This is a long review. I've broken it into sections to make it easier on the eyes.

Finished reading Creativity, Inc. about a week ago and finally got around to writing a review. Thoughts:

This was an excellent book. Although the focus is on management and what worked for Ed Catmull as president of Pixar and later Walt Disney Animation, there's something in here for everyone to appreciate.

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The first several chapters were about the development of Pixar--the history of the company and its players, including Catmull himself, John Lasseter, and one of their biggest investors, Steve Jobs. Catmull began as a computer scientist with dreams of being an animator. Pixar began as a division of LucasFilms, where first Catmull's technology was employed in live action films, and eventually in short animations.

With Jobs' help, the company was able to stand on its own, eventually releasing its first feature-length film, Toy Story. For the company, a lot was riding on the film, but its success was the first of many.

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Pixar became known primarily a leader among computer-animated film studios, but it's also known for having a quirky corporate culture. Guests at the headquarters are sometimes taken aback by the offices and cubicles, which are frequently decked out as castles or treehouses. (Employees are encouraged to make their work spaces their own.) And employees have a mutual respect for one another, regardless of where they fall on the totem.

This is partly to make Pixar a place where people want to work. But part of it is also to clear away the clouds that hinder creativity--and this is why, Catmull argues, it's also a good approach to management.

I'm paraphrasing this quote, but it forms the backbone of Catmull's management philosophy.

When I give lectures, I sometimes ask the audience, "What is more important? People, or ideas?" The show of hands is usually fifty-fifty.

I say, "Ideas come from people. Therefore people are more important than ideas."

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Pixar's management approach is therefore meant to encourage the exchange of ideas. Be willing to speak up in meetings--don't worry about the team leader being caught off guard. Be polite, but be willing to criticize. Don't be afraid of failure--failure in a creative field can lead to an open discussion as to where we can find success.

Obviously repeated failure may mean there is a problem with the direction itself. When the director loses the confidence of the team, that's often when the director is replaced. But the director may maintain the confidence of the team by handling the failure gracefully.

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Catmull also discusses Disney's purchase of Pixar. There were a lot of mixed emotions, but during the process, Catmull visited Disney Animation in Burbank, and found that the employees had cleaned off their desks completely (they had been told to do so), and were afraid of leaving a negative impression. Catmull believes this management style held Disney back from making films on par with Pixar during that time--noting, as Disney executives did, that the memorable characters that came out of that period were Pixar characters such as Woody and Buzz.

After the merger, Disney adopted Pixar's management approach, and began to produce competitive films like Bolt and Tangled. Importantly, most of the creative talent was kept separate, leaving Disney Animation to develop its new approach its own way.

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There's much more--about how companies should invest in their own employees, encourage dialogue, and reward good, hard work. And there are lessons on experimenting on projects that many not pay off financially in the short term, but which may lead to innovations in the long term. (Specifically Pixar shorts, which often don't make money but which are a way of trying new animation techniques--and audiences tend to like them.)

Recommended for management types, creative types, and Pixar fans. Although anyone interested will find something to appreciate in this book.