Not content with watching Frozen Two at least 87,943 times with my kiddo, I recently watched the six part making-of documentary on Disney Plus too. 

It gives a fascinating glimpse into the creative process behind one of the most successful movies of all time and I highly recommend it. Here are six takeaways that I think all sorts of product development teams could do well to embrace:

1. Good ideas can come from everywhere.
People from any department felt that they could contribute ideas to the project that might improve it, whether it was their direct purview or not. The song writers, for example, made valuable contributions to the story line, and the animators had some great character ideas. 

2. Expert peer review adds a lot of value.
The executive team had a brain trust of award-winning directors who critiqued the film at various stages throughout its development to help improve it. A fresh set of eyes can be invaluable, especially those of other highly successful subject matter experts.

3. Focus on what makes the product better.
The receptiveness to critique and feedback — however painful — was amazing, and some people had months of their work cut as the storyline changed. Nobody minded too much. Why? Because they’re focused on what makes the product the best it can be, not their fragile little egos.

4. Belief in the project matters.
These people work extremely hard under tremendous pressure. The reason they can do this is because they believe in their work, the impact they can have, and that they’re making something extraordinary. 

5. Act on customer feedback.
The audience screening took place with ample time to incorporate the feedback, rather than as a box-ticking exercise before launch. They also actually changed stuff in response to the feedback — imagine that!

6. Iterate and adapt.
The storyline was still changing just a few months before release. Songs were being written or edited, scenes were being added and cut as they responded to feedback. A far cry from the common practice of setting a vision and sticking to it, even if changes would be for the better.

Is it any wonder Disney consistently makes amazing movies? 

#innovation #productdesign #teamwork 

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