggestions, and the film's director decides what to do with them. He says every Pixar film starts out bad, and the Braintrust exists to help it get less bad, step by step, without taking control away from the person making it.

Business lessons from the book

Be candid.
Embrace failure.
Protect new ideas.
Look for hidden problems.

Who should read it

Managers of creative teams, and anyone building a culture of honest feedback.

Tips from readers, plus one of ours

Read it with your team. Per one engineer who read it with a work book club, the group discussion brought out more than reading alone did.
Steal the rules for good notes. Readers single out Catmull's idea that a good note says what's wrong or unclear, comes early enough to fix, and doesn't dictate the fix.
Remember 'people over ideas'. Readers quote his point that a good team will fix or replace a weak idea, while a weak team will ruin a good one.
Protect your 'ugly babies'. His name for early rough drafts sticks with readers, and the lesson is to give new ideas time before judging them like finished work.
Agree or disagree: Kirkus Reviews says it was written for managers in every field. We mostly agree. Readers outside film and tech still get a lot from the chapters on candor and feedback, even if the Pixar history runs long.
Our unusual tip: run a mini Braintrust for something you made. Show a rough draft to three people you trust, ask only what's not working, and don't let them suggest fixes. Then decide alone what to change. It's the same rule Pixar uses, and it keeps you the owner of the work.

About this summary

We wrote this summary in our own words from the book and its public reviews. It follows the same layout as a 125x video summary: a verdict, 5 takeaways, the answer to the big question, and Actionable and Lessons tabs. More in entrepreneur biographies.

FAQ: questions people ask

What is Creativity, Inc. about?

Ed Catmull's lessons on creative culture from Pixar.

What is the Pixar Braintrust?

A group that gives candid notes on films in progress, without forcing changes.

Is Creativity, Inc. worth reading?

Good value given. One of the best management books.

What makes a good note in Creativity, Inc.?

Catmull says a good note points out what's wrong, missing or unclear, comes early enough to fix, and suggests a fix only as an example.

What is an 'ugly baby' in Creativity, Inc.?

It's Catmull's name for an early rough version of an idea. His point is that new ideas look awkward at first and need time and protection to grow.