Persons which can inspire creative people? Here is a small list…

First thought is Richard Branson (website) – his carrier is truly an inspiration, like story about starting Virgin Records(video above) or his idea about going to Airline business with starting Virgin Atlantic. His book “Screw It, Let’s Do It” is a big recommendation. He can be followed on twitter @richardbranson.

“Everyone that works in Virgin is unique. They are not sheeps. They think for themselves. They have good ideas and I listen them. What is the purpose of hiring smart people, when you are not using their talent.”

David and Tom Kelley, two brothers from IDEO – that super innovative company who wrote “Creative Confidence” and shared so many inspirational stories. Tom Kelley’s book “The Art of Innovation” is a great starting point for anyone interested in this topic. One story from that book – “The Deep Dive” is a must-see video (episode from “Nightline” in 1999.) for any product designer in the world.

Steve Jobs – life and work of Apple founder is truly inspirational. Beside tremendous products and business models, Apple has unique and efficient way to “manage people”, in following video is a small answer on that.

“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.“