At Pixar, genius doesn’t arrive polished — it’s built through critique. Every film goes through the Braintrust: a small circle of peers who dissect ideas with radical candor. No hierarchy. No politics. Just one mission — make the story undeniable. Directors walk in confident and walk out humbled, but better.

This episode explores how Pixar turns feedback into fuel, not fear. The magic isn’t toughness — it’s safety. Notes attack the work, never the person. That’s how creativity scales without ego.

Your move today: build your own Braintrust. Pick three peers. Set one rule — brutal on the work, kind to the human. Bring one project each month and ask two questions: “Where did you get bored?” and “What would you cut?” Because authority doesn’t come from being right — it comes from the courage to be edited.

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