Episode Details

“My ambition was not financial, but a creative ambition toward fulfillment and satisfaction — and to be a better human toward those whom I loved.” – Brian Koppelman

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Brian discuss podcast fandom, and how listening to podcasts is intimate in a way other media is not (2:00); self-improvement and ambition versus fulfillment, and the cultural reach of what Brian has created (11:00); the influence of music, and how a single album or artwork affects you at certain ages or times of your life (22:00); and masculine emotions as they are expressed in music, and writing to music informs your creativity (41:00).

Brian Koppleman (@briankoppelman) is a screenwriter and co-creator / showrunner of the television show Billions. His screenwriting credits include Rounders and Ocean’s Thirteen. He is also the host of The Moment podcast. 

Notable Links:

• Grantland (sports and culture website)
• Bill Simmons (podcaster and sports writer)
• Wesley Morris on podcast fame (Deviate episode)
• Killing Yourself to Live, by Chuck Klosterman (book)
• This Is What They Want (Jimmy Connors documentary)
• “I Contain Multitudes” (2020 Bob Dylan song)
• The Four Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferriss (book)
• Rolf Potts on Travel Tactics (Tim Ferriss podcast episode)
• Seth Godin (business executive)
• Scriptnotes (podcast)