The Ledger
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Gimlet Media ignores data and analytics when greenlighting new podcast shows
“We don't do any kind of analytical process around it, and partly because it's not like, it's like we don't, right now the, sort of like the main, the capital that we need to start a show is Is, is human capital, right?”
Blumberg: Betting on talent is even more critical in podcasting than tech
“Like that's, it's like sort of like the startup equivalent is sort of you bet on the founder. I think that's even more the case in podcasting if that's possible”
Blumberg: Audio storytellers must prioritize curiosity and understanding over issue advocacy
“And empathy is like a big, big part of what we believe is important. Like you have to be motivated by a desire to understand you know, as much as a desire as any other desire, like sometimes like a lot of people get into sort of like this line of work for a va…”
Alex Blumberg estimates 30% to 40% of NPR listeners identify as conservative
“There was like, there was something like 30 to 40% of the listeners were identified as conservative, and it was a pretty big, you should check that number, but it's, it was, it's a, when people hear it, it's a surprising number to them.”
Blumberg: Top podcasts combine storytelling, companionship, and learning
“So we just try to figure out like, okay, what are we doing? And right now we've, we, and we try to do all of them. Like the big ones can sort of bring storytelling, bring that companionship and bring something that you learn.”
Blumberg: The best place to find podcast listeners is on other podcasts
“The best place to find podcast listeners is, is on other podcasts. That's still true.”
Blumberg: Audio only competes with other audio and music for attention
“You know, you're driving to work, whatever. You can't be looking at a screen. So all audio is competing with is other audio or music, basically.”
Gimlet Media operated without a single technology employee until late 2017
“Up until like a couple, up until about a month ago, we didn't have one
Technology person on the team.”
Blumberg: Gimlet is unlikely to build its own podcast platform
“It seems less likely that if we were ever going to build like our own platform, that seems less and less likely. Like just because, you know, the Spotify's and the tune-ins and the Apple's are definitely like for a while, like they weren't really paying attent…”
Blumberg: Building podcasts around host passion beats assigning hosts to concepts
“It's better to find something that the host is passionate about rather than try to sort of match the host with some sort of material that you think could work.”
Alex Blumberg says creators find their unique voice by copying their heroes
“You have to start with some, with a vision of what you want to be. And then like you copy that and then eventually you'll find your way to your own voice through copying. But like, if you're just starting out, I'm original, I'm going to do it my way. Like, it'…”
Blumberg: A good interview functions like a good therapy session
“A good interview is like a good therapy session. Where you're just trying to get people to put their feelings into words.”