logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
1h 17m

Launching and growing a podcast | Chris ...

Lenny Rachitsky
About this episode

Chris Hutchins recently left his position as Head of New Product Strategy at Wealthfront to focus full-time on his podcast, All the Hacks. If you’re thinking about starting your own podcast or are simply interested in the process, be sure to check out today’s episode. We dive deep on all things podcasting: the pros and cons, how to climb the charts, and how much time you should expect to spend on each episode from start to finish. We talk in-depth about the process, from pre-production to publication, and share all of the products we use for recording, editing, and publishing. Chris also offers some important tips and tricks on how to get your first subscribers and how to market and grow your podcast, as well as some incredible money-saving hacks that you can start implementing today.

Find the full transcript here: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/launching-and-growing-a-podcast-chris-hutchins-all-the-hacks-wealthfront-google/#transcript

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting this podcast:

• Notion—One workspace. Every team: https://www.notion.com/lennyspod

• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security: https://vanta.com/lenny

• Lenny’s Job Board—Hire the best product people. Find the best product gigs: https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent

Where to find Chris Hutchins:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hutchins

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishutchins/

• Website: https://chrishutchins.com/

Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

Referenced:

All the Hacks podcast: https://www.allthehacks.com/

All the Hacks newsletter: https://allthehacks.com/email

• Andy Rachleff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arachleff

• Kerri Walsh Jennings on All the Hacks: https://www.allthehacks.com/performance-psychology-kerri-walsh-jennings/

• Descript: https://www.descript.com/

Erika Taught Me podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erika-taught-me/id1650076906

• Leigh Rowan on All the Hacks: https://www.allthehacks.com/travel-hacks-leigh-rowan/

• Kevin Kelly’s “1,000 True Fans”: https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/

• Emily Oster’s books: https://emilyoster.net/writing/

• Chris Hutchins on The Kevin Rose Show: https://podcast.kevinrose.com/guests/chris-hutchins/

• Nick Gray’s newsletter: https://nickgray.net/signup-for-email-updates/

The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings: https://www.amazon.com/2-Hour-Cocktail-Party-Relationships-Gatherings-ebook/dp/B0B2KW6T7J

• MrBeast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA

• Gary Vaynerchuk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/garyvee

The Danny Miranda Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-danny-miranda-podcast/id1532160275

• Ray Dalio on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RayDalio

• Danny Miranda’s newsletter on Substack: https://dannymiranda.substack.com/

• ATRX2100 mic bundle on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2100X-USB-Microphone-Bundle-Filter/dp/B082SYHRY9/r

• Riverside: https://riverside.fm/

• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B07QR73T66

• Sony Alpha 7C mirrorless full-frame camera on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Alpha-Full-Frame-Mirrorless-Camera/dp/B08HVZLQ4F

• Adobe Audition: https://www.adobe.com/products/audition.html

• Pro Tools: https://www.avid.com/pro-tools

• Podpage: https://www.podpage.com/

• Simplecast: https://www.simplecast.com/

• Chartable: https://chartable.com/

• Podstatus: https://podstatus.com/

• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/

Happy Money: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Money-Ken-Honda-audiobook/dp/B07MJHJ57T/

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel: https://www.amazon.com/Vagabonding-Uncommon-Guide-Long-Term-Travel/dp/0812992180

Die with Zero: https://www.amazon.com/Die-Zero-Getting-Your-Money/dp/0358099765

Animal Spirits Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/animal-spirits-podcast/id1310192007

Mythic Quest on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/mythic-quest

• Unclaimed money: https://www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money

• Savendeals.com: https://www.savendeals.com/

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chris’s background

(03:25) Lesson’s from Wealthfront

(09:25) Why storytelling and communication are every bit as important as the product

(11:04) Why you need to understand the user’s experience and keep up with what others are building

(14:56) Why you should focus on overall impact, not just doing what your boss wants

(17:39) Why Chris likes working on big, crazy ideas

(19:10) The early days of Chris’s All the Hacks podcast

(21:34) The pros and cons of starting a podcast

(24:19) The time required to produce an episode

(27:09) How Lenny started his podcast 

(28:29) Launch lessons and how Apple rankings work

(30:49) Why you need to create authentic content

(32:57) Be one person’s favorite podcast

(35:01) How Chris ideated and titled All the Hacks

(40:09) How to get started and get your first subscribers

(43:52) How Gary Vaynerchuk used Twitter to establish authority 

(45:07) How to take advantage of platforms with built-in growth engines

(47:42) The power of in-person interviews

(48:57) How to pitch to other podcasts

(51:27) Equipment and products for producing podcasts

(57:36) How many downloads it takes in order to be taken seriously

(1:01:28) Using Overcast as a growth lever

(1:09:02) Lightning round

Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.



Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
Up next
Jul 6
Solo founder, $80M exit, 6 months: The Base44 bootstrapped startup success story | Maor Shlomo
Maor Shlomo is the founder of Base44, an AI-powered app builder that he bootstrapped to an over $80 million acquisition by Wix in just six months. As a solo founder (with severe ADHD), he hit $1 million ARR just three weeks after launch and grew the product to more than 400,000 u ... Show More
1h 31m
Jul 3
I’ve run 75+ businesses. Here’s why you’re probably chasing the wrong idea. | Andrew Wilkinson (co‑founder of Tiny)
Andrew Wilkinson is the co‑founder of Tiny, a holding company that quietly owns more than three dozen profitable internet and consumer brands, including Dribbble and the AeroPress coffee maker. Starting as a teenage barista and web designer, he’s created a portfolio approaching $ ... Show More
1h 28m
Jun 29
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
David Placek is the founder of Lexicon Branding, a company that focuses exclusively on the development of brand names for competitive advantage. Lexicon is behind iconic names such as Sonos, Microsoft’s Azure, Windsurf, Vercel, Impossible Foods, BlackBerry, Intel’s Pentium, Apple ... Show More
1h 22m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2023
Simple Hacks To Optimise Your Life - Chris Hutchins (All The Hacks Podcast)
Chris Hutchins is creator and self-proclaimed 'life hacker' as host of the award-winning podcast All the Hacks which teaches listeners how to upgrade their life, money and travel - all while spending less and saving more. He's saved millions by breaking down every aspect of life, ... Show More
2h 2m
Nov 2023
The Secret Growth Strategies Behind Spotify's Top Podcasts | Steph Smith (#173)
90% of podcasts struggle with audience growth due to the lack of clear distribution mechanisms and inadequate analytics. Kipp and Kieran are joined by Steph Smith (Podcast Host at a16z) to dive into the 6 content principles that will grow any business’ audience through the lens o ... Show More
47m 57s
Apr 2021
S4 Bonus: Dave MacLeod, ThoughtExchange
As an interesting turn to the guests I have on the podcast, Dave MacLeod is not a technologist by trade. He is a serial entrepreneur, and an old school face to face facilitator, who cares a lot about what people have to say and feel. He came out of college having taken every cour ... Show More
33 m
Feb 2023
Podcasting? Radio? It’s all one big opportunity for iHeartMedia digital CEO Conal Byrne
We taped this episode live at Hot Pod Summit. That’s our conference for the podcast industry. We have a whole newsletter for podcasters. It’s called Hot Pod, written by our very own Ariel Shapiro. Hot Pod Summit is where we bring that community of creators, trendsetters and decis ... Show More
1h 8m
Apr 2020
SV039: Creating a Podcast Career with TIP Co-Founder Stig Brodersen
On today’s show, we’re happy to chat with our very own Stig Brodersen. Stig is a value investor, business owner, and international bestselling author. His podcast We Study Billionaires has over 30 million+ downloads and has been recognized as the #1 ranked stock investing podcast ... Show More
44m 59s
Oct 2021
#538: How I Built The Tim Ferriss Show to 700+ Million Downloads — An Immersive Explanation of All Aspects and Key Decisions (Featuring Chris Hutchins)
How I Built The Tim Ferriss Show to 700+ Million Downloads — An Immersive Explanation of All Aspects and Key Decisions (Featuring Chris Hutchins) | Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 770M+ users, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Helix ... Show More
3h 2m
Apr 2023
Use A.I. To Accelerate Your Career While Others Panic (Complete Guide) (#112)
Are entry-level jobs going away? Kipp and Kieran dive into how A.I. can make you more money and accelerate your career. Learn how each different role within marketing will be impacted by AI, the importance of niching down, and why there’s never been a better time to invest your o ... Show More
32m 22s
Apr 2019
The Wild West of Podcasting and How to Sell to Advertisers
Amanda McLoughlin is a podcaster, business builder and CEO of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and consultancy based in New York City. Multitude produces original shows, publishes free resources for podcasters, and helps clients of all sizes create, market, and grow g ... Show More
59m 5s
Mar 2014
Launching: Why Podcasts Are a Hot New Way to Launch a Product
Are you getting ready to release a product, book or service? Do you want to know how a podcast can boost your launch? In this episode, I interview Brian Clark and Chris Ducker. Brian is the founder of Copyblogger Media and host of the New Rainmaker podcast. Chris Ducker is the au ... Show More
47m 2s
Mar 2024
I Used ChatGPT To Create A Marketing Plan In 30 Minutes
Ep. 207 Are you ready to outsmart the future with a dash of humor and a sprinkle of AI ingenuity? This week, Kipp and Kieran build a marketing plan using ChatGPT with the virtual wisdom of marketing legends. Kipp and Kieran dive into building a marketing plan in real time with th ... Show More
44m 31s