It’s both easier and harder than ever to build a successful podcast. In this episode, we chat with Sriram and Aarthi from the Good Time Show, who ventured into the world of audio peak pandemic and have since interviewed the likes of Elon Musk, Calvin Harris, and Naomi Osaka. We get their perspective on how to succeed in this competitive landscape, differentiation and the sliding scale of entertainment and information, the difference between an audience and a community, podcast analytics and how they’re changing, and even what Sriram has learned from his front row experience at Twitter recently. Topics Covered: 00:00 - Intro 02:02 - Podcast trivia 05:54 - Starting a podcast 08:36 - Differentiating 13:04 - Information vs entertainment 18:19 - Getting off the talk track 21:21 - Growth and metrics 23:08 - Authenticity 27:38 - Secret sauce of podcasting 28:38 - Advice for new podcasters 30:18 - In-person events 32:32 - Tech as a force for good 35:30 - The next wave of social 38:27 - Creator middle class 42:58 - Podcast infrastructure 44:40 - ChatGPT 46:57 - Swapping lives with a celebrity 50:22 - Your personal monopoly Resources: * Find Sriram on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sriramk * Find Aarthi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarthir * Find Aarthi and Sriram on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AarthiAndSriram * Check out the Good Time Show: https://www.aarthiandsriram.com/ Stay Updated: * Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z * Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z * Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ * Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.