Pixar's tightknit culture is its edge

Good find, but as usual 37Signals don't know what they're talking about when it comes to "creatives."

Disney has had Disney University for many years (http://thedisneyblog.com/2006/01/30/pixar_universit/). And the results are clear: the most creative thing Disney has done in years is buy Pixar.

Pixar was damn creative well before they ever started the University. They didn't start mundane and become brilliant. They started off brilliant thanks to brilliant people at the top (and middle and bottom too).

The thing that struck me, and also had me saying "of course" while watching the credits for Wall-E was the animation showing a timeline as it were, of different painting styles from cave wall art through to Van Gogh, pointillism, etc. It is clear that Pixar has people who have a longer perspective and deeper understanding when it comes to art.

Fantastic to hear about these kinds of things. I wish more companies would "get" the idea that happy employees work better, and therefore making them happy is an investment, not a cost.

Then again, if they did that, maybe I wouldn't be so damn determined to make it independently!