How to Pixar Your Indie Experience
On a recent My First Million podcast, Pixar’s philosophy of "Removing the Suck" was discussed, and it got me thinking—how can we, as Indiehackers, apply this concept to improving our customer experiences? And how can I go a little deeper on this concept?
TL;DR
- Lesson 1: Even Pixar Films Suck at First
- Lesson 2: Use Relentless Iteration and High Standards to Improve
- Lesson 3: Set a Fixed Release Date to Avoid Perfectionism
- Bonus Thought: Why act like a film studio?
Pixar’s President Ed Catmull famously describes their creative process as moving from "suck to un-suck," and this approach holds lessons for anyone looking to create amazing customer experiences.
In this article, I wanted to explore how Pixar’s creative methods can be adapted to create a customer experience, that doesn't suck.
A lot of this detail comes from insights shared in the articles from Harvard Business Review and Fast Company. "Google, Pixar Creative Process, From Suck to Unsuck to find them"
Lesson 1: Even Pixar Films Suck at First
This is good news for Indiehackers! Even Pixar, known for producing masterpieces, starts with a crappy rough drafts. According to Catmull, “Every time we show a film for the first time, it sucks.” This means your first attempt doesn’t need to be flawless—be ok with imperfections.
Pixar’s first pass at a movie often comes with thousands of problems. What’s important is not how polished the first version is, but the process of improving it. The takeaway here: It’s okay if your first version isn’t perfect. So if you're sitting there with a sucky first product (like me), think about getting it in the hands of some users.
How can we apply this to an experience:
Start by creating a rough version of your customer experience and get feedback. Don’t worry if it’s far from perfect—your goal should be to make it real enough for users to engage with, so you can identify what needs to change.
This lesson is likely old news for a lot of Indiehackers, keep reading.
Lesson 2: Use Relentless Iteration and High Standards to Improve
Pixar’s excellence comes from its process of continuous iteration. The team goes through tens of thousands of storyboards, refining each scene until it’s right. Each time they screen a story, feedback is gathered, and improvements are made.
But Pixar doesn’t just iterate—they adhere to strict principles and standards. They refuse to release mediocre films, and that commitment shows. As Catmull said, “It was unacceptable to produce some good films and some mediocre films.”
This is where I think Indiehackers can get a little value, I haven't seen too many indiehackers thinking about their own standards and principles.
How to Apply This to Customer Experience:
Create your customer experience in iterative stages. Build touchpoints quickly and gather feedback from real users. Identify what’s working, what isn’t, and improve continuously. Just as Pixar uses storyboards before final animation, you can start small, with prototypes or scaled-back versions of the real experience.
Additionally, hold yourself to high standards. Document your principles and continually assess whether your customer experience meets them. If it doesn’t, iterate again until it does. Standards ensure consistency and excellence, whether you're a large organization or a solopreneur.
Lesson 3: Set a Fixed Release Date to Avoid Perfectionism
One of Pixar’s key rules is to avoid getting stuck in the endless pursuit of perfection. As Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, John Lasseter, says, “We don’t actually finish our films, we release them.” Perfectionists often struggle to complete projects, believing there’s always one more improvement to be made.
Pixar understands that while a film could always be better with more time, it’s essential to release it at some point. This is a critical lesson for anyone creating customer experiences.
How to Apply This to Customer Experience:
Set a fixed timeline for your projects. It’s tempting to keep tweaking your customer journey endlessly, but deadlines force you to make decisions and move forward. This doesn’t mean sacrificing quality—it means knowing when to say "good enough" and iterating post-launch.
Why Look to Pixar for Lessons in Customer Experience and Indiehacking?
You might wonder why a film studio's creative process is relevant to customer experience. The answer lies in their relentless creativity and the high-stakes environment in which they operate. Pixar doesn’t just create products—they create experiences that resonate on an emotional level.
Much like Indiehacking, Pixar’s business is project-based and relies on taking risks and making bold choices. Both fields require creativity, iteration, and a dedication to crafting something that makes people feel something special.
Tiny Plug Warning: Try Orchetta, it brings Pixar’s Principles to Your Customer Journey. At Orchetta, we’ve built a platform that helps you "remove the suck" from your customer experience. With relentless iteration and adherence to high standards, you can improve your customer journey with ease. Try Orchetta today with a 14-day free trial. Orchetta.com
Happy Indiehacking.
