Business Quote by Edwin Catmull
“I've really thought a lot about why other companies fail or succeed. I had to be a student of failure and find out why things went off the rails. I did that at a fairly deep level, and it's still something I do.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Pixar Leadership Talk, 2015
Studying failures deeply reveals patterns that can guide future success.
In simple terms: Learn from mistakes.
Key Takeaway
Analyze failures to improve.
Themes
learning
innovation
leadership
Mood
analytical
optimistic
Type
educational
motivational
When to use this quote
- product development
- startup pivots
- process redesign
- team retrospectives
Key Concepts
systems thinking
risk management
continuous improvement
Questions to Reflect On
- What recent failure can you dissect?
- How do you apply lessons without repeating mistakes?
A Different Perspective
Over‑analysis can stall action; balance needed.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)