What You Can Learn From a Podcasting Rockstar Jason DeFillippo

Remember when we talked about how podcasts keep gaining in popularity and how you should board the train while you still can? If you’re interested in running your own podcast but still have some doubts and questions, a story about a person who actually made it might be just the thing you need to take the plunge!

We’re thrilled to introduce a “.MEr” who long ago realized the potential of the podcasting world and is not afraid to talk about it in his podcasts. Trust us – you don’t want to miss this awesome opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade from the master himself.

Who is Jason?

Jason DeFillippo is a one-of-a-kind podcaster, professional producer and editor all at the same time. He used to be a web programmer for more than 20 years before he ended up in the podcasting world about 6 years ago. 

Since then, he has worked on many famous shows and took part in some major projects which earned him a reputation of a podcasting guru. He is the producer behind The Jordan Harbinger Show, a mindblowing self-development podcast that got selected by Apple as one of the best podcasts in 2018. 

Moreover, Jason is an integral part of The Tim Ferriss Show, the no.1 business podcast according to Apple, which has over 400M downloads. He cooperates with Kevin from The Kevin Rose Show, who talks about personal and professional development. There’s also Joi’s Conversations Podcast, Noah Kagan Presents, Foodist, and many others. 

It’s also worth mentioning that Jason is a co-host of Grumpy Old Geeks – the greatest technology podcast on the internet with almost 400 episodes. 

So, you see now, why we believe Jason is definitely one of the best people you can learn from when it comes to podcasting. 🙂 

What’s More Difficult – Hosting, Producing or Editing a Podcast?

If you happen to be (or aspire to be) a podcast host, then you’re probably aware that being a host means being a producer at the same time. You’re in charge of preparing everything for the show: putting together an outline and script, contacting potential guests and making a schedule that works for both you and them, handling all the tech stuff…the list goes on. It might sound like a lot to tackle, but if being a podcaster is your true calling, we can guarantee you’ll enjoy the process every step of the way.  

Now, you might be wondering where exactly editing comes in.. According to Jason, editing is threatening to take the fun out of the whole process. However, it’s equally important for the show as hosting or producing (even if it doesn’t seem so at first). Editing does your story justice – it enables you to cut out those parts of the show that don’t add any value or where you meander too much and get off-topic. It allows you to respect your listeners’ time and give them exactly what they came for. We can all agree that is one of the key features of a killer podcast. 🙂 

Being involved in every stage of creating a podcast is actually the magic formula for becoming a successful producer or a kick-ass host. No matter how difficult it might seem at first, make sure not to skip any stage if you want your final product to be truly mind-blowing.

How Do You Make a Winning Podcast?

In the world of podcasts, the topic is king. Of course, that’s beside the organizational and technical aspects of it (take a look at our How to Start a Podcast post). A great topic can be a real game-changer when it comes to the popularity of your show. So, once you set your heart on becoming a prominent podcaster, the first and foremost thing is to do your research. 

Start listening to as many podcasts you can get your hands (and ears) on. This will help you get your market research done, see what topics are currently trending, what the audience reacts to the best, and get an idea of how you can upscale your podcasting game. Audiobooks are also a great source of potential topics your audience would love hearing about, so try to stay up to date on what’s out there.

Once you’ve come up with a couple of topic ideas, try finding other shows on iTunes that focus on those topics, since you’re probably not the first person ever to cover them. By listening to them, you can identify what is your perspective or spin on the topic, the value you can add to the discussion. Check if the shows are still publishing or they “podfaded”, how many episodes they uploaded, what’s their engagement on social platforms, how many reviews they have, and who their audience is. Based on that info, you can put two and two together and see how people react to that certain topic. If you like what you see, go for it – after all, that’s just what Jason did. 

What’s The Secret of Jason’s Success?

What sets Jason apart from the rest of the podcasters and producers out there is the fact that he realized the importance of being as professional as possible and owning every step of the production process. Not only that, he tries to do everything by himself. Jason also hosts his shows solely on platforms that allow him to be in charge of his RSS feed and his audience. 

Read More: How to Start a Podcast: A Detailed Guide for Absolute Beginners

Jason understands that the audience alone is your ticket to success. However, growing your audience is definitely not an easy feat, especially if you’re just starting out. The competition is fierce, and the market is full of budding podcasters, why it’s particularly challenging to acquire new followers. Jason believes it’s best to build your audience prior to starting a podcast so you can rely on them before your show actually takes off. 

We would like to add our two cents and say that one of the ways to do this is to create your personal website/blog. Adding valuable content to it continuously will help you become easily recognizable and you will start increasing your followers one person at a time. And when it comes to the domain name –  there are countless possibilities to choose from now. Take Jason for example. He chose to go with a fairly short personal domain, jpd.me, and build a website where you can find his portfolio, testimonials and blog posts. Following his steps will certainly help you stand out from the crowd, which is just the thing you’ll need once you’re ready to air your podcast. 🙂

Can you do it?

It took a lot of hard work put in planning, researching and learning for Jason to be where he is now. But it certainly paid off – those who have had the pleasure to work with him would tell you that he is a true podcasting ninja.

The good news is – you too can become a podcasting rockstar, just remember it’s essential that you stay in charge of each and every step of the process and don’t give up when obstacles occur. It is your podcast, after all.