Intro to Podcast Design

Know Your Why

Your Why Statement is your podcast's mission statement. It’s the backbone, the clear, single sentence that tells everyone why they should bother to press play.

If your purpose is an intrinsic expression of why you’re doing this, then your Why Statement is an extrinsic expression of why your listeners should care. It distills your idea, your reason for creating, your target audience, and all those decisions you made up until now, into one tight, powerful line. It’s your podcast’s promise to your audience.

Think of it as a service-level agreement between you and your listeners. Your Why Statement lays out what they’ll get each time they tune in. It reminds you why this show matters, who it’s for, and why they should keep coming back. And don’t underestimate it. It’s the first thing potential listeners see in your description, and it’s the guiding statement you check in on every time you sit down to create an episode.

To create a great Why Statement, you must answer these five essential questions:

• #1 – What will I talk about? Get to the core. What’s the subject, the big idea? What do you want to bring to your audience every episode? Keep it focused.
• #2 – Why am I doing this? Your purpose is your fuel. Why are you driven to talk about this topic? If you need clarity, revisit the earlier lessons on purpose. Make sure you know the “why” before moving forward.
• #3 – Who is this for? Define your target audience. Narrow it down. This isn’t a catch-all; you’re creating this podcast for a specific group of people. They’re out there—find them.
• #4 – Who will be the voice? Are you the host, or will there be others? This should be straightforward. Decide on the voice behind the mic.
• #5 – When is it done? Define your “done.” This can be a tricky one. It could mean reaching a certain milestone, achieving a specific goal, or maybe it’s simply a feeling. All podcasters want their podcast to last forever. Sadly, it will not. While your podcast may go on for many years, it will eventually come to an end. You decide if it happens naturally or on a specific episode number or date.

With answers to these five questions, you sharpen your focus and establish a clear, concise, and crispy understanding of your podcast's details. Now, it is time to craft all those answers into a one-sentence Why Statement by simply filling in the blanks:

“The [PODCAST NAME] is a podcast hosted by [TALENT NAME] about [IDEA/TOPIC] for [TARGET AUDIENCE] who want to hear about [NICHE/BIAS/PERSPECTIVE] until [GOAL].”

Simple, right? But don’t take it lightly. This is what all the groundwork was for.

Let’s look at an example. Take Coming Home with Bob Abbot, a podcast about military families adjusting to life after service. His Why Statement reads:

“[Coming Home] is a podcast hosted by [Bob Abbot] about [the struggles and victories of military families reentering civilian life], for [veterans and their families] [seeking understanding and support as they navigate a new normal] until [everyone comes home].”

That single sentence lays out everything: the topic, the audience, the reason, and the promise. It tells the audience why this podcast exists and what it’s going to do for them. That’s the power of a clear Why Statement.

Once you’ve crafted your Why Statement, make it visible. Put it on a sticky note above your computer, say it to yourself before every recording, and use it as a compass for your podcast.

This is your map and your north star.

Don’t lose it!