Apr 1, 2019, 2:35 PM ETInterview, Fireside Chat

a16z Podcast | For the Billions of Creatives Out There

Brian Koppelman and David Levine wrote Rounders on spec in the 1990s, rejecting a $5,000 advance to maintain full creative control and avoid external interference.
The duo adheres to a "write first, pitch later" philosophy, believing that external notes received during the pitching phase compromise the purity of the original vision.
Koppelman cites a 21-year delay between Rounders' release and its status as a cultural touchstone as evidence that "delayed rewards" are often more valuable than immediate box office success.
To combat writer's block, Koppelman utilizes "morning pages" (three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing) based on Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, a practice he has maintained for 23 years.
Koppelman defines professional success not by external validation but by the internal feeling of rigorous engagement in the work; he notes that the act of working eliminates the toxicity of creative frustration.
The creators explicitly burned their personal notebooks after completing scripts, rejecting the idea of publishing private drafts as a form of artistic legacy.

Koppelman advises creatives to approach powerful figures (executives, investors) with a lack of awe or condescension, prioritizing a relaxed demeanor and the ability to make the other party laugh.
Drawing from The Larry Sanders Show, the strategy for handling network notes is to validate the feedback verbally ("That's a really interesting idea") to make the note-giver feel heard, while retaining the right to disregard the note if it harms the vision.
Koppelman and Levine treat studio notes as suggestions; however, they proactively submit edited pilots that are already 56–58 minutes long to prevent executives from "crowdsourcing" cuts that might damage the narrative integrity.
The transition from screenwriter to showrunner requires accepting responsibility for the entire production; they learned this by actively seeking control over the director's role on Rounders after realizing they lacked final authority on the final cut.
Koppelman emphasizes that a healthy creative partnership requires both parties to prioritize the success of the work over being "right," often resulting in one partner voluntarily deferring to the other's vision to build trust.

Koppelman predicts that modern equivalent to the mid-budget film Rounders (budget $14.5M) would likely be a television series pitched to a platform like Netflix rather than a theatrical release.
The industry is experiencing a "creative explosion" with approximately 560 original scripted dramas produced annually, challenging the assumption that increased volume dilutes average quality.
Koppelman and Levine describe modern television as "visual literature" or novels, capable of deep character development and complex storytelling that film cannot achieve due to time constraints.
The pair contrasts the music industry's failure to adapt to Napster and digital distribution with television's successful expansion into the "content bubble," noting that the medium has grown rather than imploded.
When asked if they would pitch Rounders as a film today, they concluded the story's depth required a novelistic television format to fully explore the underground poker world.

The female and transgender characters on Billions, particularly Wendy Rhodes and Taylor, are written to be "smarter than we are," requiring the writers to honor the characters' intelligence rather than project their own limitations.
The show's tone and music are co-managed by Koppelman, Levine, and editors Marni Mayer and Naomi Garrity, who are considered creative partners in "guarding the tone."
The specific use of Vince Staples' "North" in Billions was a deliberate script choice intended to strip the protagonist Bobby Axelrod of his status and reveal his raw, "street punk" nature.
Koppelman and Levine employ a two-stage writing process: an initial phase of total freedom to generate ideas, followed by a rigorous rewrite phase to ensure narrative clarity and maximize future plot optionality.
Koppelman revealed a minor spoiler from Season 1 where the audience is led to believe Bobby Axelrod will cheat on his wife, a narrative device used to explore the character's moral optionality.

Koppelman and Levine operate as a 50-50 equal partnership where both parties have veto power and strive to let the other make decisions to foster a culture of trust rather than competition.
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is used by Koppelman to reduce the physical manifestations of anxiety, arguing that a calm mind leads to clearer, more creative decision-making.
The creators distinguish between "introspection" (analyzing thoughts) and meditation (stilling the thought loops), with Koppelman utilizing the latter as a performance tool to break cycles of agitation.
Disagreements between Koppelman and Levine are handled privately between the two of them, excluding assistants from the discussion to prevent the dynamic from becoming performative.
Koppelman notes that high achievers often meditate not for spiritual reasons but because the practice provides an enforced break from the "perpetual thinking machine," allowing the subconscious to solve complex problems.