On discovering what you want to do What Lasseter told his five sons says it all: “Choose something that you love to do and you will never work a day in your life.” He shared with the graduates that the core of his success is a love for cartoons and a profound desire to make animation for everyone, not just children.

On getting fired for what you want to do Coexisting with Lasseter’s passion for cartoons was a strong conviction that the future of the industry was computer animation. But during his first stint with Disney, as a young animator, Lasseter’s enthusiasm for this new approach wasn’t reciprocated and it cost him his job. Seemingly a set back, this unanticipated development actually freed him to pursue his vision and led to the formation of Pixar.

On finding partners to help you do what you want to do Attracted to his ideas, pioneers Ed Catmull and Steve Jobs embraced Lasseter. His desire to innovate was a beacon for like-minded partners who encouraged and challenged him to achieve what audiences had never seen before, movies like Toy Story, the number one film at the box office upon its released in 1995.