Start Your Own Podcast: A Beginner’s Guide Inspired by Lenny Rachitsky

Starting a podcast like Lenny’s, with its significant reach and success, involves a blend of strategic planning, quality content creation, and technical setup.

Lenny Rachitsky’s journey to crossing 10 million downloads with his podcast provides a blueprint that aspiring podcasters can learn from.

Here’s a detailed guide on how to start a podcast, drawing inspiration from Lenny’s experience.

Step 1: Embrace the Idea and Set Your Goals

Lenny was hesitant to start a podcast among the plethora of existing ones. What made him take the leap was the unique value he believed he could provide, coupled with encouragement from peers. Before you begin, ask yourself:

• What unique perspective or value do I bring to the table?
• Who is my target audience, and what are their interests and challenges?
• What are my goals with the podcast? (e.g., community building, education, entertainment)

Step 2: Plan Your Content

Lenny credits much of his success to focusing on content that at least 100 people would love rather than trying to appeal to thousands with mediocre content. To mirror this:

• Identify a niche that you are passionate about and that has an engaged audience.
• Create a content calendar that outlines topics you plan to cover, potential guests, and the structure of each episode.
• Decide on the format of your podcast, whether it will be interview-based, solo, or a mix.

Step 3: Assemble Your Tech Stack

Your “podcast stack” encompasses everything from recording equipment to editing software. Starting simple, as Lenny did, is okay. Your initial setup might include:

• Microphone: A USB microphone like the Shure MV7 or Audio-Technica ATR2100x.
• Recording software: Riverside.fm for high-quality, remote recordings, or Audacity for a free, simple local recording option.
• Editing software: Descript or Audacity for editing your recordings.
• Hosting platform: Services like Spotify for Podcasters (formerly known as Anchor), Libsyn, or Podbean to host and distribute your podcast.

Step 4: Develop Your Skills and Workflow

Lenny spent time honing his interviewing skills and establishing a workflow that ensured quality content creation without burning out. Consider:

• Improving interviewing skills: Learn to ask engaging questions, listen actively, and guide the conversation compellingly.
• Creating a workflow: From researching and scripting to recording and editing, establish a process that works for you and maintains consistency in content delivery.

Step 5: Launch and Market Your Podcast

Building an audience takes effort and strategy. Lenny used his existing newsletter platform at Substack as a springboard. You can:

• Leverage existing networks: Share your podcast with your social media followers, email subscribers, and professional networks.
• Engage with your audience: Encourage feedback, answer comments, and create community spaces, like a dedicated podcast discussion group.
• Utilize podcast directories: Ensure your podcast is available on all major platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Step 6: Reflect, Adapt, and Grow

Lenny’s approach to continuous improvement and adapting based on feedback has been crucial. Regularly:

• Solicit listener feedback to understand what works and what doesn’t.
• Analyze performance data to identify trends, popular topics, or guest appearances.
• Experiment with new ideas to keep the content fresh and engaging.

Conclusion

Starting a podcast like Lenny’s involves much more than just hitting record. It requires a clear vision, dedication to quality, strategic content planning, and a willingness to learn and adapt.

By following these steps and staying true to your unique voice and value proposition, you can create a podcast that resonates with listeners and grows over time.