Everyone has a podcast now. The market feels saturated. Is it too late to start one, or is there still room for new voices? I have expertise but I am worried nobody will find me in the noise.

It is too late for a general business podcast. It is never too late for a hyper-specific one. "Freelance web designers who hate client calls" is a niche. "Business advice" is a graveyard.

@SamC One soft mention per episode. Not a pitch. "If you are dealing with this, I help clients solve it. Link in show notes." The rest is pure value. Trust first. Offer second.

@DerekNoBS @HannahK @Marcus Chen I am narrowing my podcast idea from "freelance tips" to "freelance moms navigating school holidays." Hyper-specific. Scary. But your examples give me courage. Starting next month.

I disagree that podcasts are about audience size. My podcast gets 200 downloads. But 40% of those listeners have hired me. I would rather have 200 qualified than 20,000 random

@Marcus Chen How do you convert podcast listeners to clients? Do you mention your services in every episode or let them find you

Not too late at all. If you’ve got real expertise and a clear angle, there’s still plenty of room. It’s more about value than timing.

I did some market size research and found out my niche has about 2,400 potential clients in North America. If I can get 12 active clients, I'd be super happy. That's only like 0.5% of the market so hopefully doable 😃

There are still new podcasts popping up all the time. I think in terms of what topics or niche you fall under will impact how well it does. I have seen lawyers, doctors, financial experts, etc. all start podcasts and do very well.

It's too late for a general business podcast. It's never too late for a hyper-specific one. Freelance web designers who hate client calls is a niche. Business advice is a graveyard.

I started a podcast for female freelancers over 40. Three hundred downloads per episode. Tiny by mainstream standards. But my coaching business filled from it.

My podcast gets 200 downloads. But 40% of those listeners have hired me. I'd rather have 200 qualified than 20,000 random.

Podcasts are not about audience size. They're about relationship depth. Someone who listens to your voice for an hour trusts you more than someone who skimmed a tweet.

I launched with zero audience and 12 episodes in the can. The consistency of weekly publishing built the audience, not the other way around.

I started mine in 2025 when everyone said podcasting was dead. 200 downloads per episode, 5 clients directly from it. "dead" is relative to your goals.

The barrier to entry is higher now, which is good. filters out people who aren't serious. less noise, more signal for committed creators.

My podcast is not about growth. it's about depth. 50 loyal listeners who buy is better than 5,000 casual ones who don't. redefine success before you start.

I started with 10 episodes recorded before launching. gave me buffer and confidence. most people quit because they can't maintain consistency. prepare for the marathon.

I use podcasting as networking, not audience building. every guest becomes a relationship. every relationship becomes opportunity. the downloads are secondary.