The world’s population is projected to hit about 9.8 billion by 2050. Today, it’s about 8 billion.
That’s a lot of people. A lot of mouths to feed. A lot of services to provide . . .
A lot of stories to tell.
The world is so big that if every one of its 8 billion plus people decides to start a podcast, a business or any type of endeavor, the possibility of success for every one of those people might be steep because of competition but not implausible. (Sure, getting to market first with a bad product will earn huge rewards. But that won’t last as soon as a slightly better product is introduced to market)
If ten million people start a podcast on the same topic, can they succeed at the same time? Yes, as improbable as it may seem. In this case, let’s define a modest success as achieving 100,000 followers. That follower count can be monetized smartly to earn a living. What would all of them need to do to hit the same goal, despite a saturated market?
The one thing that ten million podcasts would need to do, regardless of whether they’re poorly produced or edited, is capture a . . .
Feeling.
There is a sequence in the F1 movie where Brad Pitt is gunning down the straights and curves in a racetrack. This sequence encapsulates an earlier scene where his character describes a specific feeling. A feeling that Lewis Hamilton, the F1 driver, shared with the director, Joseph Kosinki, whose Q&A session I had the immense pleasure of attending after a screening. You’ll have to see the film to know what that feeling is. It’s a feeling that can be applied to almost anything we do. It’s a feeling that’s not a secret, if you’re where you believe you’re supposed to be.
The director, the actors and production team did something magical: when that sequence rolls in, you’re devoured by the same feeling the main character has been chasing. That’s not an easy thing to do and bravo to the filmmakers and crew.
10 million people can start a podcast on the same topic and if they capture a feeling that connects with their listeners, they will do well and it won’t matter how saturated the market is.