Education · 1 of 5

The path

No degree or license. You learn by publishing, and the hard part is not stopping.

  1. 1

    Pick a narrow topic you can talk about for years

    A few weeks

    A show for one kind of listener grows faster than a show about everything. Check what already exists.

  2. 2

    Record 3 to 5 episodes before you launch

    1 to 2 months

    You find your format and you have a buffer for bad weeks. Many shows die between episode 3 and 10.

  3. 3

    Publish on a fixed schedule for a year

    1 year

    Weekly or every two weeks. Audio and video, so you are on YouTube as well as podcast apps.

  4. 4

    Grow through guests and other shows

    Ongoing

    Swapping guest spots with similar shows and clipping short videos is how most small shows find listeners.

  5. 5

    Sell ads or memberships once you have an audience

    Year 2 to 5

    Usually after a few thousand downloads an episode for ads, or a few hundred loyal fans for memberships.