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Steve Jobs on Pixar and blending cultures: interview summary
Pixar's Early Days - A Never-Before-Seen Interview With Steve Jobs, 1996
- Jobs met Ed Catmull in 1985 and bought into his dream.
- It took ten years to make Toy Story.
- Pixar blended Hollywood and Silicon Valley cultures.
- The studio grew from about 175 to about 300 people in a year.
- Their challenge was not to lower the quality bar one iota.
How did Steve Jobs get involved with Pixar?
In 1985 he met Ed Catmull, who ran the computer division at Lucasfilm. Catmull shared his dream of making the first computer animated feature film, and Jobs bought into it both financially and spiritually. It took ten years, and the result was Toy Story.
Actionable
- Back a dream you believe in for the long haul.
- Bring together people from two different fields.
- When hiring fast, set a clear quality bar.
- Build a strong recruiting group before growth.
Lessons
- Great things take years.
- Mixed cultures can create new work.
- Quality must survive growth.
- Recruiting is a core skill.
Quick answer
Steve Jobs sat down with Steve Jobs Archive for this interview, published Nov 18, 2025. Here's our summary in our own words: a verdict, the answer to the big question, 5 takeaways, Actionable and Lessons tabs, then the stories, frameworks and how to use them.
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Watch on YouTube: Pixar's Early Days - A Never-Before-Seen Interview With Steve Jobs, 1996
Channel: Steve Jobs Archive. Published Nov 18, 2025. About 23 minutes.
Who is Steve Jobs?
Steve Jobs co-founded Apple and bought Pixar's founding team out of Lucasfilm.
This is a 1996 interview released by the Steve Jobs Archive.
Key stories from the interview
- He tells how he met Ed Catmull.
- He describes Toy Story's success.
- He explains how Pixar mixed two cultures.
- He talks about growing without lowering quality.
Frameworks and ideas
- Bought in financially and spiritually.
- Best of both cultures.
- Quality bar.
- Ten-year patience.
In their words (paraphrased)
- I bought into that dream both financially and spiritually.
- The Hollywood culture and the Silicon Valley culture are really different.
- Not to lower the quality bar one iota.
How to apply this
- Write down a long-term dream worth ten years.
- Invite someone from another field to your next project.
- Define your quality bar before your next hire.
Read the biography
Want the longer story? Read our To Pixar and Beyond summary.
A note on this summary
This page reports what was said in the interview, in our own words. Lines under 'In their words' are paraphrased from the transcript, so check the video for exact wording.
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FAQ: questions people ask
How did Steve Jobs get involved with Pixar?
He met Ed Catmull in 1985 and backed his dream of a computer animated feature.
How long did Toy Story take?
Jobs says it took ten years.
Is the Steve Jobs Pixar 1996 interview worth watching?
Good value given. Rare and insightful.
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- Every 125x guide
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