Launching and growing a podcast | Chris Hutchins (All the Hacks, Wealthfront, Google)

Dec 18, 2022 1h 17m 32 insights Episode Page ↗
Chris Hutchins, former PM, founder, and investor, shares insights on launching and growing a podcast, including content strategy and tools. He also discusses product innovation at Wealthfront and offers actionable financial hacks for optimizing life, money, and travel.
Actionable Insights

1. Only Podcast if Passionate

Start a podcast only if you genuinely love the topic and the process, as it’s unlikely to be immediately successful or profitable, requiring sustained effort for free.

2. Consistent Podcast Publishing

Publish an episode weekly for at least 10 weeks to quickly rank in the top 4% of all podcasts created, demonstrating commitment and consistency.

3. Create Unique, Authentic Content

Develop content with a unique perspective and authentic voice to stand out, aiming to be someone’s favorite podcast rather than just an ‘okay’ one for everyone.

4. Leverage Podcast for Networking

Use a podcast as a platform to explore your curiosities and connect with smart individuals you admire by inviting them as guests, providing a legitimate reason for interaction and knowledge sharing.

5. Prioritize Download Trend

Focus on the upward trend of your podcast downloads rather than a specific number, as consistent growth indicates success more than an initial spike.

6. Focus on Company Impact

In any job, prioritize having the most impact on the company rather than focusing on personal promotions, as this approach often leads to outperformance and career growth.

7. State Intent Clearly

When advocating strongly for your ideas, explicitly state your intent (e.g., ‘all I care about is company success’) to prevent others from misinterpreting your actions as self-serving.

8. Reinforce Vision & Mission

Consistently reiterate the company’s vision and mission at every all-hands meeting and help teams understand how their specific projects contribute to the overarching goals.

9. Deep Customer Understanding

Gain a deep understanding of customers by actively engaging with products and observing market trends beyond formal customer research, looking for insights outside your business’s walls.

10. Highlight Product Benefits

When discussing products, emphasize the emotional benefits and desired user feelings rather than just listing features, to create a more compelling vision.

11. Capitalize on High Podcast Rankings

When your podcast achieves a high ranking, immediately use that credibility to secure dream guests or other opportunities, as you can always reference that past achievement.

12. Pilot a Podcast Season

Commit to a short initial season (e.g., 8 episodes) to test if you enjoy podcasting before fully committing, allowing you to gracefully stop if it’s not a good fit.

13. Launch with Multiple Episodes

Launch your podcast with two or three episodes simultaneously or within a week to provide listeners with immediate content and avoid scrambling for new releases.

14. Choose Passionate Podcast Topic

Select a podcast topic based on what genuinely excites you, what people seek your expertise on, and what you naturally research, ensuring long-term enjoyment and authenticity.

15. Set Artificial Launch Deadlines

Overcome analysis paralysis by setting artificial or real deadlines (e.g., a friend announcing your podcast) to force a decision and get your podcast launched.

16. Gather Feedback with Private Feed

Create a private podcast feed and share the URL with a select group for early feedback, allowing you to refine content before a public launch.

17. Cultivate a Friends Newsletter

Before launching, build an email list of friends, family, and colleagues to share updates and content, establishing an initial audience for future promotions.

18. Engage in Niche Communities

Identify online communities (Twitter, Reddit, forums) related to your podcast’s niche and provide valuable answers to questions, driving interested users to your content.

19. Distribute Podcast Clips

Create short video clips from your podcast episodes and share them on platforms with built-in distribution (TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels) to build brand awareness and potentially drive downloads.

20. Guest on Other Podcasts

Offer yourself as an expert guest on other podcasts within your niche to reach new audiences who are already podcast listeners, providing a compelling pitch tailored to their show.

21. Experiment with Podcast Formats

Continuously experiment with different podcast formats (e.g., guest interviews, Q&A, solo episodes, themed series) to discover what you enjoy producing and what resonates with your audience.

22. Edit with Descript

Utilize Descript to streamline podcast editing by transcribing audio and allowing text-based editing, making the process faster and more efficient.

23. Auto-Generate Podcast Website

Use Podpage by submitting your RSS feed to automatically generate a professional podcast website, saving time and effort on web development.

24. Track Analytics with Chartable

Employ Chartable for podcast analytics, especially for tracking cross-promotions and ad performance by monitoring IP addresses of downloads to understand listener attribution.

25. Monitor Rankings with Podstatus

Use Podstatus for a quick daily overview of your podcast’s chart rankings and trends through simple line charts.

26. Test Podcast with Overcast Ads

Run affordable ads on Overcast to test your podcast’s description, cover art, and content quality by analyzing click-through and subscription rates against benchmarks.

27. Promote in Email Signature

Include a concise, inviting link to your podcast and newsletter in your email signature to passively promote your content to everyone you communicate with.

28. Find Unclaimed Money

Periodically check your state’s unclaimed money website using your name and city to find forgotten funds owed to you by businesses or government agencies.

29. Request Hotel Upgrades

Book directly with hotels and email them in advance, mentioning any special occasions and following up a few days before arrival, to increase your chances of receiving upgrades or complimentary amenities.

30. Gift Card Points Maximization

Purchase gift cards for stores that typically offer low credit card rewards (e.g., home improvement) at places that give higher rewards (e.g., grocery stores) to maximize your points per dollar spent.

31. Stack Discounts & Cashback

Before purchasing, always search online for coupons (e.g., on sites like ‘saveanddeals.com’) and utilize cashback portals to stack savings and maximize discounts.

32. Request Discounts via Chat

Use live chat features on company websites to directly ask for discounts or deals on products, as many companies are willing to offer them.