Modernote

Modernote
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Modernote profiles influential makers and builders to uncover how they think and do their best work. We break down the process, habits, and decisions that drive their success so we could pull lessons can apply to our work right now.

Episodes

  1. #3 Bob Lefsetz and the Route to Modern Success

    3D AGO

    #3 Bob Lefsetz and the Route to Modern Success

    Bob Lefsetz has been writing about the music industry for over 40 years.  He started with a printed newsletter nobody asked for, switched to email when the internet changed everything, and never stopped.  Today, label executives, artists, managers, and interns all read him. Taylor Swift may have written a song about him. Kid Rock threatened to show up at his door. He built one of the most influential newsletters in the music industry with a point of view and the discipline to show up every single day. We cover: Bob's background as an entertainment attorney and what he saw from inside the music industry. How the Lefsetz Letter started and how it grew. Why Napster changed everything and how Bob called it correctly when the rest of the industry was in denial.  The four ideas from his essay "The Route to Modern Success" and what they actually mean when you try to live by them.  https://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2026/04/08/the-route-to-modern-success/ Why being different starts with protecting your thinking space. How living a full life outside your craft makes the work better. Why longevity beats any single breakthrough. Why creating beats chasing attention every time. modernote.com

    20 min
  2. #2 How Francis Ford Coppola Works

    APR 3

    #2 How Francis Ford Coppola Works

    Francis Ford Coppola broke down a bestselling novel page by page, glued each page into a giant notebook, and used it to build one of the greatest films ever made.  We cover: How Coppola prepared to write and direct The Godfather. We look at his writing method and the tools and routines he used to do his best work.  Coppola's early life and path into film making. How he annotated the original Godfather novel.  The prompt book - what it is, how he built it, and why it worked.  His five criteria: synopsis, time period, imagery and tone, core purpose, and pitfalls.  A detailed look at his notes for the restaurant shooting scene.  Why he considered the screenplay secondary to the notebook.  His reading habits and how he borrowed ideas across disciplines.  His daily ritual Collaboration as a creative force - including a wild story from Apocalypse Now.  Practical takeaways you can apply to your own projects. modernote.com

    26 min
  3. #1 How Neil Young Works

    APR 3

    #1 How Neil Young Works

    How Neil Young writes, records, and builds things outside of music.  We cover his songwriting habit, his gear philosophy, his entrepreneurial projects, and the practical lessons you can pull from all of it.  We cover: His rule for writing songs and why he walks away the moment he starts overthinking. How he captures ideas instantly. His gear setup (the same guitar and amp since the 60s). How Crazy Horse recorded albums. The PonoPlayer, why it failed commercially and how it predicted Apple Music and Spotify's quality audio. Converting his 1959 Lincoln Continental into a hybrid electric car. Get practical takeaways for writing, building, and shipping creative work.

    31 min
  • 3 Episodes

About

Modernote profiles influential makers and builders to uncover how they think and do their best work. We break down the process, habits, and decisions that drive their success so we could pull lessons can apply to our work right now.

Information

  • Creator
    Modernote
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Modernote
  • Show Website
    Modernote