What's more important - good people or good ideas?

Listen to what Ed Catmull thinks (HT to Doug Baker @ Koch Supply & Trading):  

I enjoyed this talk... It sounds like Pixar is another company that believes its culture is what allows it to attract and retain the right talent with the right values and beliefs so that it can continue to develop successful products.

At the Q&A section, a gentleman stands up and asks the question I was hoping someone would ask - "isn't it both - don't you need both good ideas and good people who function well together?"  I liked Ed's answer.  What do you think?

Comments

[Greg Rehmke]

Speaking of Pixar, I highly recommend "The Pixar Touch" by David A. Price. The story of Pixar's core visionaries bouncing from one parent company to another is fascinating.

Price also authored the excellent "Love and Hate at Jamestown." I first met David when as a teenager he spent a summer at IHS in Menlo Park. He had already authored a couple computer books.

[Arthur Eby]

I think it is important to have both good ideas and good people to work with in a company. But if I could choose only one, I would have good people. Good people can support each other, complement each other, make each other feel good about one another and learn to make good ideas, ending in good ideas and good people. Bad people with good ideas will insult each other, argue and destroy the good ideas, and will only end in bad ideas and bad people.