{"id":10448,"date":"2026-04-09T17:36:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T17:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=10448"},"modified":"2026-04-09T17:36:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T17:36:52","slug":"naked-gun-writers-on-risk-taking-and-pitching-your-wildest-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=10448","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Naked Gun&#8217; Writers on Risk-Taking and Pitching Your Wildest Idea"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>This week on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-success-happens\/id1288418637\">How Success Happens<\/a>, I sat down with longtime writing partners <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm2287168\/\">Dan Gregor<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm3096061\/?ref_=fn_t_1\">Doug Mand<\/a>, the duo behind <em>How I Met Your Mother<\/em>, <em>Crazy Ex-Girlfriend<\/em>, <em>Rescue Rangers<\/em>, and, most recently, the hit <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/video\/detail\/amzn1.dv.gti.d309dec2-16c5-4ea0-bce4-5a516f01d291?autoplay=0&amp;ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb\">The Naked Gun<\/a><\/em> reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. They\u2019ve gone from scraping together sketch shows at NYU to crafting a movie that crossed $100 million at the box office. \u201cThat guy Liam Neeson really needed a break,\u201d jokes Gregor. \u201cWe put him on the map.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During our chat, the duo discussed risk-taking, partnership, pitching, and getting over the inevitable bombs that come with pushing the limits. Watch above or listen below, and read on for some insights that\u2019ll help you pen your own script for success in <strong><strong><span style=\"color: red\">three*, two, one!<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-listen-here\">Listen Here<\/h2>\n<p><iframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?e=EML7616710488\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Subscribe now: <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-success-happens\/id1288418637\">Apple<\/a> |<a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/7zAcFs6B1nwjGXPTpK6gPB?si=Kh-jG4ZZS_u0V92JhcsTvQ&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=1b7da5539ac742f3\"> Spotify<\/a> |<a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@EntrepreneurPodcasts\"> YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-three-key-insights\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><span style=\"color: red\">Three<\/span> Key Insights<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-treat-your-career-like-a-scrappy-startup\">1. Treat Your Career Like a Scrappy Startup<\/h2>\n<p>Dan and Doug didn\u2019t wait for anyone to \u201cpick\u201d them\u2014they built their own stage. They started with the Hammerkatz sketch group at NYU, then hustled their way into the legendary Upright Citizens Brigade. The first time they remember getting paid to be funny, they earned a bunch of Chipotle gift cards and some Rolling Rocks. \u201cWe felt like we were rich,\u201d laughs Dan. Doug says he thought he\u2019d be an actor first, and only started writing because it was \u201ca means to give myself parts.\u201d Dan frames it as pure entrepreneurship: \u201cYou really quickly realize that nobody\u2019s going to care as much as you about your project and your career,\u201d so you become \u201cthe lighting guy, the prop master, the costumer, hair and makeup, wardrobe, camera,\u201d on top of acting, writing, and directing. And also, returning all of the props you bought at Walmart with the price tags still attached to get your money back.<br \/><strong>Takeaway: S<\/strong>top waiting for perfect conditions and create your own platform, even if that means doing every job yourself at the beginning.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-pitch-like-a-performer-prepare-like-a-strategist\">2. Pitch Like a Performer, Prepare Like a Strategist<\/h2>\n<p>Their performance background at UCB became a secret weapon in pitch meetings. Dan told me it massively improved their ability to sell ideas because they could \u201cperform the concepts\u201d in an entertaining way. Also, he says, it taught them to \u201cmodulate based on the room and the tone,\u201d even pivoting mid-pitch if things felt off. Doug talked about going in with a game plan: if they know an idea is likely to get some pushback, they\u2019ll decide in advance how far they\u2019re willing to bend. And they\u2019ll stack concepts \u201cfrom most conservative to most aggressive\u201d so they can escalate only if the room is vibing. While they\u2019ve had a ton of success, they admit there have been some \u201cbrutal\u201d failures along the way. Dan says he still breaks into a cold sweat remembering a Zoom where they sang \u201cAnts Marching\u201d mid-pitch and got, as he puts it, \u201cripped new assholes\u201d by \u201cvery, very big people.\u201d<br \/><strong>Takeaway: <\/strong>Treat every pitch like a live performance: rehearse, read the room, have built\u2011in pivots\u2014and accept that occasionally bombing is just part of the job.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-embrace-partner-friction\">3. Embrace Partner Friction<\/h2>\n<p>Their writing process is aggressively unglamorous, starting with breaking the story together and then writing what Doug calls a \u201cvomit draft,\u201d where you\u2019re \u201cjust writing everything out, not precious at all.\u201d From there, they separately rewrite, then \u201cturn the key together at the end,\u201d going line by line and punching up jokes. Along the way, differences of opinion will pop up, but Dan says friction becomes fuel: \u201cCreativity does not necessarily happen in agreement,\u201d and arguments often lead to \u201ca third new thing\u201d that\u2019s better than either of their original ideas. Doug adds that he still just wants to make Dan laugh, and if a joke isn\u2019t landing with his partner, \u201ca lot of times I\u2019ll be like, well, that\u2019s the answer.\u201d<br \/><strong>Takeaway: <\/strong>Build a process that welcomes messy first drafts, embraces honest conflict, and actively seeks feedback from people who\u2019ve already done what you\u2019re trying to do.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-5-inside-naked-gun-with-liam-neeson\"><strong>*3.5 Inside <\/strong><strong><em>Naked Gun<\/em><\/strong><strong> with Liam Neeson<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s no surprise that Dan says, \u201cIt definitely takes some nerves of steel to go pitch a dumb idea to Liam Neeson.\u201d But once Neeson heard the crew laughing, he relaxed into the craziness. Doug described the magic of Neeson\u2019s dead seriousness applied to nonsense: \u201cIt\u2019s the intensity of <em>Taken<\/em> about something completely absurd,\u201d and that contrast is what makes the movie feel like a true heir to Leslie Nielsen\u2019s <em>Naked Gun<\/em> legacy. They also credit director Akiva Schaffer as the first line of trust\u2014Liam trusted Akiva, and that opened the door for him to trust \u201cthe idiot writers coming in with different jokes for him.\u201d<br \/><strong>Takeaway<\/strong>: Whatever your superpower is\u2014gravitas, technical rigor, discipline\u2014 find ways to put it in an unexpected context to create something fresh.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/info.entrepreneur.com\/hsh\">Subscribe to the free\u00a0How Success Happens\u00a0Newsletter<\/a> for weekly inspiration.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-two-free-resources-to-learn-more\"><strong><strong><strong><span style=\"color: red\">Two<\/span> Free Resources to Learn More<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check out <em>The Naked Gun<\/em> reboot and <em>Rescue Rangers<\/em>, and keep an eye out for their just- announced Disney film <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/03\/disney-stepsisters-akiva-schaffer-gregor-mand-cinderella-1236764361\/\"><em>Stepsisters<\/em><\/a> and the ABC pilot, <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2025\/08\/rachel-bloom-do-you-want-kids-abc-pilot-dan-gregor-levitan-1236481513\/\">Do You Want Kids?<\/a>, that Dan is co-creating with his wife Rachel Bloom.<\/li>\n<li>Learn this 10-step process to nail your next pitch.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-one-question-to-ponder\"><strong><strong><strong><span style=\"color: red\">One<\/span><\/strong><\/strong> Question to Ponder<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Dan and Doug turned some of their most embarrassing moments\u2014like bombing in front of \u201cthe most powerful\u201d people they\u2019d ever pitched to\u2014into stories that now fuel their careers. So here\u2019s your question:<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is one moment in your life or career that felt humiliating at the time, but turned out to be an invaluable learning experience?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Email your answer to howsuccesshappens@entrepreneur.com\u2014and mention this episode with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Your answer just might be read on a future episode.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-about-how-success-happens\">About How Success Happens<\/h2>\n<p>Each episode of <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-success-happens\/id1288418637\">How Success Happens<\/a> shares the inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts, and sports traveled on their way to becoming household names. It\u2019s a reminder that behind every big-time career, there is a person who persisted in the face of self-doubt, failure, and anything else that got thrown in their way.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>This week on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-success-happens\/id1288418637\">How Success Happens<\/a>, I sat down with longtime writing partners <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm2287168\/\">Dan Gregor<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm3096061\/?ref_=fn_t_1\">Doug Mand<\/a>, the duo behind <em>How I Met Your Mother<\/em>, <em>Crazy Ex-Girlfriend<\/em>, <em>Rescue Rangers<\/em>, and, most recently, the hit <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/video\/detail\/amzn1.dv.gti.d309dec2-16c5-4ea0-bce4-5a516f01d291?autoplay=0&amp;ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb\">The Naked Gun<\/a><\/em> reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. They\u2019ve gone from scraping together sketch shows at NYU to crafting a movie that crossed $100 million at the box office. \u201cThat guy Liam Neeson really needed a break,\u201d jokes Gregor. \u201cWe put him on the map.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During our chat, the duo discussed risk-taking, partnership, pitching, and getting over the inevitable bombs that come with pushing the limits. Watch above or listen below, and read on for some insights that\u2019ll help you pen your own script for success in <strong><strong><span style=\"color: red\">three*, two, one!<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-listen-here\">Listen Here<\/h2>\n<p><iframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?e=EML7616710488\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Subscribe now: <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-success-happens\/id1288418637\">Apple<\/a> |<a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/7zAcFs6B1nwjGXPTpK6gPB?si=Kh-jG4ZZS_u0V92JhcsTvQ&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=1b7da5539ac742f3\"> Spotify<\/a> |<a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@EntrepreneurPodcasts\"> YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/entrepreneurs\/comedy-writing-team-behind-the-naked-gun\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week on How Success Happens, I sat down with longtime writing partners Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the duo behind How I Met Your Mother, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rescue Rangers, and, most recently, the hit The Naked Gun reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. They\u2019ve gone from scraping together sketch shows at NYU to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10448","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-green-brands"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10448\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}