Dumitriy_Igomsky 
You hit record on episode 7, but a voice whispers: “Who are you to have opinions on this?” A marketing expert with 15 years of experience freezes before interviewing a junior colleague, convinced she’ll sound foolish. A former teacher with a doctorate in education scrubs his entire podcast episode—his third this month—because “someone smarter already … Read more
A solo host spends 8 hours editing episode 6, only to see 27 downloads. Three friends launch a true crime show but stop recording after episode 5 when scheduling conflicts overwhelm them. A business owner publishes episode 8, checks her analytics, and never logs into her hosting platform again. These silent disappearances aren’t failures—they’re casualties … Read more
You hit refresh at midnight—2,847 downloads on episode 47, up 3% from last week. Your heart races. You’ve checked this number 14 times today. But somewhere in those 2,847 “listens,” your mom accidentally downloaded it three times, a bot in Russia scraped the RSS feed, and 1,200 people stopped listening after 45 seconds. Only 42 … Read more
You send your tenth sponsor pitch this month—custom media kit, glowing analytics, a personal video message. The response is identical: “Thanks, but you’re not the right fit right now.” Meanwhile, a podcast with half your downloads lands a five-figure deal. Another creator mentions they turn down sponsors weekly. What do they have that you don’t? … Read more
You used to wake up excited to record—ideas flowed, conversations sparkled, editing felt like sculpting art. Then the sponsor email arrived: “We need three ad reads per episode, 60 seconds each, delivered in your ‘authentic voice.’” Your Patreon dropped five subscribers after you missed one release date. The analytics show a 3% decline, and you … Read more
You bought the $300 microphone after watching a YouTube tutorial promising “six-figure podcast income.” You’ve recorded 47 episodes. Your Patreon has two subscribers—one is your mom, the other is a bot. Last month you made $4.27 from Spotify and spent $47 on hosting fees. The podcasting conference you attended featured speakers earning $50K per episode, … Read more
You listen to the 911 call on your lunch break—chilling audio you’ve heard three times before. That night, you fall asleep to a narrator describing decomposition rates. You’ve developed strong opinions about forensic techniques, can name a dozen serial killers’ childhood pets, and have debated case theories with strangers online. The victims feel like people … Read more
You wake to a playlist, shower with a news recap, commute through algorithmic chatter, work beneath lo-fi beats, cook with a true crime narrator, and fall asleep to a meditation guide promising “mindfulness.” The only true quiet you experience is the ringing in your ears when the power goes out—and that silence feels threatening, like … Read more
You reach for your headphones before your feet hit the floor—silence feels like a threat. The five-minute shower demands a recap episode. Folding laundry requires true crime, commuting needs political commentary, and falling asleep is impossible without those familiar voices murmuring about ancient history. You’ve listened for 47 hours this week, yet can’t recall a … Read more
You listen to her voice while folding laundry at 10 PM—she’s telling you about her worst date, her therapy breakthrough, the messy fight with her partner. You nod along, talking back to your empty kitchen. You’ve never met her, but you know what she orders at Starbucks, how she takes her coffee, the name of … Read more