Your First 100 Listeners

Hey Reader

When you’re just starting a podcast, it’s easy to get swept up in the dream of thousands of listeners, sponsors rolling in, and maybe even a charting spot on Apple or Spotify. But here’s the truth...

Your first 100 listeners matter more than your first 10,000.

Those early listeners aren’t just numbers; they’re your founding members. They’re the ones who will give you honest feedback, cheer you on when you feel like quitting, and share your show with others. If you treat them like VIPs, they’ll become the word-of-mouth engine that helps you grow sustainably.

The mistake most podcasters make is chasing growth too broadly, too soon. You don’t need fancy ad campaigns, complex funnels, or viral TikTok clips to get to 100. What you need is intentional connection.

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Here’s The Framework I Recommend:

• Start with who you know. Make a list of friends, colleagues, and community members who would genuinely enjoy your show.
• Get personal. Instead of blasting social posts into the void, reach out directly. A simple message that says, “Hey, I just launched this podcast and I think you’d love it” goes much further.
• Engage 1:1. Ask for feedback, reply to DMs, or even mention your listeners by name in your episodes. Make them feel part of the process.
• Make sharing easy. Give your listeners ONE clear action: ask them to forward a link, share with a friend, or leave a review. If you ask for all three, they'll probably do none.

That’s it. Simple, human, and effective.

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Practicing What I Preach

I don’t just want to hand out advice from the sidelines. Last week we released our first in-house produced podcast, Kids vs Parents — a trivia showdown where kids and adults battle it out on different topics each week.

Here’s where I’ll be upfront with you: I’m not starting this “first 100 listeners” strategy until the weekend. Why? Because this newsletter goes out to 250+ readers, and I know some of you may click the link out of curiosity today. If I counted that traffic, it would skew the results.

I want a clean test of whether this plan really works — so I’ll let this newsletter bump settle first, then kick off the outreach exactly as I’ve outlined. Next week, I’ll report back with the results: what worked, what didn’t, and what you can apply to your own show.

That way, you’ll know the growth didn’t come from me plugging Kids vs Parents here — it came from the strategy itself.

As of August 27, we are currently at 51 unique listeners.

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Why This Is a Good Strategy

Many podcast reports confirm what I’ve seen in practice: word-of-mouth is the #1 discovery channel for podcasts. More powerful than algorithms, ads, or even chart placements. That means focusing on your first 100 listeners isn’t just a feel-good milestone — it’s the smartest strategy you can use to kickstart growth.

So here’s my challenge to you: don’t worry about going viral. Don’t worry about your numbers being small. Just focus on connecting with those first 100 listeners. Nail that foundation, and the rest becomes so much easier.

See you next week!

Steve