So You Want to Start a Podcast

Before embarking on this wonderful adventure, the author invites you to reflect upon some questions.

• Why do you want to start a podcast? It might seem like a trivial question, but it actually is not: if you think about it, you will realize that it is the most important question you have to ask yourself. Saying “because everyone is doing it” is not the right answer, as you have to find your motivation, your own why. After answering this question, ask yourself: why do you specifically want to start a podcast? Are you sure that a podcast is the best tool to tell your story?
• Who is your show for? With whom do you want to share your story and talent? Think about your ideal listener and reflect upon the reasons for them to be listening to your podcast: what sets it apart from the others? What makes you so special? If in the end, after all the reflections, you will come to the conclusion that your ideal listener is you, that’s fine! No ears are more important than your own when you decide to embark on this journey.
• What do you want to talk about? Think carefully about the central topic of your show, try to be as specific as possible and summarize everything in two or three sentences, which will explain the key idea of the show and its innovative features.
• Where can you draw your inspiration from? Creativity is not unidirectional: you can find inspiration in many different sources, such as radio, podcasts, YouTube, Snapchat, video games, Netflix to name just a few.
• How much love do you have to give? Are you ready to get fully engaged? Making a podcast is difficult, and without passion, failure is almost certain - only 16% of those who start a podcast will have more than nine episodes. Your podcast must become a pleasant obsession, and just thinking about it should excite you! This is the only way to succeed.