Fame, fortune, and podcasting

I’ve been on a podcast for over four years now. I never thought I’d be on a podcast at all, let alone this long. Which podcast is it? Doesn’t matter. Chances are you haven’t heard of it anyways. That’s not the point of this post.

The point is if you decide to make a podcast, no one will listen, you’ll lose money, and it’ll be totally worth it. These past four years have been immensely rewarding. It’s one of the best impulse-decisions I’ve ever made. More people should spend their time and money to make podcasts no cares about.

Disclaimer: I don’t actually podcast

What I do is get on a call and talk for roughly 30 minutes. Then, a week later, a podcast episode shows up. Like magic. My partner Davy podcasts. He sets up the recording. He edits the audio. He publishes the episodes. He does everything. Which is probably why I’m having so much fun.

Every great story starts with a dumb idea

It’s peak Covid and everyone is stuck in their houses. We’re trying to distract ourselves from the daily, “unprecedented times”. My buddy Davy and I stay in touch via texts and I probably said something like, “We should do a podcast.” And that was it. No grand plans or big dreams. Just two dummies that were too dumb to think they couldn’t make a podcast.

And that’s the thing. Like so much in life, shit isn’t as hard as it looks. Podcasting doesn’t take much. You need a mic, a laptop, and (ideally) a partner. Sure, there’s other stuff, but you get the idea. One of the best things we did was not think too much. It’s frightening how often I find that useful advice.

You pick up a lot of stuff in four years

Again, I know next to nothing about the technical aspects of podcasting. But I’ve learned a lot about the stuff around it.

Some people take podcasts way too seriously

I try to make it a point not to talk about my podcast. Ever. I’m hoping this doesn’t count because I’m not specifically calling mine out. Actually, crap, it is was on my homepage. That’s embarrassing.

I don’t like to talk about it because, a) it’s insufferable to do so, and b) 95% of people could (rightfully) not care less. I should know–I’m one of them.

The other 5% assign way too much credibility. People have called me an expert, thought leader, and all sorts of other slurs. Like having a podcast means something. Please refer to how this got started. Anyone can make a podcast in minutes. That’s what’s so great about it. It also means a podcast has the same credibility as your average YouTube comment.

Some folks think they’re not qualified to podcast. Like there are any qualifications on the internet. The folks on ShopTalk refer to podcasting as “mouth blogging”. I’ve yet to hear a better description. And like blogs, anyone can have one. No one is checking credentials. Some are decent. Most aren’t–which is fine. That’s not the point.

The point of a podcast is to get things out of your head

Most of the ideas we have rattling in our head are incredibly dumb. The act of blurting them out does two things. 1) Helps you come to terms with the terminally-dumb ideas and, 2) Forces you to un-dumb the ones that have potential.

I maintain the opinion that writing is the best way to distill your thoughts. But sometimes you ain’t got time for that. If you’re like me and find writing to be one rung above a to-the-death pit fight, podcasting may be for you.

Sometimes it’s helpful to just talk through an idea–especially while it’s still forming. I’ve found podcasting to be a great pre-first draft for a later blog post. I’d say blogging and podcasting are a great combo if you have the time and inclination.

That said, talking and writing ain’t the same thing. Maybe all you do is stick to talking on a podcast. Either way, you’re getting your ideas out into the world. Good on you.

Either way, the process of sharing an idea will make it better. It’ll be clearer, more succinct, and with less holes. So you’re getting a ton in return even when inevitably no one listens.

It’s a great way to keep in touch with friends

The main idea behind the podcast–at least for myself–was to create a ritual to hang out with a friend. Davy and I were usually talking about design systems anyways–we just decided to record it.

I’m a borderline recluse. So a ritual like this has been huge in staying connected with my friend. Now, I’m not saying podcasts are going to solve the loneliness epidemic. But it sure as hell ain’t going to hurt it either.

And then there’s the other side of the podcast. I joke that no one listens to our podcast. That’s not entirely true. It gets some listeners (that’s as specific as I’ll get). But the people who do listen, fucking listen. We have a core audience that seems to come back for almost every episode. In a way, it’s how I can “stay in touch” with folks I know. Kind of like sending Christmas card with the year’s updates–but it’s every two weeks and about design systems.

Doing the thing is the fun part

I’m not ashamed to say that I enjoy fun. And while I like writing, I’ll never mistake it with fun. Podcasting has been a way to get many of the benefits of writing–but with a lot more fun. Now, keep in mind, I do none of the work for the podcast. Which is probably why it doesn’t feel like work. Major caveat.

Talking about the right subject with the right person/people is a recipe for fun. Fun for you, for your co-host(s), and for the four people that listen. I’m joking–two people. But that’s what’s great–you all had fun even if no one listens. And believe it or not, it’s OK to have fun without other people knowing about it.

It’s the most low-key way to be an independent publisher

I didn’t dawn on me until a few years in that podcasting is still indie at its core. Somehow this format has fallen through the cracks and avoided being swallowed up. It’s RSS-based and can basically be hosted from anywhere. Sure, it’s syndicated in commercial platforms, but it doesn’t need to be. And that great–especially now.

Social media has been a complete failure. We made a huge mistake by donating our thoughts, ideas and creativity to these monsters. Making a podcast is the most pain-free middle finger to all that. You may think your social media platform of choice is fine. And it may be–now. All it takes is a change of ownership for it to become a nazi porn platform. Or even worse, LinkedIn. Having an independent podcast means you never need to worry about that. You can keep truckin’ in your cozy little space as the next platform goes up in flames.

How in the world are there only like five design systems podcasts? And by such untalented people? Okay, fine, maybe just one of them is untalented. We need more voices talking about things they’re interested in. It’d also be nice if it’s stuff they’re semi-knowledgable about. We need those voices broadcast on not TikTok, Twitter or LinkedIn. Maybe with a few more peeps who aren’t middle-aged dudes.

No, I probably won’t listen to your podcast

And that’s fine. A good idea isn’t measured in stars. Fun isn’t measured in reposts. A platform isn’t a platform unless it’s yours to stand on. What I’ve learned is that the value of making a podcast is just that. Give it a try.