Lend Me Your Ears
Podcasts, Audiobooks, Influencers & the Creation of A $2 Bn Media Economy
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Most People That I Know Are Interested In On-Demand Stuff; Podcasts is Essentially Audio Netflix — Jordan Harbinger
With a plethora of avenues enabled by digitization and the internet, the old complaint “ I don’t have the money to start a business” is becoming an outdated cliche. This article introduces readers to two growing platforms i.e. podcasts and audiobooks that are delivering knowledge through active listening, democratizing influence, enabling a zero marginal cost (but not zero marginal opportunity cost) business and fueling an alternate economy that typically relies on loneliness to create a fertile listening experience. It also provides readers with an introduction to creating their own podcasts, audiobooks and ultimately a bankable brand based on influence. Money, however, should never be the ultimate goal. Helping people imagine or understand the world around them should be the intent. It will become a business only if society sees value in your content.
Surviving A Lonely Commute
In 1961, Roy Orbison crooned “Only The Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)” which established him as a hit singer. The song reached №2 on the Billboard Pop music charts and spent two weeks at the №1 spot in the United Kingdom (UK). “Only The Lonely” keeps playing in my mind each morning as I open the door to my car and step in to begin my commute to work. At first, my solution to loneliness was an ever increasing playlist of songs chosen from the 40 million songs available on Apple Music. While the music was a great way to start an early morning commute, I started feeling an urge to have a companion to chat with during the roughly 45 minute commute. So, I requested a colleague if he would car pool with me. We did carpooling for 2 months until coordinating times became too burdensome.
So, I was back to square one. On a bright evening in July, I accidentally clicked on the podcast icon on my iPhone which I had never used prior to 2017. I remember downloading the Tim Ferriss show and tuning in to Tim’s conversation with Nick Szabo and Naval Ravikant on cryptocurrencies. To this day, it remains my #1…
