To make something great, the right way is the hard way

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld on what it takes to make something great:

INTERVIEWER: You and Larry David wrote Seinfeld together, without a traditional writers’ room, and burnout was one reason you stopped. Was there a more sustainable way to do it? Could McKinsey or someone have helped you find a better model?

SEINFELD: Who’s McKinsey?

INTERVIEWER: It’s a consulting firm.

SEINFELD: Are they funny?

INTERVIEWER: No.

SEINFELD: Then I don’t need them. If you’re efficient, you’re doing it the wrong way. The right way is the hard way. The show was successful because I micromanaged it—every word, every line, every take, every edit, every casting. That’s my way of life.

Source: Life’s Work: An Interview with Jerry Seinfeld