◉ Expert Analysis
Should I start a podcast?
Analyzed by 4 domain experts
Only if you want to build authority or network — not if you want an audience quickly.
Podcasting is the worst medium for audience growth but the best for relationship building. The hidden value of podcasting is not listeners — it is the excuse to have deep conversations with interesting people who become your network.
◉ Expert Perspectives
“90% of podcasts die before episode 10. It is called podfade.”
There are 4 million podcasts but only 400K are active. The median podcast has 27 listeners. If your goal is audience size, YouTube, newsletters, or Twitter will grow faster. Podcasting only makes sense if you have a unique angle AND an existing audience to seed it.
“My podcast is my worst content channel by numbers but my best by revenue.”
My podcast has 5,000 listeners. My Twitter has 50,000 followers. But the podcast drives 80% of my consulting revenue because listeners feel like they know me. The intimacy of audio creates trust that no other medium matches. Think of it as a relationship tool, not a reach tool.
“Podcasting is the highest-effort, lowest-discoverability content format.”
A 1-hour podcast takes 4-6 hours to produce, edit, and publish. Podcast discovery is abysmal — there is no algorithm pushing your content. Unless you are repurposing clips to YouTube and social media, your podcast is a tree falling in an empty forest.
“My podcast gave me an excuse to cold-email CEOs. 70% said yes to being a guest.”
The real magic of podcasting is access. People who would never take a coffee meeting will happily do a podcast interview. I built a network of 200+ industry leaders through my show. Every guest became a professional connection. That is the hidden ROI nobody talks about.
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What does a podcast industry analyst think about “should i start a podcast?”?+
90% of podcasts die before episode 10. It is called podfade. There are 4 million podcasts but only 400K are active. The median podcast has 27 listeners. If your goal is audience size, YouTube, newsletters, or Twitter will grow faster. Podcasting only makes sense if you have a unique angle AND an existing audience to seed it.
What does a successful podcaster think about “should i start a podcast?”?+
My podcast is my worst content channel by numbers but my best by revenue. My podcast has 5,000 listeners. My Twitter has 50,000 followers. But the podcast drives 80% of my consulting revenue because listeners feel like they know me. The intimacy of audio creates trust that no other medium matches. Think of it as a relationship tool, not a reach tool.
What does a content strategist think about “should i start a podcast?”?+
Podcasting is the highest-effort, lowest-discoverability content format. A 1-hour podcast takes 4-6 hours to produce, edit, and publish. Podcast discovery is abysmal — there is no algorithm pushing your content. Unless you are repurposing clips to YouTube and social media, your podcast is a tree falling in an empty forest.
What does a network builder think about “should i start a podcast?”?+
My podcast gave me an excuse to cold-email CEOs. 70% said yes to being a guest. The real magic of podcasting is access. People who would never take a coffee meeting will happily do a podcast interview. I built a network of 200+ industry leaders through my show. Every guest became a professional connection. That is the hidden ROI nobody talks about.
◉ Related Questions