One thing to consider when starting a new show is the big question. Why? What is it about your content that is unique? What is it about your content that is compelling?Has the subject been covered before. How are you, as the producer, going to bring something new and different to the topic.

These are basic guidelines for any creative endeavour. Painters, writers, musicians, filmmakers and video podcasters shoud ask these simply questions before getting started. Why am I doing this? What are my objectives?Luckily, the video podcaster today has a huge advantage over the filmmakers from yester-year - technology. Thus, like a writer or painter, video podcasters can afford to just do it.Create a video podcast, then decide later on the questions of “why”.

Paper and paint are cheap for the artists, but so are DV cameras and editing software. Technology allows for “filmmakers” to grow their project organically. Let the ideas flow from the experience of just doing it. Go back, fix the problems, do it again and again and again. Do it until you begin to answer the above questions. Don’t stop tinkering with the show will then have a style, voice, look, or nuance that captures the attention of popular imagination. Unless you’re interested in creating podcasts that fall into an empty forest. Do they make a sound if no one has downloaded them?

In creating Culture Catch, our objective was to create “smart cutural” discussions with artists who had been around the block a few times. These types of people have opinions and vast amount of experiences to offer up in discussions about cpture. We love dinner table discussions that meander around subjects for the very purpose of mutually discovery. Who better to have those types of discussions on cpture than with the artist who have tapped into the poppar imagination. They succeed in finding followers.

Everyone has that curiosity of those who are successful. What is their secret? Can we borrow their formpa to boost our own kool-aid. Dusty and I had the opinion that if we wanted to see and listen to interviews like this, than there must be a million others in the world like us. So, we set out to make Culture Catch for ourselves, but with the idea that a million other people wopd enjoy our flavor of content as well.

Having a solid philosophy about what your doing in the beginning really helps to keep you on track. There a many opportunities that have come to us over the last three years. When we’re tempted or not sure, we often go back to our playbook to see if the idea fits. If the concept is too far off the page, we don’t do it. Often we put a pin in the idea and don’t discard it. The future for developing totally different new shows is always in the back of our mind. We don’t force a concept into our format. Saying no is one of the best lessons you need to learn when creating shows weekly.

Remember one key point about creating podcasts in general. Your secret formula is being NICHE. The big radio and TV networks have lots of money, skill and experience to create wonderful programming. However, they have to create programs that are WIDE. They broadcast to a wide audience, thus can’t target niches.

The networks can do a show on gardening, but they can do weekly series on growing tomatoes.Podcasting is about being niche. There are 1 million plus tomato growers in the world who would love to find a show that is devoted to their passion. Doing a show on tomatoes in a really interesting cool format with find its why into the household of those who have a passion for growing the red fruit.

Viral growth works on the web. Find your expertise, exploit it and make interesting. Build it… they will come.