Why are podcasts so popular?

Since I have become a professional podcast host with my buddy Rob Nudds with The Real Time Show I received many questions about podcasts. Since we started 26 months ago, this article is long overdue:

Question One

Q1: “What is your favorite podcast show?”?

A1: Obviously TRTS!?

Question Two

Q2: “Ok, Ok! What is your favorite watch podcast besides your own or Ace Jewelers ’ pod?”

A2: My top three is:

1. Superlative by aBlogtoWatch & Ariel Adams . (You can find the episode where I am a guest here.)

2. Openworks by Collective Horology , Gabe Reilly & Asher Rapkin .

3. Keeping Time by Oster Jewelers & Jeremy Oster (he actually inspired me to venture out with Rob and create a totally independent podcast about watches without sponsoring).

Bonus answers:

- The Deep Track by Blake Buettner .

- GB Talks by George Bamford .

- Mannen van de Tijd by ??Frederik Middelhoff , Twan & Sjors (in Dutch) (you can find first episode I was a guest on their show here).

Question Three

Q3: “Do you listen to any podcasts that are not about watches? If so, which ones?”

A3: Strangely enough I did not listen to a single audio only podcast before I have stated my own. Only a while in creating podcast episode I slowly started listening to other shows that are not about watches. As my other passions are humans & technology. So, this is my top three:

1. Lex Fridman by himself (strong focus on tech, politics, history & entrepreneurs).

2. Your Undivided Attention by Center for Humane Technology , Aza Raskin & Tristan Harris (all about future of technology and effects on humanity).

3. Acquired by Ben Gilbert & David Rosenthal (strong focus on entrepreneurs, tech and successful companies).

Bonus answers:

- All-In Podcast by Chamath Palihapitiya , David Friedberg , David O. Sacks & Jason Calacanis .

- ACQ2 by Acquired.com (see here above).

- Comedytrain by Theo Maas (in Dutch).

Question Four

Q4: “Do you watch podcast or only listen? And, are YouTube episodes also podcast episodes?”

A4: I actually do not watch “podcast” episodes. I only listen to audio episodes. Maybe there is a tiny expection, before I started getting into podcats, I just looked at Talking Watches by Hodinkee & Benjamin Clymer (you can find them here).

Question Five

Q5: “What is your favorite podcast player platform?”

A5: I am an 苹果 guy, so I use the native Apple Podcast app on my iPhone & MacBook. But music I listen on Spotify . And, if there is a single episode of a show I don’t follow and they stream it on their website, I just use a web browser.

Question Six

Q6: “I am considering to start my own podcast show, should I?”

A6: My default answer is always “Yes, why not?!”. If you feel you will enjoy it and think you will add value to listeners, go for it! I love Trial & Error. As Nike always say: Just Do It. And, Samuel Beckett said: “Fail. Fail. Fail Better!”

I case you want to do it as a business, make sure to answer Simon Sinek ’s three questions: Why, What & How aka "Start With Why?". (Fun fact: by writing this article I have discovered that Simon Sinke has his own podcast show. I have read all his books and it never occured to look if he has his own podcast).

Make sure why you want to do it (what is your real motivation), what you are going to do (what’s the goal) and how you are doing it (only audio, only video, both, TikTok, live stream, pre-recorded, etc).

To answer this for my own show TRTS:

- Why: I just love to talk about watches. especially with my buddy Rob. And, now David Vaucher, MBA, MEng & Scarlett Baker too (that joined us as hosts).

- What: We knew from day one we want to add value by sharing knowledge & passion watchmaking. So, it’s InfoTainment, we want to educate. It’s not a business and we don’t have a commercial goal. It’s a hobby.?

- How: we immediate decided that we want to do audio only, max 60 min per episode, max 2 episodes per week, but minimum 52 a year, high-quality (good mics, good guests, good content, good editing and good content around the episode).

And, we took it a step further, wanted to connect with our listeners and created a global digital community, which is so rewarding and fun.

Question Seven

Q7: “When do you listen to podcasts?”

A7: I strangely enough listen to music almost all done and almost everywhere, even when working. I am even more productive if I listen to music while working. But, I can only listen to podcasts when I drive or work-out (run or gym). It needs to have my undivided mental space while absorbing posts. I can’t listen when I working. I analysed why: I listen to podcasts to learn! To educate myself and it’s not entertainment for me.

Question Eight

Q8: “Do you listen to audio books?”

A8: I love books and love to read. I read every day: newspapers, magazines and few pages of a book. But all physical. I prefer to read as little as possible on a digital screen. And, strangely (third time I use this word) I have never listened to an audio book. Should I?

Question Nine

Q9: "When did you start making podcast episodes?"

A9: The first real audio-only podcast episode was with Rob, back in 2017. You can find that recording here. And, the first ever YouTube video I have recorded was in 2009, you can find them here (filter on oldest).

Dare to Ask

If you actually made it to the end of this post, I salute and thank you. And, if you do not follow our TRTS channel yet, it would me the world to me if you could. Just search for "The Real Time Show" + orange/blue TRTS logo. And, if you do not have a favorite podcast platform (yet), just give us some love by streaming the episodes on our website: https://www.therealtime.show/

Share your favorite podcast

Please share your favorite podcast shows here in the comment section ??

And, in case you are wondering if I have used any AI tools to write this article, I haven't ??

Happy holidays and a healthy, peaceful & podcast-full New Year.

#Podcast #Podcasts #PodcastHost #ContentCreator