A podcast built to repeat

Diary of a CEO books a guest only on three yeses: Steven is interested, the guest is the expert, the audience wants it. Two is a no. They also hunt outlier guests, people who outperform every other interview on the channels they visit. Seb Losardo adds the bit most podcasts skip: write the title and thumbnail first and let that pick the guest. Then cut the episode into sections that each pay off, because people leave in the gaps between them. And test it before it goes out.

How do I use it?

1. Score every guest idea on three questions: is the host interested, is the guest the expert who speaks well, does the audience want it. Book only on three yeses.
2. Search for outlier guests, people whose interviews outperform on other channels, and check timing and exclusivity.
3. Write the title and thumbnail before booking, and let the package decide the guest.
4. Research each guest for the emotional story worth drawing out.
5. On the day, arrive an hour early, check every camera, light and microphone, and set the room so the guest is comfortable.
6. Flag moments live with a timecode and a note, and turn them into a list for the editors at the end.
7. Cut the episode as sections, each with tension, journey and payoff, and close the gaps between them.
8. Before release, show it to a test panel and keep the sections that give the interesting ones their context.
9. Open with no preamble: confirm the promise, qualify the guest by what they have done, and put the chapters on screen.
10. Read the retention curve for drops at the section joins, and fix one 1% thing on the next shoot.

Whose method is this?

Built from the published talks and podcasts of Jack Sylvester, Seb Losardo, Michael Lim, written as steps to run.