#235 Steve Jobs (The Pixar Story)

223 snips

Mar 7, 2022

Discover the riveting journey of Pixar from its tumultuous beginnings to becoming a powerhouse in animation. The discussion reveals Steve Jobs' visionary leadership amidst financial struggles and his unique interview style. Unpack the strategic decisions that propelled Pixar into the profitable home video market and laid the foundation for its IPO with Toy Story. Explore the emotional complexities of corporate acquisitions, particularly Disney's impact on Pixar, highlighting themes of attachment and transformation in the business world.

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ANECDOTE

Jobs' Unconventional Interview

Steve Jobs, in torn clothes, interviews Jordan for Pixar's CFO position.
His questions were unconventional, serving as a stress test.

INSIGHT

Jobs' Public Failures

Steve Jobs' failures with Lisa, Macintosh, and NeXT were public.
This made recruiting for Pixar challenging, as his success was uncertain.

ANECDOTE

Demo Magic

Despite Pixar's struggles, a demo of Toy Story changed Lawrence Levy's perspective.
This highlights the power of demos in showcasing potential.

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To Pixar and Beyond

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To Pixar and Beyond is Lawrence Levy's account of how he and Steve Jobs transformed Pixar from a struggling graphics company into a global entertainment giant. The book provides insights into Pixar's creative and business strategies, as well as Levy's personal journey working closely with Jobs. It offers lessons applicable to both professional and personal life.

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What I learned from reading To Pixar And Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History by Lawrence Levy.

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Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com

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[1:34] The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley (Founders #233)

[3:42] Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (Founders #34)

[3:52] Readwise App

[7:22] George Lucas: A Life (Founders #35)

[7:48] Steve jobs had been a Silicon Valley's most visible celebrity but that made it all the more glaring that he had not had a hit in a long time —a very long time.

[8:49] Steve Jobs and the NeXT Big Thing (Founders #77)

[13:35] Why would I join a company that had been struggling for sixteen years and whose payroll was paid every month out of the personal checkbook of its owner? I had not realized how dire Pixar's financial situation was. It had no cash, no reserves, and it depended for its funds on the whim of a person whose reputation for volatility was legendary.

[14:05] There is no a better advertisement than a demo.

[15:57] Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story (Founders #141)

[16:03] There was nothing normal about me. My drive was not normal. My vision of where I wanted to go in life was not normal. The whole idea of a conventional existence was like Kryptonite to me. —Arnold

[16:31] I looked at my start-up clients and to me they were on an adventure. I yearned for the kind of adventure they were on.

[17:28] Mind Your Own Business: A Maverick's Guide to Business, Leadership and Life (Founders #229)

[17:46] I regard myself as guardian of the company's soul.

[19:06] Pixar has this amazing collection of talent doing work that no one has seen before. Now it's time to turn that into a business. —Steve Jobs

[22:01] Steve had an almost permanent intensity about him, like he was always in top gear.

[28:25] Pixar was embarked on a lonely courageous quest through terrain, into which neither it nor anyone else had ever ventured.

[28:52] Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader (Founders #19)

[31:37] Home video was turning animated feature films into big business. Bigger than we had ever imagined.

[32:24] There was no modern precedent for taking an independent animation company public.

[36:54] Look at the value of the major Hollywood studios and you'll see their library of films is really significant.

[39:27] There was no part of Steve that bought into the idea of making products that might not all have a shot at greatness.

[41:22] Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony (Founders #102)

[48:40] Steve once told me that the gestation of great products takes much longer than it appears. What seems to emerge from nowhere belies a long process of development, trials, and missteps.

[53:46] The problem with success, even a little success, is that it changes you. You are no longer walking along the same precipice that drove you to do great work in the first place. Success can take the edge away.

[54:16] Creative vision does not spring forth fully formed.

[59:33] Fear and ego conspire to rein in creativity, and it is easy to allow creative inspiration to take a back seat to safety.

[1:01:38] The Billionaire and the Mechanic: How Larry Ellison and a Car Mechanic Teamed up to Win Sailing's Greatest Race, the Americas Cup, Twice (Founders #126)

[1:06:41] Once Steve decided what he wanted in a negotiation, he developed something akin to a religious conviction about it. In his mind, if he didn't get what he wanted, nothing else would take its place, so he'd walk away. This made Steve an incredibly strong negotiator.

[1:10:52] One never knows if an event that appears detrimental is in fact part of a larger pattern that we cannot see.

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