How many episodes should I plan before I launch my show?
// The short answer
Three. Plan three episodes before you launch and no more. Three is enough to get going, leaves room to change direction once you’ve done a few, and gives new listeners something to binge when the podcast goes out.
Why three
If you map out loads of episodes before you’ve even launched, you’re setting yourself up for a mountain of work. And three episodes in, you might decide you want to change direction a little. Those twenty carefully planned episodes go straight in the recycling.
Three is a good number for the podcast side as well. It’s a good idea to launch a podcast with at least three episodes out, so there’s something to binge. Which is funny, really, considering most people never get as far as three.
What “planned” actually means
Planning an episode doesn’t mean writing it. For me it’s a working title and my take on it: what I actually believe about the topic, and how I think about it. I record that as a voice note.
That’s it. Please don’t let AI write the take for you. It’s the one step where your personality has to be in there, and AI will quietly steamroll it out.
Then set a date
Put your first episode about two weeks out. That’s plenty of runway. Any longer and it starts to feel like planning a wedding.
Thinking about a show of your own?
Book a Live Show Chat. Tell me what you’re thinking and I’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth building.
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