What to do when no one cares

I recently came upon this question posted in an online group for podcasters:

“What should my first episode be about?”

That’s kind of like asking a stranger on the street, “I want to go into business. What kind of business should I start?

The goal of starting a project isn’t simply to check a box that says, “I did it.”

Why do you want to start a podcast, a blog, a YouTube channel, a school club, a community group, or a movement? Is it just to say you did it? To put it on your resumé? If it is, let me save you some time:

No one cares.

Everyone has a blog, a podcast, a YouTube channel. Everyone’s started a company, written a book, launched a club, or served on a committee.

And if you’ve really never done any of those things, you could lie and get away with it! You’d never be questioned. We would just assume you had, because everyone else has.

The Price of Free Technology

In a post-digital revolution world it’s free to execute projects. Write a book, publish, and sell it for FREE – you don’t even have overhead! Start a business on the Internet – free! Start a community Facebook group? No cost. Run your own TV station? It doesn’t cost $100,000, and you don’t need anyone’s permission. Just take out your phone, hit record, and upload to YouTube – FOR FREE!!!

Gone are the days of padding your resumé – academic or professional – with fancy titles and projects. We see right through that. You can start any project you want, give yourself any title you please.

No one cares.

So if the only reason you’re launching a podcast is to say you run a podcast? Don’t bother. Just say you run a podcast. You’ll get the same response from the world with none of the effort.

But if you’re going to take the time and energy to upload videos, publish a blog, organize a community group, start a club at school…

At least say something worthwhile.

Because if you show up, and you show up again, and you keep showing up,  eventually someone will care, because saying something worthwhile is risky, generous, and empowering.

And that’s worth doing.

Making an Impact

So to the original poster, you don’t launch a podcast and then decide what to talk about. You have something to say, something to contribute, something to engage, inspire, educate, or entertain, and then decide a podcast is the right medium.

If you had a microphone that transmitted to everyone’s ears on planet earth, what would you say?  Great, now go find just one person who needs to hear that, and put it in a medium they would be most receptive.

That’s how we do work that matters. Let’s get to it.