Chris Hutchins

Podcasting has no built-in distribution engine. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram Reels will push your content to new people. Podcasting won't. You have to be okay with slow, grinding growth.

Every time I have a guest I think will move the metrics, it doesn't. Every time I interview someone nobody's heard of, I get emails saying it was the best episode yet. Stop chasing what you think will perform.

3,000 downloads per episode puts you in roughly the top 1% of podcasts. The top 10-20 shows do millions. Outside the top 200-300, most shows are doing tens of thousands per episode.

Content is the product market fit for podcasting. All the launch momentum in the world doesn't matter if your show isn't good. Get your reps in before you start optimizing for growth.

The moment your podcast hits a milestone chart ranking, immediately reach out to every dream guest and show them the screenshot. You can say 'top 10 podcast' forever after it happens once.

Don't try to be everyone's okay podcast. Try to be someone's favorite. Every episode should be good enough that at least one person considers it the best thing they've heard all year.