How I Launched a Top-Ranking Podcast in 30 Days: A Developer‘s Step-by-Step Case Study

Have you ever thought about starting your own podcast? It can seem daunting, especially if you‘ve never done it before. But with the right strategy, tools and mindset, you can launch a successful show in 30 days or less.

I know because I did it. My podcast, "Learn to Code With Me," ended up ranking in the top 20 of iTunes‘ Technology category and racked up thousands of downloads in the first few weeks alone. I‘m still pretty new to podcasting, but I want to open-source everything I learned in the process of launching the show.

In this ultimate guide, I‘ll walk you through the exact steps I took — from initial planning to post-launch promotion. Whether you‘re a fellow developer looking to teach coding concepts in a new format or you‘re starting a podcast on a totally different topic, I think you‘ll find this case study useful. I‘ll share the good, the bad, and the ugly, including my personal results and revenue numbers.

But first, let‘s start with the WHY…

5 Reasons to Start a Podcast as a Developer

Before we dive into the tactical stuff, I want to share a few reasons why I believe every developer should consider starting a podcast:

1. Reach a new audience. A podcast allows you to connect with people who may never find your blog, GitHub profile, or Twitter feed. You can reach a whole new audience on podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more.

2. Showcase your expertise and build authority. When you share your hard-earned knowledge on a podcast, you demonstrate your expertise on a topic and build trust with listeners. This is invaluable for your personal brand and reputation.

3. Improve your communication skills. Podcasting forces you to get better at articulating complex ideas out loud. As developers, we tend to be more comfortable communicating through code than the spoken word. Podcasting is great practice for public speaking, job interviews, team meetings, and more.

4. Connect with interesting people. Hosting interview-style episodes is the perfect excuse to have in-depth conversations with people you admire, from fellow developers to tech leaders. It‘s a great way to expand your network.

5. Learn new things. As the host, you get to ask the questions you‘re genuinely curious about. I‘ve learned a ton from my podcast guests and the research I do for solo episodes. Podcasting is a way of learning out loud and bringing your audience along for the ride.

Of course, podcasting takes a lot of time and effort. It‘s a long-term investment, not a get-rich-quick scheme. But I believe the benefits are well worth it, especially as a developer looking to make an impact and advance your career.

Now, let‘s talk about how to actually make it happen!

How I Launched the "Learn to Code With Me" Podcast in 30 Days

I had been blogging consistently for over two years when I decided to start a podcast. I knew I wanted to create content in a new format to complement my blog and reach more people. Here‘s a detailed look at my 30-day podcast launch process…

Days 1-10: Planning and Prep Work

The first thing I did was make a firm commitment to launching the podcast by a specific date. I set a hard deadline of launching on April 26th. This gave me about a 6-week runway, which felt ambitious but doable. I highly recommend setting a launch date and putting it on the calendar. This creates a sense of urgency and accountability.

Next, I sat down and mapped out my goals for the podcast, both qualitative and quantitative:

• Qualitative: Produce a high-quality, valuable show that helps aspiring and new developers learn to code and level up their skills. Build deeper relationships with my audience.

• Quantitative: Launch in the top 20 of iTunes‘ Technology category, attract 5K downloads in the first 30 days, grow my email list by 100 subscribers.

With the goals set, I made a list of everything I needed to do between now and launch day, such as:

• Define podcast format and episodes
• Buy equipment (decent USB mic, pop filter, headphones)
• Set up hosting and create the podcast‘s RSS feed
• Design podcast art
• Create a dedicated page on my website
• Source intro/outro music
• Prep website and email list for launch
• Determine episode topics and guests
• Schedule and record interviews
• Edit audio files
• Write show notes and transcriptions

It‘s a lot! I knew there was no way I could do it all myself in such a short timeframe. So I decided to invest in some help:

• I purchased John Lee Dumas‘ Podcasters‘ Paradise course to learn the technical aspects of launching and growing a podcast. It was pricey but well worth it.

• I hired an audio editor to handle post-production. This saved me hours each week. I found a great editor on Upwork.

• I brought on a virtual assistant to help with scheduling, show notes, marketing, etc. I was already working with a VA, so I had her allocate more hours to the podcast launch.

Early on, I also made a list of potential guests and started reaching out for interviews. I began recording episodes in early March, about a month before my target launch date. I wanted to have 4-6 episodes "in the can" by launch day.

Days 10-20: Recording Episodes and Preparing for Launch

With the initial planning done, it was time to start creating! Over the next 10 days, I was in full-on content creation mode:

• I configured my recording setup and edited my first practice episode. I used Audacity for recording/editing, Libsyn for hosting, and Blubrry PowerPress for publishing to WordPress.

• I batch-recorded interviews with 8 guests over the course of a week. I used Zoom for video interviews, Skype for audio-only. I made sure to prep for each interview thoroughly.

• While my editor worked on polishing the audio files, I wrote detailed show notes with timestamps, links, and key takeaways for each episode. I also had each episode transcribed.

• In between, I worked with my VA to finalize the podcast name, art, music, and website setup. We created episode templates in WordPress and drafted social media posts/graphics.

• I set up my podcast on various directories like iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn. This is key for making it easy for people to find and listen.

By this point, I had already mentioned the upcoming podcast a few times to my email list and on social media. But with 10 days until launch, I started ramping up the pre-launch marketing:

• I announced the official launch date to my email subscribers and posted it on my blog. I invited people to submit questions for future episodes.

• I personally emailed about 25 friends, colleagues, and fellow tech podcasters to let them know about the show and ask for their support in spreading the word.

• I continued posting teaser content on social media using quotes, images, and short video clips from upcoming episodes.

My goal was to generate buzz and anticipation leading up to launch. I wanted my audience to be excited and ready to tune in on day one!

Days 20-30: Launch Week and Beyond

On April 26th, 2016, I officially launched the "Learn to Code With Me" podcast with 3 episodes:

1. My coding journey and the goals of the podcast
2. Interview with a self-taught developer
3. Interview with a bootcamp grad

I chose to launch with 3 episodes (instead of just 1) to give new listeners a better sense of the show‘s style and substance. I‘ve heard many successful podcasters recommend launching with a few episodes so people can "binge" right away.

On launch day, I sent an email blast to my entire list announcing the show and inviting them to listen. I also published a detailed blog post walking through why I started the podcast, what listeners could expect, and how to subscribe.

But I didn‘t stop there. Throughout the week, I promoted the podcast like crazy:

• Social media blitz: I posted multiple times per day on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. I used Eye-catching images, video teasers, and pull quotes.

• Cross-promotion: I reached out to podcasters and bloggers in my niche and asked them to check out the show. I wrote guest posts linking back to the podcast.

• Podcast directories: I made sure the show was available on all major listening apps and platforms. I personally emailed friends and asked them to leave a rating/review.

• Giveaway contest: I ran a contest giving away $1500 worth of prizes to people who subscribed, left a review, and shared the podcast. This definitely boosted ratings/reviews!

• Paid advertising: I experimented with some paid podcast ads on Overcast to drive targeted subscribers. The jury is still out on the ROI of these ads.

The "Learn to Code With Me" podcast ended up hitting #16 in the Technology category on iTunes! It got nearly 5,000 downloads in the first week. But more importantly, I received dozens of emails and tweets from listeners saying how much they enjoyed the show.

Of course, the launch is just the beginning. My focus now is on maintaining momentum, putting out great content every week, and continuing to promote the show. I‘m committing to at least 15 episodes (a full "season") before deciding if I want to continue.

I‘m also thinking about ways to monetize the podcast long-term through sponsorships, affiliate deals, and my own products/services. But for now, my main goal is providing value and building relationships with my listeners.

6 Key Takeaways from My Podcast Launch Experience

Launching a podcast was one of the most exciting, stressful, and rewarding experiences of my career. Here are a few key lessons I learned along the way:

1. Invest in yourself. Paying for an online podcasting course and professional-grade equipment made a huge difference. Don‘t be afraid to spend money to level up your skills and production value.

2. Get help. Podcasting involves a lot of moving pieces. Build a small team to handle different aspects like audio editing, marketing, show notes, etc. You can‘t do it all yourself.

3. Be a guest on other podcasts. Hands down the best way to promote your show is to appear on other relevant podcasts in your niche. Provide value to their audience and you‘ll attract new listeners.

4. Create 10+ episodes before you launch. The more content you have in the bank, the easier it is to maintain a consistent posting schedule without scrambling. Aim for at least 2 months‘ worth.

5. Focus on building relationships, not just downloads. Ultimately, the most rewarding part of podcasting is connecting with people one-on-one. Remember to engage with your listeners and make them feel appreciated!

6. Keep showing up. Podcasting is a long game. Most shows don‘t take off right away. Commit to shipping episodes consistently for at least 6-12 months before deciding whether to continue.

I still have so much to learn, but I‘m grateful for the opportunity to share what I‘ve picked up so far. I hope this case study gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to launch a podcast as a developer.

It‘s not easy, but it‘s absolutely worth it. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your podcast today. And reach out anytime if you have questions or if there‘s anything I can do to help!

You‘ve got this,
Laurence

References & Further Reading:

• How to Start a Podcast: A Complete Step-by-Step Tutorial
• 27 Podcast Promotion Tips to Get More Listeners
• How to Make Money Podcasting