Regarding the how and why of creating my own podcast, I had a few different goals in mind:
- I wanted to gain access to people in the startup (bootstrapped, not VC) community I normally wouldn't have access to, for purposes of brain-picking and advice....
- I wanted to create an accountability device to light a fire under my own ass and encourage me to finish my web app, SmallSpec (smallspec.com)....
- I wanted to entertain and educate, both of which I find immensely satisfying for reasons both egotistical and selfless..
- I wanted to position myself as an authority commensurate with my extensive experience as a freelancer...
- It looked like fun!
@gregoiregilbert@chris_hawk It's working out great! I went into podcasting expecting to accumulate interview subject, but the more common outcome is that I've accumulated friends! I'm speaking of both my guests, and of my listeners. I wasn't prepared for that - the level of intimacy involved in podcasting wasn't apparent to me before I created Chasing Product (www.chasingproduct.com).
But as time goes by, it becomes more and more apparent to me the degree to which we _invite_ podcasts into our lives, everywhere we go. Hell, half the time we're piping the audio directly into our ears via earbuds, that's pretty intimate!
This is what makes podcasting so powerful for carrying a message, be it a business promotion, a religious entreaty, news, or simple entertainment. The relationship-cultivating potential of a podcast for, say, a freelancer or other small businessperson is _incredible_. I cover this in the "Why Podcast At All" section of the book.
@gregoiregilbert@chris_hawk Also, I'll go on record as saying that podcasting is for everyone the same way everyone has one great novel, or one great screenplay in them. We all have a voice; it may need to be cultivated, but it's there. And I do think that everyone has something to say that could be said via a podcast, and that could find an audience. How large of an audience depends on a lot of factors, but I think we can all find some kind of audience, yes.
There's a section in the book - Who Are You And How Do You Find Your Voice - that touches on this element of podcasting.
Hi Grégoire!
I decided to write this book as part of the recent Gumroad Small Product Lab - a 10-day challenge to create & release a small product of some kind. The challenge is ongoing - in fact, today is Day 10; Launch Day!
As to why *this* product, there are a few reasons:
- I'm passionate about podcasting
- I often am contacted by other people who are passionate about podcasting but don't know where to start
- My writing muscles were all warmed up by an unrelated project that required me to generate a lot of written content
- When the 10-day challenge came up, I was sick & tired of spinning my wheels with regard to launching a product
All of those elements formed a perfect storm of "hey, I know - a podcasting book would be PERFECT for this Gumroad thing!"
@coreymaass Thanks, Corey, I appreciate it. Don't hesitate to e-mail me with any questions, comments or concerns. Like it says in the book, I am available for consulting. :)
I'm definitely going to check this out. I'm currently going back and forth on the idea of starting a podcast as a compliment to other content on my site. The thought of starting makes me a little nervous in that I simply don't know much about putting together a good podcast, but this book looks like it might ease that a bit.
@deronsizemore Hi Deron! There's actually a sub-section in the book (more like a paragraph, but please, feel free to aggrandize it) entitled "A Podcast Can Allow You To Put Content To New Use" that addresses your issue of complementing other content on your site. If all you do is merely re-purpose your existing text content in audio form, you've just opened that content up to a whole new audience!
This is not a bad intermediate position between not podcasting at all, and podcasting with content you've created from scratch. It might be a great way for you to get your feet wet w/the medium.
Absolutely feel free to ask any questions you may have about the book specifically or podcasting in general, I'm happy to help out & talk shop. :)
I'm not sure if it's appropriate to comment after the day's board has rolled over, but...
...I just found out that - in large part due to the support of ProductHunt - my book won an Honorable Mention in the Gumroad Small Product Lab challenge! Thank you all so very much for getting behind RECORD & RELEASE the way you did; it was a huge difference-maker and I appreciate every bit of it.
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Freelance Transformation - Finding and Closing Big Clients
Freelance Transformation - Finding and Closing Big Clients
Freelance Transformation - Finding and Closing Big Clients
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Freelance Transformation - Finding and Closing Big Clients
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Freelance Transformation - Finding and Closing Big Clients
Freelance Transformation - Finding and Closing Big Clients
The Prayer Page