Disney-Pixar and a new path to the future
The most memorable part is Disney Pixar deal.
On Monday, 3 Oct 2005, Robert Iger (aka Bob) became 6th CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Disney Animation has been struggling then. One of initial thought is how about buying Pixar (Digital Animation, Toy Story, Monster Inc, Finding Nemo). Pixar back then has market cap somewhere 6+ billion and Steve Jobs owned half company's stock.
Iger secured a one-on-one discussion with Steve on the idea Disney buying Pixar. They went through the Pros & Cons exercise. A few Cons: "Disney's culture will destroy Pixar!"; "Distraction will kill Pixar's creativity". Pros: "Disney will be saved by Pixar and we'll live happily every after". Steve said "a few solid pros are more powerful than dozens of cons".
Lesson learn: Steve was great at weighting all sides of an issue and not allowing negatives to drown out positives, particularly for things he wanted to accomplish.
30 minutes before the press conference where Apple and Disney will announce the massive merger, Steve takes Iger aside and share that his pancreatic cancer had returned. "I am about to become your biggest shareholder and a member of your board", Steve tells him. "And I think I owe you the right, given this knowledge, to back out of the deal." Iger didn't waver on the deal and it turns out, the acquisition is a brilliant move.
Sadly, Steve died six years later
Book: The Ride of a Lifetime - Lessons Learned from 15 years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
by Robert Iger
