Bestselling author Tim Ferriss on how to create a successful podcast

“If you never got paid for podcasting, would the skills and relationships you developed be enough to keep you doing it? If the answer is ‘no’, I wouldn’t pull the trigger.” – Tim Ferriss

In the inaugural episode of Deviate, Rolf goes meta and talks about podcasting with bestselling author and lifestyle-design guru Tim Ferriss (@tferriss), whose newest book, Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World, debuts this week.

Update (12/07/17): An abridged transcript for this episode is now available online in blog form, as “Tim Ferriss on his 17 principles for how to create a successful podcast.”

Links:

Podcasting Tools

• Ecamm Call Recorder (28:04)
• Zencastr (28:08)
• ATR2100 USB Microphone (28:38)
• Zoom H6 Recorder (1:15:24)
• Zoom H1 Recorder
• Shure SM7B Mic
• Audacity (software)
• Auphonic (postproduction web service)
• Yellowtec: iXm (self-enclosed mic)
• Evernote (web application)

Other links

• Rolf Potts on the Tim Ferriss Show
• Ed Catmull on the Tim Ferriss Show
• Arnold Schwarzenegger on the Tim Ferriss Show
• Edward Norton on the Tim Ferriss Show
• Dom D’Agostino on Ketosis and the End of Cancer on the Tim Ferriss Show
• Nick Szabo: The Quiet Master of Cryptocurrency on the Tim Ferriss Show
• Jocko Willink on the Tim Ferriss Show
• Debbie Millman on the Tim Ferriss Show
• Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant, by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
• “1,000 True Fans,” by Kevin Kelly
• Joe Rogan podcast
• WTF with Marc Maron podcast
• Nerdist podcast
• James Lipton (interviewer from Inside the Actors Studio)
• Terry Gross (interviewer from NPR’s Fresh Air)
• Serial podcast
• Spirited Away (2001 animated movie)
• Agaric mushroom
• Tentacle erotica

Show notes:

• What not to do in podcasting (15:58)
• Crafting questions (19:58)
• Learning from previous interviews (24:55)
• Interviewing techniques (26:00)
• The benefits of phone interviews (29:40)
• The decision to start a podcast (32:28)
• The anxiety of interviewing (40:45)
• Pre-interview tips (45:20)
• Editing / producing interviews / podcasts (52:45)
• Intro music (58:38)
• Guest selection 1:03:01)
• Interview strategy (1:12:08)
• Recording equipment (1:14:50)
• Building a listening community (1:22:30)
• Tim’s brand (1:33:25)
• Building relationships (1:36:00)
• Podcast logistics (1:43:20)
• Podcast frequency (1:48:50)
• The interview introduction process (1:51:35)
• The preparation process (1:56:15)
• Monetization (2:05:55)
• Wrapping up podcasts (2:38:57)
• Japanamation (2:19:40)
• Psychedelics (2:27:16)

Books by Tim Ferriss:

• Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World
• Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers
• The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life
• The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman
• The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich

This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at [email protected].