Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

One of the most essential tools we developed at Pixar is the Braintrust. This is a group of our most trusted creative leaders who meet to give and receive brutally honest feedback on our films in development. The key to its success is that the feedback is purely diagnostic, not prescriptive. The Braintrust has no authority to force changes; that power remains with the director. This is crucial because it separates the feedback from hierarchy and ego, allowing for true candor. The goal is not to prove who is right, but to collectively identify and solve problems to make the film better.

My philosophy is that you cannot have a creative culture without honesty, but honesty is not the same as being mean. It requires trust and empathy. The Braintrust works because we've built a peer-driven environment where everyone is invested in each other's success. The ultimate aim is to make it safe to talk about what is wrong. We believe that constructive criticism is a gift, and building a mechanism for delivering it honestly and regularly is fundamental to preventing mediocrity from creeping into our work.