501 - Let Them Unsubscribe

I recently came across a LinkedIn post that made a strong case for podcast hosts getting to the point more quickly.

The idea was simple: if your episode could be ten minutes, don’t stretch it into forty-five. Respect your listener’s time. Say the thing.

And honestly, I get it.

If I’m reading a book, listening to an audiobook, or sitting in a conference room while someone gives a presentation, I usually appreciate clarity, structure, and a clear point. I don’t want unnecessary repetition. I don’t want someone saying the same thing fifteen different ways just to fill time.

But I don’t hold every podcast to that same standard.

For me, podcasts are not always about information efficiency. Sometimes I listen because I enjoy the host. I enjoy the companionship. I enjoy hearing someone think out loud, process an idea, share stories, go down a few side roads, and let me spend time with them.

In this episode, I share why I believe there is room in podcasting for highly structured, concise, straight-to-the-point episodes, and also room for long-form, conversational, reflective, meandering episodes that are valuable for entirely different reasons.

I talk about shows I’ve listened to for years, including podcasts where the relationship with the host became more important than the topic itself. I also respond to the pressure that many new podcasters feel when they hear advice like “just say the thing.”

My concern is that this kind of advice, while helpful for some, may cause others to hesitate, over-prepare, and never release the good stuff they have to say.

So here’s my encouragement:

Create the podcast that is in your heart to create.

If you want to make short, focused, highly edited episodes, do that.

If you want to record long-form conversations, process out loud, share stories, and let people experience how you think, do that.

Let the listener decide with the play button, the stop button, the subscribe button, or the unsubscribe button.

Not every podcast needs to be a keynote.

Not every episode needs to be a perfectly polished lesson.

Sometimes the value of a podcast is not only the point being made. Sometimes the value is the person, the voice, the relationship, the journey, and the companionship along the way.

Until next time, I encourage you to take everything you do to the next level.