Zero listeners, zero fans, zero reputation.

Every podcaster starts in the same place.

It’s easy to begrudge the big brands and media empires entering the space and instantly racking up millions of downloads, but don’t forget, they started from zero too.

Not in the podcast world of course, but they’ve spent years, decades, or in the case of General Electric–who’ve put out a couple of fantastic podcasts–well over a century building their brand, following and clout.

Audiences are earned, no matter who’s building them.

No doubt most of the brands and media businesses bringing their massive followings and name recognition to podcasting were once small, scrappy, one-person operations, struggling to garner attention, customers, or funding.

Their hustling paid off, and now they’re simply bringing the audience they earned and grew via other mediums to podcasting.

We all have to go through that process.

As indie podcasters, it’s not productive to rail against these behemoths changing podcasting from what we think it should be.

If the shows they produce are good? Great! We all benefit from more great content in the world.

If the shows aren’t good? Well, few people are going to listen anyway and they’ll move onto something else. I’ve turned off podcasts, Netflix series, movies, and put down bad books and I’m sure you have too.

Rather than begrudge them, your opportunity is to learn from these producers and apply those lessons to your own show.

You can’t beat them at their own game.

But by choosing to aim smaller, more intimate, more personal with your audience, you can choose to play a very different game.

And you can win.

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