This week, I launched a new podcast called BOY PROBLEMS, and while the announcement looked splashy and fun, it was more than a year in the making. That’s why I wanted to pull back the curtain and let you peek at what launching a podcast actually looks like. Because here’s the truth: launching any big project as a creator is both way easier and way harder than it looks. It’s simultaneously more work and less work than you expect, which sounds contradictory but is the only way I can really accurately describe it.
Before you begin, it’s completely overwhelming, you’re staring at what feels like a million impossible steps, and that’s why most people never even start. But once you’re in motion, you realize it’s not that hard. Until you hit the middle part, when you suddenly feel like the walls are closing in and you start to wonder if you should just give up and become a florist. That’s also where most people quit.
But if you can just keep going, if you can get to the end, you’ll realize it was all worth it. You’ll be proud, and exhausted, and weirdly ready to do it all over again. It’s the arc of every creative process I’ve ever experienced—first you’re excited, then you’re miserable, then you’re excited again. So if you’re going to take one thing from this, let it be this: don’t quit.
This isn’t my first time launching a podcast—it’s actually my fifth—and I’ve done it in just about every way you can imagine. You can launch independently, which is what I did with Heart Homework, a show I made during the pandemic with the same friend I was quarantined with. She also happened to be a brilliant producer, which made everything easier.
We reached out to guests ourselves, set up our own recordings, and somehow got people like Riz Ahmed and Rupi Kaur to come on. It felt shockingly easy because everyone was stuck at home. You can also launch a podcast as an employee at a media company, which usually means you get support but don’t own the rights. That’s what I did with Divided States of Women while I was at Vox. I had a salary and a team, but not the IP, which can create issues like it did for Call Her Daddy.
Then there’s the third option, which is what I did this time: partnering with a production company, podcast network, or media company. That route takes pitching. I spent a few grueling nights making a deck in Canva, my agent at CAA sent it around, and I talked about it to literally everyone—friends, acquaintances, people at parties, people on Raya. You name it, I pitched it. And you know what happened? Everyone said no.
Yes, literally everyone. Even people who were fans of my work. Even people who were already listening to the two popular podcasts I was making at the time. I say this because it’s so important to know that when you’re doing something new—something that doesn’t quite exist yet—most people won’t see it. And that’s okay.
Don’t take rejection personally. Don’t soften or shrink your idea to make it more palatable unless you agree with the note. And know this: the more original or exciting your idea is, the more likely it will scare decision-makers. That’s not your fault—that’s the system.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind would probably never be made today. Anthony Bourdain’s entire show would be a hard pass. Even something like Armchair Expert, one of the most beloved podcasts now, started as a passion project that Dax Shepard made on his own because no one else saw his vision. If no one wants your idea, you still have to make it.
You may have to go it alone. I came incredibly close to doing that with this one. And then, out of nowhere, someone I’d dreamed of collaborating with for years had the capacity and interest. My hero Katie Couric!! And I had the right project at the right time. It felt like a coincidence, but it was really just timing, meeting persistence. So yes, luck matters. But so does sticking with it long enough for luck to find you. It’s going to sound like crunchy granola, but as creators, we are co-creating with the universe. Your only job is to keep showing up.
Once the deal was signed, there was still a whole checklist of things to create before we could go live. We needed podcast art, a theme song, and a trailer—just to get the show listed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Apple takes longer than Spotify, with more forms and approvals, so if your page isn’t live yet, even though your trailer is out, don’t panic—but start early.
You’ll also need a show description and, ideally, a sponsor. I was really lucky that Katie Couric’s team helped us land a presenting sponsor—Kotex—in just a few weeks. That kind of support was crucial for me because without it, you’re in long-game territory, hoping your audience grows fast enough to eventually bring in ad revenue.
And if you decide, like we did, to make a video podcast? Just know it’s significantly more expensive. Audio-only is simpler and cheaper, but having a visual element makes it way easier to grow an audience on social. We did a photoshoot, and my insanely talented friend Sofala Mai offered to do it for a fraction of her usual rate—and still brought an incredible creative vision.
My friends Joey Soboleski (fellow creator) and James Del (publisher of Passionfruit!) also stepped in as one of my emotional support hot guys for the concept, and they absolutely delivered. If you’re wondering how much all of this might cost, a seasoned podcast producer estimated around $10,000. But if you’re scrappy—and your friends are generous—you can bring that number way down.
This cannabis startup pioneered “rapid onset” gummies
Most people prefer to smoke cannabis, but that isn’t always an option if you’re at work or in public.
That’s why Mood’s new Rapid Onset THC Gummies are so exciting. They can take effect in as little as 5 minutes without the need for a lighter, lingering smells, or any coughing. Nobody will ever know.
Across the internet, posts pleading “somebody needs to do it” are racking up millions of likes. While the phrase is vague, somehow everyone understands the subject and action being referenced.
Passionfruit contributor Taylor Lorenz explores why this meme became so pervasive what led us here. Check it out.
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