So You Want to Start a (Tech) Podcast
For the past year, I’ve been hosting the Rust in Production, a podcast about companies who shape the future of infrastructure.
This journey has taught me a lot about what it takes to create and maintain a successful podcast. Well, success is always relative; at the moment we have around 5k regular (monthly) listeners. Maybe not a ton of people, but it puts us comfortably into the top 5% of podcasts – at least by some statistics.
Whether you’re considering starting your own podcast or just curious about the process, I hope my experiences can offer some valuable insights.
Do Your Research
Before you dive into the world of podcasting, take some time to explore the landscape. Think about branding and positioning first.
Topic
When choosing your topic, make sure it’s something you can easily generate ideas for. Try to come up with at least 10 potential episode ideas before you settle on it. If you’re planning an interview-based podcast, ensure you have a large enough network to secure at least 10 guests.
Competition
Research your competition. Listen to similar podcasts and note down what you like and dislike about them. This will help you differentiate your podcast from others in the same niche.
If a podcast is already covering your topic, that’s not necessarily a bad thing; it just shows there’s an audience for it. However, you need to find a unique angle or a different format to stand out. If you can’t be the first, be the best. Be the funniest, or the most in-depth, or the one with the most interesting guests.
Be honest with yourself about what you can offer that others can’t. If you can’t find a unique angle, it might be better to choose a different topic. If you’re not sure, ask your friends or colleagues for their opinion.
Podcast Name
What’s the title of your podcast?
- Is it catchy and easy to remember?
- Does it convey what your podcast is about?
- Is the domain name available?
- Are the social media handles available?
- Is there a simple abbreviation you can use for hashtags or mentions?
Especially the last few points are often overlooked. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to find your podcast. I’d say don’t be too clever with your podcast name. It should be easy to remember and spell. If you have to explain it, it’s probably too complicated. Also, don’t use special characters or numbers in your podcast name. It makes it harder to remember and type. Don’t pick a too generic name either. Be specific about your niche. So instead of “The JavaScript Podcast,” go for “Refactoring JavaScript” or “React Weekly.”
Don’t forget about SEO. Consider what people might search for when looking for content like yours. My podcast is titled “Rust in Production,” which is a commonly searched term. This has helped with discoverability. Another version of that, which could work, is to think about questions that people Google for. E.g. “What is functional programming?” or “How to refactor legacy code?” and then coming up with a podcast name that answers that question. For example, “Functional Programming Explained” or “Refactoring Legacy Code.”
Cover Art
Your podcast’s cover is equally crucial. It’s the first thing people recognize about your podcast (except for the title) before they decide what to listen to, so it needs to stand out from the crowd.
What I did was open my podcast app and look at the grid of covers.
I asked myself which ones stood out and why. I also asked a few friends and my partner to do the same. I got some great feedback that way. This visual first impression can make a big difference in attracting new listeners.
Length
Next, decide on your podcast’s length. Fifteen minutes is great for news content, 30 minutes work well for commutes, and one hour is suitable for deep dives. Anything longer, and listeners might hesitate to commit their time.
Plan Your Content
Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to plan your content strategy. Having a regular schedule is key - weekly or biweekly episodes work well for many podcasts. Start conservatively; you can always increase frequency later, but underestimating the workload can lead to burnout.
I highly recommend buffering content by recording a few episodes before you start publishing. This gives you a cushion and reduces stress, especially when you’re just starting out.
Consider a season-based approach. For “Rust in Production,” we do 7-8 episodes and then take a break. This allows for better planning and reduces ongoing pressure.
Respect Your Guests
If you’re doing an interview-based podcast, treating your guests with respect is paramount. Explain why you want them on your show in the initial email. Keep them informed about the process and be flexible with scheduling. At the start of the recording, explain how things will work and ask if they have any time constraints.
Remember, your guests are likely doing this for free. Respect their time and make the experience as smooth as possible for them.
Invest in Quality
Audio quality can make or break a podcast. Invest in good equipment - get a decent microphone and headphones, and consider ways to improve your room’s acoustics. If you’re interviewing guests remotely, consider their equipment too. A pre-call to check their setup can be invaluable, or you might even consider sending them equipment if you want consistent quality across episodes.
Always remind guests to stay close to the mic. It’s a small detail that can make a big difference in audio quality. On two occasions, I had guests who had their condenser mic backwards, and that sounds pretty dull. You get better at picking up on these things the more you record. It helps to know which way the mic should be facing (usually the logo on the mic and the volume knob should be facing you). Both guests were very grateful for the tip and the audio quality improved significantly.
Production Tips
One of the best decisions I made was not to edit the podcast myself. I’m incredibly thankful that Simon Brüggen agreed to do the editing for “Rust in Production.” It would have been an enormous amount of work on top of finding guests, recording, and hosting. It also helps that Simon is a Rust developer and understands the content. He can give tips on how to improve the content from a technical perspective.
For recording, tools like Zencastr, Riverside, or Descript are excellent. They capture audio on both sides, giving you uncompressed files to work with. Auphonic is great for cleaning up audio, removing filler words, and creating transcripts.
When it comes to hosting, I use Letscast. They’re not the cheapest option, but their customer service is top notch and the website is fast and not bloated.
Develop Your Style
As you progress, you’ll naturally develop your own podcasting style. For me, I prefer to let guests do most of the talking, only interjecting occasionally with questions or comments. The motto is “say less, ask more.” It’s a good rule of thumb for interviews. It’s not about you, it’s about the guest. Let them shine. In pursuit of asking better questions, I wrote an essay on how to ask better questions. I’ve also found that taking notes during recording helps me ask better follow-up questions.
Don’t be afraid to encourage your guests when they make good points. A nod, a smile, or a thumbs up can go a long way in making them feel comfortable and valued.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
While it’s tempting to obsess over metrics, try not to focus on them too much. Instead, concentrate on producing content you’d enjoy consuming yourself. Be passionate about your topic and create your podcast as if no one is listening - ironically, this often leads to the most engaging content.
Starting a podcast is a lot of work, but it’s incredibly rewarding. The podcast space isn’t oversaturated yet - it reminds me of the golden age of YouTube a few years ago. Podcasting is becoming more professional now, but there’s still plenty of room for new formats and perspectives.
Remember: it’s okay to start small and grow. You’ll learn and improve with each new episode. The most important thing is to enjoy the process and share your personality with the world.
If you’re interested in Rust, consider listening to the Rust in Production podcast. I’d love to hear what you think!
Thanks for reading! I mostly write about Rust and my (open-source) projects. If you would like to receive future posts automatically, you can subscribe via RSS.