It’s both easier and harder than ever to build a successful podcast. In this episode, we chat with Sriram and Aarthi from the Good Time Show, who ventured into the world of audio peak pandemic and have since interviewed the likes of Elon Musk, Calvin Harris, and Naomi Osaka.

We get their perspective on how to succeed in this competitive landscape, differentiation and the sliding scale of entertainment and information, the difference between an audience and a community, podcast analytics and how they’re changing, and even what Sriram has learned from his frontrow experience at Twitter recently.

Topics Covered:

• 00:00 - Intro
• 02:20 - Podcast trivia
• 06:07 - Starting a podcast
• 08:45 - Differentiating
• 13:10 - Information vs entertainment
• 18:08 - Getting off the talk track
• 20:40 - Growth and metrics
• 22:31 - Authenticity
• 27:10 - Secret sauce of podcasting
• 28:10 - Advice for new podcasters
• 29:58 - In-person events
• 32:06 - Tech as a force for good
• 34:50 - The next wave of social
• 37:23 - Creator middle class
• 41:16 - Podcast infrastructure
• 42:55 - ChatGPT
• 45:10 - Swapping lives with a celebrity
• 52:26 - Your personal monopoly

Resources:

Find Sriram on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sriramk

Find Aarthi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarthir

Find Aarthi and Sriram on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AarthiAndSriram

Check out the Good Time Show: https://www.aarthiandsriram.com/

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.