Steve Jobs made an incredible impact on the world by creating two of today's most important companies in Apple and Pixar. Both companies created world-changing products while Steve Jobs was alive in the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and Oscar winning animated films such as Toy Story. More importantly, both companies developed the right team, vision, and culture to continue producing world-shaping products decades later — long after Steve's departure. As we learn in this book, Steve's values and ethos live on in both of these incredible companies.

Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/172.

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To Pixar And Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History

For more, explore my full profile on Steve Jobs.

Who is Steve Jobs? Wisdom From The Man Who Built Apple, NeXT, and Pixar

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Steve Jobs made an incredible impact on the world by creating two of today's most important companies in Apple and Pixar. Both companies created world-changing products while Steve Jobs was alive in the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and Oscar winning animated films such as Toy Story. More importantly, both companies developed the right team, vision, and culture to continue producing world-shaping products decades later — long after Steve's departure. As we learn in this book, Steve's values and ethos live on in both of these incredible companies.

Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/172.

Watch and listen.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Find this episode in your favorite podcast app

Get new episodes delivered via email

Explore my full summary for the book featured this week.

To Pixar And Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History

For more, explore my full profile on Steve Jobs.

Who is Steve Jobs? Wisdom From The Man Who Built Apple, NeXT, and Pixar

Brought to you by HVMN. With Ketone-IQ, fuel your best anytime with a boost of awesome-feeling energy and clarity. Unlock the power of nature's superfuel—no fasting or keto diet required.

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My favorite lessons from "To Pixar and Beyond" by Lawrence Levy. Who joined Pixar in 1995, helped Steve Jobs take Pixar public, and built it into the $7.4 billion company Disney eventually acquired.

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Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/183.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction and Background

(03:10) Anatomy of a Deal and Poker Time

(05:04) #1 Don't Engage in Positional Bargaining

(06:53) #2 Understand the Difference Between Strategy and Tactics

(10:05) #3 Analyze Your Points of Leverage

(14:47) #4 Get Clear on What You Want and Why

(20:32) #5 Wait to Negotiate Until You Have Maximum Leverage

Watch and listen.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Find this episode in your favorite podcast app

Get new episodes delivered via email

Explore my full summary for the book featured this week.

To Pixar And Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History

Brought to you by HVMN. With Ketone-IQ, fuel your best anytime with a boost of awesome-feeling energy and clarity. Unlock the power of nature's superfuel—no fasting or keto diet required.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My favorite lessons from "To Pixar and Beyond" by Lawrence Levy. Who joined Pixar in 1995, helped Steve Jobs take Pixar public, and built it into the $7.4 billion company Disney eventually acquired.

Get Friday 5 delivered to your inbox every Friday at 8 AM Pacific

Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/184.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction and Background

(03:10) Anatomy of a Deal and Poker Time

(05:04) #1 Don't Engage in Positional Bargaining

(06:53) #2 Understand the Difference Between Strategy and Tactics

(10:05) #3 Analyze Your Points of Leverage

(14:47) #4 Get Clear on What You Want and Why

(20:32) #5 Wait to Negotiate Until You Have Maximum Leverage

Watch and listen.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Find this episode in your favorite podcast app

Get new episodes delivered via email

Explore my full summary for the book featured this week.

Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success

Brought to you by HVMN. With Ketone-IQ, fuel your best anytime with a boost of awesome-feeling energy and clarity. Unlock the power of nature's superfuel—no fasting or keto diet required.

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After he was dismissed from Apple in the early 1990s, Steve Jobs turned his attention to a little-known graphics company he owned called Pixar. One day, out of the blue, Jobs called Lawrence Levy, a Harvard-trained lawyer and executive to whom he had never spoken before. He hoped to persuade Levy to help him pull Pixar back from the brink of failure. This is the extraordinary story of what happened next: how Jobs and Levy concocted and pulled off a highly improbable plan that transformed Pixar into the Hollywood powerhouse it is today.

Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/182.

Chapters

(00:00) The Bleak State of Pixar's Business in 1994

(08:06) Steve Jobs' Investment in Pixar

(10:24) The Initial Contract with Disney

(26:27) The Four Pillar Business Strategy

(32:53) Renegotiating the Contract with Disney

(38:10) Don't Engage in Positional Bargaining

(40:36) Understand the Difference Between Strategy and Tactics

(43:11) Analyze Where You Stand in Relation to the Other Party

(45:40) Pixar's Negotiating Power

(48:05) Assessing Strength and Negotiating Terms

(49:27) Knowing What You Want

(51:20) Creative Control and Release Windows

(52:18) Profit Share and Revenue Calculation

(53:42) Building the Pixar Brand

(55:09) Waiting for Maximum Leverage

Watch and listen.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Find this episode in your favorite podcast app

Get new episodes delivered via email

Explore my full summary for the book featured this week.

To Pixar And Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History

For more, explore my full profile on Steve Jobs.

Who is Steve Jobs? Wisdom From The Man Who Built Apple, NeXT, and Pixar

Brought to you by HVMN. With Ketone-IQ, fuel your best anytime with a boost of awesome-feeling energy and clarity. Unlock the power of nature's superfuel—no fasting or keto diet required.

Advertise with Outliers and reach our global community

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After he was dismissed from Apple in the early 1990s, Steve Jobs turned his attention to a little-known graphics company he owned called Pixar. One day, out of the blue, Jobs called Lawrence Levy, a Harvard-trained lawyer and executive to whom he had never spoken before. He hoped to persuade Levy to help him pull Pixar back from the brink of failure. This is the extraordinary story of what happened next: how Jobs and Levy concocted and pulled off a highly improbable plan that transformed Pixar into the Hollywood powerhouse it is today.

Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/183.

Chapters

(00:00) The Bleak State of Pixar's Business in 1994

(08:06) Steve Jobs' Investment in Pixar

(10:24) The Initial Contract with Disney

(26:27) The Four Pillar Business Strategy

(32:53) Renegotiating the Contract with Disney

(38:10) Don't Engage in Positional Bargaining

(40:36) Understand the Difference Between Strategy and Tactics

(43:11) Analyze Where You Stand in Relation to the Other Party

(45:40) Pixar's Negotiating Power

(48:05) Assessing Strength and Negotiating Terms

(49:27) Knowing What You Want

(51:20) Creative Control and Release Windows

(52:18) Profit Share and Revenue Calculation

(53:42) Building the Pixar Brand

(55:09) Waiting for Maximum Leverage

Watch and listen.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Find this episode in your favorite podcast app

Get new episodes delivered via email

Explore my full summary for the book featured this week.

To Pixar And Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History

For more, explore my full profile on Steve Jobs.

Who is Steve Jobs? Wisdom From The Man Who Built Apple, NeXT, and Pixar

Brought to you by HVMN. With Ketone-IQ, fuel your best anytime with a boost of awesome-feeling energy and clarity. Unlock the power of nature's superfuel—no fasting or keto diet required.

Advertise with Outliers and reach our global community

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2016, Apple published a limited edition anthology, chronicling the last 20 years of Apple's designs simply titled Designed by Apple in California. The book is dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs.

“The idea of genuinely trying to make something great for humanity was Steve’s motivation from the beginning, and it remains both our ideal and our goal as Apple looks to the future,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer. “This archive is intended to be a gentle gathering of many of the products the team has designed over the years. We hope it brings some understanding to how and why they exist, while serving as a resource for students of all design disciplines.”

The book was written and curated over an eight-year period by Jony Ive and features photos by award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman. All of the photos were shot in a deliberately spare style that has become a hallmark of Apple's design aesthetic. The books 450 images illustrates Apple’s design process as well as its finished products.

Chapters‍

(00:00) Introduction‍

(01:19) Designed by Apple in California‍‍

(03:13) Objective Representation of Work‍‍

(04:11) Collaboration and Design Process‍‍

(05:05) Evolution of Forms and Materials‍‍‍

(06:05) Simplicity and Communication‍‍‍

(‍07:01) Dedication to Steve Jobs‍‍‍

(08:24) Book Overview‍‍‍

(09:51) Johnny Ive's Perspective

Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/177.

Watch and listen.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Find this episode in your favorite podcast app

Get new episodes delivered via email

For more, explore my full profile of Steve Jobs.

Who is Steve Jobs? Wisdom From The Man Who Built Apple, NeXT, and Pixar

Brought to you by HVMN. With Ketone-IQ, fuel your best anytime with a boost of awesome-feeling energy and clarity. Unlock the power of nature's superfuel—no fasting or keto diet required.

Advertise with Outliers and reach our global community

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2016, Apple published a limited edition anthology, chronicling the last 20 years of Apple's designs simply titled Designed by Apple in California. The book is dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs.

“The idea of genuinely trying to make something great for humanity was Steve’s motivation from the beginning, and it remains both our ideal and our goal as Apple looks to the future,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer. “This archive is intended to be a gentle gathering of many of the products the team has designed over the years. We hope it brings some understanding to how and why they exist, while serving as a resource for students of all design disciplines.”

The book was written and curated over an eight-year period by Jony Ive and features photos by award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman. All of the photos were shot in a deliberately spare style that has become a hallmark of Apple's design aesthetic. The books 450 images illustrates Apple’s design process as well as its finished products.

Chapters‍

(00:00) Introduction‍

(01:19) Designed by Apple in California‍‍

(03:13) Objective Representation of Work‍‍

(04:11) Collaboration and Design Process‍‍

(05:05) Evolution of Forms and Materials‍‍‍

(06:05) Simplicity and Communication‍‍‍

(‍07:01) Dedication to Steve Jobs‍‍‍

(08:24) Book Overview‍‍‍

(09:51) Johnny Ive's Perspective

Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/177.

Watch and listen.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Find this episode in your favorite podcast app

Get new episodes delivered via email

For more, explore my full profile of Steve Jobs.

Who is Steve Jobs? Wisdom From The Man Who Built Apple, NeXT, and Pixar

Brought to you by HVMN. With Ketone-IQ, fuel your best anytime with a boost of awesome-feeling energy and clarity. Unlock the power of nature's superfuel—no fasting or keto diet required.

Advertise with Outliers and reach our global community

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“At this point in my career, I have art directed over 100 products from a rough idea into consumer’s hands. I’ve collaborated with incredible creators like James Clear and Roxane Gay. There came a point where it was very obvious how it all worked and fit together—because I was always interested not just in what I was doing but how I was doing it.” — Joey Cofone

Joey Cofone, Founder & CEO of the much loved “tools for thinkers” company Baronfig, joins me to breakdown his new book, The Laws of Creativity. We cover why creativity isn’t magic, how creators across history from Albert Einstein to Grace Hopper and Bruce Lee wielded creativity to reach incredible heights, practical ways to hone your creativity, a framework for generating ideas, Joey’s process for writing the book, and so much more.

Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/142.

Chapters

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:01:49) Origin Story of The Laws of Creativity

(00:06:39) Distilling Down the Laws of Creativity

(00:08:17) What Creativity Is and Why It Isn’t Magic

(00:18:17) On Zeno’s Paradox and Choosing to Finish

(00:22:58) The Laws of Mindset, Action, and Greatness

(00:25:57) Joey’s Favorite Law: The Law of Competition

(00:29:55) The Law of Precision

(00:33:00) The Law of The Muse

(00:36:06) On Borrowing vs Stealing Ideas

(00:39:42) The Law of Simplicity

(00:42:56) The Law of Good Enough

(00:46:51) Joey’s Process for Writing the Book

(00:55:54) Knowing When the Book Was Done

(01:02:07) The Highs and Lows of Creating Baronfig

(01:04:54) Creativity vs Business

(01:08:21) Baronfig: The Idea Company

Watch and listen.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Find this episode in your favorite podcast app

Get new episodes delivered via email

Explore my full summary for the book featured this week.

Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success

For more, explore my full profile on Steve Jobs.

Who is Steve Jobs? Wisdom From The Man Who Built Apple, NeXT, and Pixar

Brought to you by HVMN. With Ketone-IQ, fuel your best anytime with a boost of awesome-feeling energy and clarity. Unlock the power of nature's superfuel—no fasting or keto diet required.

Advertise with Outliers and reach our global community

About the book.

In his book The Laws of Creativity, Joey debunks why creativity isn’t magic and shares what it is, how it works, and how you can harness it in your everyday life. Learn how to unlock your originality and awaken your creative genius with Joey Cofone—award-winning designer and Founder & CEO of the much loved “Tools for Thinkers'' brand Baronfig.

Each of the 39 Laws of Creativity are illustrated with inspiring, enlightening, and surprising stories of iconic creators across history—including Albert Einstein, Serena Williams, Martin Luther King Jr., Harry Houdini, Grace Hopper, Bruce Lee, and many more. Joey breaks down how these titans of history wielded creativity to reach incredible heights.

“Drawing on decades of experience, Joey Cofone has distilled the elements of creativity into an excellent, easy-to-use guide. The Laws of Creativity provides a roadmap for unleashing the creative force inside you.” — James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“At this point in my career, I have art directed over 100 products from a rough idea into consumer’s hands. I’ve collaborated with incredible creators like James Clear and Roxane Gay. There came a point where it was very obvious how it all worked and fit together—because I was always interested not just in what I was doing but how I was doing it.” — Joey Cofone

Joey Cofone, Founder & CEO of the much loved “tools for thinkers” company Baronfig, joins me to breakdown his new book, The Laws of Creativity. We cover why creativity isn’t magic, how creators across history from Albert Einstein to Grace Hopper and Bruce Lee wielded creativity to reach incredible heights, practical ways to hone your creativity, a framework for generating ideas, Joey’s process for writing the book, and so much more.

Explore the episode notes.

Search and down a transcript and find links to related books, interviews, lectures, and more: outlieracademy.com/142.

Chapters

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:01:49) Origin Story of The Laws of Creativity

(00:06:39) Distilling Down the Laws of Creativity

(00:08:17) What Creativity Is and Why It Isn’t Magic

(00:18:17) On Zeno’s Paradox and Choosing to Finish

(00:22:58) The Laws of Mindset, Action, and Greatness

(00:25:57) Joey’s Favorite Law: The Law of Competition

(00:29:55) The Law of Precision

(00:33:00) The Law of The Muse

(00:36:06) On Borrowing vs Stealing Ideas

(00:39:42) The Law of Simplicity

(00:42:56) The Law of Good Enough

(00:46:51) Joey’s Process for Writing the Book

(00:55:54) Knowing When the Book Was Done

(01:02:07) The Highs and Lows of Creating Baronfig

(01:04:54) Creativity vs Business

(01:08:21) Baronfig: The Idea Company

Watch and listen.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Find this episode in your favorite podcast app

Get new episodes delivered via email

Explore my full summary for the book featured this week.

Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success

For more, explore my full profile on Steve Jobs.

Who is Steve Jobs? Wisdom From The Man Who Built Apple, NeXT, and Pixar

Brought to you by HVMN. With Ketone-IQ, fuel your best anytime with a boost of awesome-feeling energy and clarity. Unlock the power of nature's superfuel—no fasting or keto diet required.

Advertise with Outliers and reach our global community

About the book.

In his book The Laws of Creativity, Joey debunks why creativity isn’t magic and shares what it is, how it works, and how you can harness it in your everyday life. Learn how to unlock your originality and awaken your creative genius with Joey Cofone—award-winning designer and Founder & CEO of the much loved “Tools for Thinkers'' brand Baronfig.

Each of the 39 Laws of Creativity are illustrated with inspiring, enlightening, and surprising stories of iconic creators across history—including Albert Einstein, Serena Williams, Martin Luther King Jr., Harry Houdini, Grace Hopper, Bruce Lee, and many more. Joey breaks down how these titans of history wielded creativity to reach incredible heights.

“Drawing on decades of experience, Joey Cofone has distilled the elements of creativity into an excellent, easy-to-use guide. The Laws of Creativity provides a roadmap for unleashing the creative force inside you.” — James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices