Intro to Podcast Design

Why do you want to start a podcast?

Why are you doing this?

This is the first question I ask every want-to-be podcaster. It's also the first step in planning your podcast because the answer defines why you want to create it in the first place.

This is your purpose.

Your purpose is personal—yours alone. It’s got to be a strong enough reason to keep you going longer than just a few months. But purpose can be hard to define. Many people struggle to articulate why they want to start a podcast or why it matters to them.

The purpose of your podcast should be about making meaning. Guy Kawasaki, a co-founder of Apple Computers, put it simply at Stanford in 2004. He said that to make something meaningful, it should aim to do one of three things:

• Increase the quality of life for yourself or others
• Right a wrong
• Prevent the end of something good

These same concepts can guide the purpose of your podcast. Think of it as the Purpose Principle.

Are you creating this podcast to improve lives? If so, you’re in good company. You might want to provide listeners with insights that changed your life, and that can change theirs too. Or maybe you want to entertain, bring joy, or offer a break from the day. Many motivational, growth-focused, fitness, and coaching podcasts have Life Change as their purpose.

Changing a life is a meaningful reason to become a podcaster.

If changing lives isn’t the driving force, maybe you’re motivated to right a wrong. The podcasting world is full of true crime journalists and amateur detectives uncovering the truth and solving real mysteries.

Maybe you want to correct the record, shift people’s thinking, or shed light on an overlooked perspective. Many social, political, cultural, and personal podcasts do exactly this, fighting for a cause worth highlighting. If this resonates with you, it could be the purpose behind your show.

The last way to make meaning, according to Kawasaki, is to prevent the end of something good. Many podcasters are passionate about their topics and want to connect with others who care just as much. If you’re keeping an idea alive long after others have moved on, you’re preserving something worth remembering.

Maybe it’s a lesson from history, a niche in pop culture, or a valuable tradition in health, sports, education, or art. There are countless things that the world has started to forget. Your purpose might be to remind people why these things matter. Your purpose should be about making meaning with your podcast, and that may require some time to think about your reasons. Take the time now—it will be the driving force to keep you podcasting even when it’s hard.

So, what’s your purpose?