E58: How do you get your podcast from 0 to 36,000 downloads in just a year? I did just that! Starting from scratch isn't easy, especially in the world of podcasting. I had zero listeners, a limited budget, and countless people saying I was doing it all wrong. Just to give you an idea... I spent $27,000 just on production costs! When I started my podcast journey, everyone around me had advice. Most said, "Save your money on production." But, call me crazy, I ignored them! I poured everything into 57 episodes, investing in the quality of the show. Today, I'm revealing 30 lessons I learned growing my podcast over the past year into 5 Pillars of Podcasting. On today’s episode, you’ll learn: - The 5 Pillars of Podcasting - Paid Advertising vs. Organic Marketing - How to Choose the Right Guests for Your Podcast - Why 'Packaging' an Episode is More Important Than You Think Let's get down to business! *** SPONSORS: Castmagic - Enjoy an exclusive 30% discount for your first 3 months with the code FOUNDERS30. AppSumo - Search for "SendNow" and grab the Black Friday exclusive offer. Don't let this opportunity slip away! *** EXCERPTS: How I Create Content: "Writing my episodes helps me express my thoughts in a clear and concise manner.  Basically, write the script as if you're writing a screenplay, because you will essentially be using the script to perform it on the mic when you record it."  — Yong-Soo Chung (09:55) Power of Podcast Listeners: "In all this time I have been podcasting, I have noticed that podcast listeners are some of the most dedicated, loyal, and attentive listeners I've come across. They're incredibly tuned into everything you say." — Yong-Soo Chung (20:10) *** LINKS: How I Stacked 5 Growth Levers to Grow My Newsletter to 10,000 Subscribers JOIN: First Class Founders Premium Membership DOWNLOAD: Hyper-Visuals For Our Episodes (Free) *** FOLLOW / REVIEW: - Follow - Leave 5-star review *** CONNECT W/ YONG-SOO: - X - Threads - LinkedIn - Newsletter *** First Class Founders is a show for indie hackers, bootstrapped founders, CEOs, solopreneurs, content creators, startup entrepreneurs, and SaaS startups covering topics like build in public, audience growth, product marketing, scaling up, side hustles, holding company, and more. Past guests include Arvid Kahl, Tyler Denk, Brad Stulberg, Clint Murphy, Andrew Warner, Chenell Basilio, Matt McGarry, Nick Huber, Khe Hy, and more. Additional episodes you might like: Future of Newsletters with Tyler Denk, Founder & CEO at Beehiiv From Zero to 100K Subscribers: How to Grow Your Newsletter like a Pro with Newsletter Growth Expert Matt McGarry ...