Modernote Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/modernote 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. © 2026 Modernote c04ca80a-d1a5-57ef-bac3-41424b04a5e5 yes en Wed, 20 May 2026 11:07:17 -0700 Wed, 20 May 2026 11:08:35 -0700 http://modernote.com https://img.transistorcdn.com/affCAxEGzUyhZZb1P411QwUFqkJEQGCM-uCe4-rYFwk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yYjFi/YWM1OTlmNTE3YmFk/MWU4YjBkMjFkMDgz/ZWM5MC5wbmc.jpg Modernote http://modernote.com episodic Modernote 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. Modernote profiles influential makers and builders to uncover how they think and do their best work. makers, builders, creative process, how they work, behind the scenes, productivity, workflows, craft, entrepreneurship, design, problem solving, decision making, creative thinking, interviews, profiles, success habits, work process, side projects, building things, independent creators, lessons learned, skills, maker culture, creative professionals, best practices, inspiration, real talk, how to build, craftsmanship Cesar Contreras No No #6 Ikutaro Kakehashi and The Quiet Genius Behind the TR-808 6 6 #6 Ikutaro Kakehashi and The Quiet Genius Behind the TR-808 full 651c6720-eacb-49f1-8199-3a0d27252125 https://share.transistor.fm/s/376eeea7 Ikutaro Kakehashi lost his parents at age two, got rejected from college, nearly died of tuberculosis, and watched his first company get taken from him. At 42, he started over and founded Roland. A decade later, he built the TR-808, the drum machine that became the foundation of hip hop, house, techno, and modern pop music.

This episode tells the full story of the man behind the 808. We trace his life from a rural island in Japan to a hospital bed where he built his own television, to the founding of Roland and Boss, to the 808's failed launch, its second life in pawn shops, and the artists who turned it into history. We also cover his role in inventing MIDI alongside Dave Smith, the technology that connects every electronic instrument today.

His life holds five lessons worth keeping:

Use what others throw away. Start over if you have to. Failure can be an advantage. Document everything. Build for others, not just yourself.

If you create anything, music, code, businesses, art, this story will hit.

modernote.com

]]> Ikutaro Kakehashi lost his parents at age two, got rejected from college, nearly died of tuberculosis, and watched his first company get taken from him. At 42, he started over and founded Roland. A decade later, he built the TR-808, the drum machine that became the foundation of hip hop, house, techno, and modern pop music.

This episode tells the full story of the man behind the 808. We trace his life from a rural island in Japan to a hospital bed where he built his own television, to the founding of Roland and Boss, to the 808's failed launch, its second life in pawn shops, and the artists who turned it into history. We also cover his role in inventing MIDI alongside Dave Smith, the technology that connects every electronic instrument today.

His life holds five lessons worth keeping:

Use what others throw away. Start over if you have to. Failure can be an advantage. Document everything. Build for others, not just yourself.

If you create anything, music, code, businesses, art, this story will hit.

modernote.com

]]> Mon, 11 May 2026 09:06:59 -0700 Modernote Modernote 1260 Ikutaro Kakehashi lost his parents at age two, got rejected from college, nearly died of tuberculosis, and watched his first company get taken from him. At 42, he started over and founded Roland. A decade later, he built the TR-808, the drum machine that became the foundation of hip hop, house, techno, and modern pop music.

This episode tells the full story of the man behind the 808. We trace his life from a rural island in Japan to a hospital bed where he built his own television, to the founding of Roland and Boss, to the 808's failed launch, its second life in pawn shops, and the artists who turned it into history. We also cover his role in inventing MIDI alongside Dave Smith, the technology that connects every electronic instrument today.

His life holds five lessons worth keeping:

Use what others throw away. Start over if you have to. Failure can be an advantage. Document everything. Build for others, not just yourself.

If you create anything, music, code, businesses, art, this story will hit.

modernote.com

]]> Ikutaro Kakehashi, TR-808, Roland, MIDI, music history, music technology, drum machine, synthesizer, hip hop, electronic music, founder story, Japanese inventors, creator story, Boss pedals, Dave Smith, music gear, music production, Modernote, biography, inventor podcast, music documentary, analog synthesis, music industry, failure to success, perseverance, entrepreneurship No #5 How Quentin Tarantino Changed His Life with a Pen and a Pad 5 5 #5 How Quentin Tarantino Changed His Life with a Pen and a Pad full 7b776f8e-dced-46f7-9a4d-371194bc4e66 https://share.transistor.fm/s/29f2d01b Quentin Tarantino dropped out of high school at 15. He spent five years arguing about movies at a video store in Manhattan Beach. He wrote his first script with no training, no outline, and no guarantee anyone would ever read it.

Then Reservoir Dogs happened. Then Pulp Fiction. Then everything else.

In this episode, we trace the exact path from that video store to the Palme d'Or, and we focus on the one thing that made it possible: writing. Tarantino's process is specific, slow, and physical on purpose. He writes every draft by hand. He types with one finger on a 1987 word processor. He lives inside his characters for months before a word hits the page.

We break down what that process actually looks like, why it works, and what any of us can take from it regardless of what we do.

Topics covered: 

the Video Archives years, acting class improvisation, the vomit draft, the Smith Corona workflow, and four takeaways for anyone building something from scratch.

]]> Quentin Tarantino dropped out of high school at 15. He spent five years arguing about movies at a video store in Manhattan Beach. He wrote his first script with no training, no outline, and no guarantee anyone would ever read it.

Then Reservoir Dogs happened. Then Pulp Fiction. Then everything else.

In this episode, we trace the exact path from that video store to the Palme d'Or, and we focus on the one thing that made it possible: writing. Tarantino's process is specific, slow, and physical on purpose. He writes every draft by hand. He types with one finger on a 1987 word processor. He lives inside his characters for months before a word hits the page.

We break down what that process actually looks like, why it works, and what any of us can take from it regardless of what we do.

Topics covered: 

the Video Archives years, acting class improvisation, the vomit draft, the Smith Corona workflow, and four takeaways for anyone building something from scratch.

]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0700 Modernote Modernote 1232 Quentin Tarantino dropped out of high school at 15. He spent five years arguing about movies at a video store in Manhattan Beach. He wrote his first script with no training, no outline, and no guarantee anyone would ever read it.

Then Reservoir Dogs happened. Then Pulp Fiction. Then everything else.

In this episode, we trace the exact path from that video store to the Palme d'Or, and we focus on the one thing that made it possible: writing. Tarantino's process is specific, slow, and physical on purpose. He writes every draft by hand. He types with one finger on a 1987 word processor. He lives inside his characters for months before a word hits the page.

We break down what that process actually looks like, why it works, and what any of us can take from it regardless of what we do.

Topics covered: 

the Video Archives years, acting class improvisation, the vomit draft, the Smith Corona workflow, and four takeaways for anyone building something from scratch.

]]> Quentin Tarantino, screenwriting, creative process, writing process, self-taught, Video Archives, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, how to write, filmmaking, no film school, longhand writing, vomit draft, dialogue writing, creative workflow, Modernote, Cesar, productivity, deep work, creative career, indie film, self-education, thinking tools, writing by hand No #4 Mastering Creativity with Robert Rodriguez's System 4 4 #4 Mastering Creativity with Robert Rodriguez's System full a0559942-dd67-4966-bbc8-7aaa961eff32 https://share.transistor.fm/s/b93daa5d Robert Rodriguez grew up in San Antonio, one of ten kids, with no film school, no money, and no industry connections. He donated himself to medical research just to fund his first film.

What he built instead of a network was a system. Index cards. A midnight journal. A habit of starting before he felt ready. That system produced El Mariachi, Desperado, Sin City, Spy Kids, and a son who scored a Netflix record-breaker at age 20.

This episode pulls apart how Rodriguez thinks and works. We get into his index card method, why constraints produce better ideas than unlimited resources, and what happened when he went back through old journals and found two franchise ideas buried in a project most people wrote off.

If you've been waiting to feel ready before starting something, this one's for you.

]]> Robert Rodriguez grew up in San Antonio, one of ten kids, with no film school, no money, and no industry connections. He donated himself to medical research just to fund his first film.

What he built instead of a network was a system. Index cards. A midnight journal. A habit of starting before he felt ready. That system produced El Mariachi, Desperado, Sin City, Spy Kids, and a son who scored a Netflix record-breaker at age 20.

This episode pulls apart how Rodriguez thinks and works. We get into his index card method, why constraints produce better ideas than unlimited resources, and what happened when he went back through old journals and found two franchise ideas buried in a project most people wrote off.

If you've been waiting to feel ready before starting something, this one's for you.

]]> Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0700 Modernote Modernote 2326 Robert Rodriguez grew up in San Antonio, one of ten kids, with no film school, no money, and no industry connections. He donated himself to medical research just to fund his first film.

What he built instead of a network was a system. Index cards. A midnight journal. A habit of starting before he felt ready. That system produced El Mariachi, Desperado, Sin City, Spy Kids, and a son who scored a Netflix record-breaker at age 20.

This episode pulls apart how Rodriguez thinks and works. We get into his index card method, why constraints produce better ideas than unlimited resources, and what happened when he went back through old journals and found two franchise ideas buried in a project most people wrote off.

If you've been waiting to feel ready before starting something, this one's for you.

]]> Robert Rodriguez, creative process, index cards, journaling, independent film, filmmaker mindset, Rebel Without a Crew, El Mariachi, Sin City, Spy Kids, start before you're ready, constraints and creativity, identity and habits, Steven Pressfield, War of Art, Modernote, creative productivity, storytelling, fear forward, body of work No Cesar Contreras #3 Bob Lefsetz and the Route to Modern Success 3 3 #3 Bob Lefsetz and the Route to Modern Success full d98d5255-62e4-41d8-9a7d-8973efe9a55d https://share.transistor.fm/s/8b48bacc 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

]]> 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

]]> Sat, 11 Apr 2026 20:52:41 -0700 Modernote Modernote 1180 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

]]> makers, builders, creative process, how they work, behind the scenes, productivity, workflows, craft, entrepreneurship, design, problem solving, decision making, creative thinking, interviews, profiles, success habits, work process, side projects, building things, independent creators, lessons learned, skills, maker culture, creative professionals, best practices, inspiration, real talk, how to build, craftsmanship No Cesar Contreras #2 How Francis Ford Coppola Works 2 2 #2 How Francis Ford Coppola Works full 7881320d-031d-4095-a38c-c072cdd073fe https://share.transistor.fm/s/fba66a0a 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

]]> 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

]]> Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:23:47 -0700 Modernote Modernote 1550 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

]]> How to write a script, how to write a screenplay, Francis Ford Coppola, film legends, hollywood legend, writing, capturing ideas No Cesar Contreras #1 How Neil Young Works 1 1 #1 How Neil Young Works full 7f4f3080-1903-4e86-83ab-bd33a36011f0 https://share.transistor.fm/s/600ee621 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.

]]> 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.

]]> Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:16:08 -0700 Modernote Modernote 1855 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.

]]> Neil Young, how Neil Young works, song writing, producing No Cesar Contreras