People Over Ideas
Get the right team and they will find the right ideas; the reverse never works
Catmull states this as one of his most fundamental beliefs: if you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they will screw it up; if you give a mediocre idea to a great team, they will either fix it or come up with something better. Ideas are not singular, standalone things; they are generated, refined, and realized by people working together. The quality of the team determines the quality of the ideas, not the other way around.
This principle drove Pixar's hiring philosophy: always try to hire people smarter than you, weight potential to grow more heavily than current skill level, and never let fear of being outshone prevent you from bringing in exceptional talent. It also shaped how Pixar structured its creative process. Directors were not assigned stories; stories emerged from within directors who were burning to tell them. The personal passion of the creator was considered essential fuel for surviving the years-long grind of production.
The principle extends beyond hiring to ongoing team dynamics. Communication structures should not mirror organizational hierarchies: everybody should be able to talk to anybody. If people in the organization feel they are not free to suggest ideas, the organization loses. The collective intelligence of a well-functioning team will always exceed the brilliance of any individual.
- Give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will fix it; give a great idea to a mediocre team, and they will ruin it
- When hiring, weight potential to grow more heavily than current skill level
- Always try to hire people smarter than you; taking a chance on better talent is always worth the risk
- If people feel unable to suggest ideas, you lose; inspiration comes from anywhere
- Communication structures should not mirror organizational hierarchies
- Stories should emerge from passionate creators, not be assigned by management
- Hire for trajectory, not resumeWhen evaluating candidates, ask what they will be capable of in two years rather than what they can do today. Look for learning velocity, intellectual curiosity, and collaborative instinct. A person who grows rapidly will contribute more over time than a static expert.
- Overcome the threat reflexActively resist the instinct to avoid hiring people who might outperform or outshine you. The best leaders surround themselves with people who challenge them. If a candidate intimidates you, that is often a signal to hire them, not to pass.
- Create conditions for ideas to emerge from withinRather than assigning projects top-down, create an environment where passionate ideas can surface from any level. Let the people who are burning to work on a problem lead that work. Personal investment dramatically increases resilience through the inevitable difficulties of creative projects.
- Flatten communication, not hierarchyMaintain clear accountability (hierarchy is useful for decision-making) but ensure that anyone can talk to anyone regardless of title. Remove barriers that prevent a junior team member from raising an idea or concern directly to a director or executive.
- Actively coax ideas from reluctant contributorsIt is not enough to say the door is open. As a manager, you must actively solicit input from people who are hesitant to share. Some of the best ideas come from quiet people who will never volunteer them without encouragement.
Pixar assigned two skilled but first-time directors to helm Toy Story 2, assuming that an established franchise with known characters and a pre-approved plot would be straightforward enough for a less experienced team. The original Toy Story leadership focused on A Bug's Life instead. Despite favorable conditions, the Toy Story 2 directors could not gel as a team, lacked confidence, and constantly sought help from John Lasseter. After a year, the reels were still bad and getting worse.
This principle crystallized during the Toy Story 2 crisis, when Pixar learned that even a proven concept (a sequel to their hit film) with a clear blueprint could fail completely with the wrong team configuration. The two first-time directors assigned to the sequel were talented individually but did not gel as a team and lacked the confidence to execute independently. Despite having established characters, a pre-approved plot, and experienced technical crew, the project was a disaster until the original Toy Story leadership team took over.