The start of the new new thing?

The following things can be simultaneously true:

1. Podcasting is a profoundly powerful high affinity digital medium that is rapidly growing.??

2. It is slightly broken?

This is not an “oh my god” broken or even “we need to reconceptualize everything” broken, but it IS in the “we can potentially do it better” broken.??

Interestingly, this is not a scenario in which fault lies in one specific area.? I’ve been talking to various stakeholders across the entire value chain of the industry? (Agencies, Creators, Hosting Companies, Hold Cos, Marketers, Publishers, Strategists, etc) and everyone, to a person, has some thoughts on how we can improve the medium.

And, lest we forget, we are still very much in the early days of this medium, and despite some doubt, there is growth ahead..?

Last week I spent the day at the IAB Audio Innovators Leadership Summit.? First and foremost, I stand by the fact that the people in audio are…different.? There is a passion there, a drive, that I haven’t found in other industries and it is infectious.? And with that, a desire and commitment to continued growth and change.? Multiple discussions about where the future of audio is and how we, collectively, can facilitate that growth (lot of discussion around data and the concept of education gaps across the marketplace).

I came away more convinced than ever about the potential of our medium - but also with a lot of thoughts and questions as to how best to realize that potential. To be clear, as grandiose as this sounds I am not suggesting in any way that the goal here is to “solve” the various issues in podcasting.??

HOWEVER….

What if we can solve the various issues in podcasting?? Can talking to all the smartest people in all the various rooms get us closer to aligning on issues and problems?? Can we find common ground on universal solutions and then implement?

Let’s find out.? Over the next month as I step away from the publisher side, I’m excited to look at all aspects of the business holistically.? As an industry, what do we feel good about?? What isn’t working?? What can we do better?? And, selfishly, how do these answers inform what I’m (we’re) going to do next?

So as of today, let the listening tour begin!? I’ll be reaching out to people across the industry in all parts to dig into what we like and don’t like, while simultaneously doing my own research on how we might move forward.??

Perhaps it is time to purchase a whiteboard…