A week of intrigue for Podcasting

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The world of Podcasting was rocked this week with the announcement that Adam Curry, the Podfather himself, would be joining Sirius satellite radio to produce a daily 4-hour show made up of podcasts. It appears that he has signed up some of the most high-profile podcasters, initiating a veritable talent grab, some might complain. I have blogged before about Podcasting twice and once about Satellite Radio. The podcasters he signed are Chris Rockwell, of the Daily Download, Dawn and Drew from the Dawn and Drew Show, Madge Weinstein of Yeast Radio, Michael Butler of the Rock and Roll Geek Show, the Skinn brothers from the Skinny on Sports Podcast and Steve Gillmor from The Gillmor Gang. I’ll warn you in advance that some of those shows have very raw language in them, particularly the Daily Download, Dawn and Drew, and Yeast Radio.

The podcasting community seems a little worried about this new direction since podcasting has historically been a completely bootstrapped industry with little influence by main stream media or advertising revenue. Most podcasters seem to do it out of a sense of community and passion for the material they speak about in their podcast. But when people engage in an activity for any length of time without any compensation for it, they are likely to become jaded, especially if what started as a hobby turns into something that feels more demanding, like a second job with no pay. I guess time will tell whether this is a step in the right direction for podcasting or a hijacking of what was a new and promising creative outlet.

Adam Curry likes to do promos for other podcasters and about a week ago he ran a promo for a Podcast called Cubicle Escape Pod, by Jonathan Brown and Matt Thompson that discusses bootstrapping your own startup while working at a regular day job. Sometimes contemplating an exit strategy is the only way to endure the hours toiling away in obscurity in a cubicle. This is especially true if you work for an employer that may at times seem fickle about the need for your services when they carry out periodic drive-by career terminations. Most ‘escape plans’ usually involve a certain degree of independence, not more of the same with another employer where the grass may look greener. The show is well-produced with a great website and has lots of insights and advice for those contemplating a startup. Even if you don’t intend to break away from your current employer, the show will get you to think more like an entrepreneur, which will certainly benefit your current situation. I’ve downloaded all of the shows from the Cubicle Escape Pod and have enjoyed them and look forward to see where this all goes since Jon and Matt talk about their previous unsuccessful attempt to create a startup and are planning to chronicle their new attempt through the podcast, although they’ve been somewhat slow in providing the details of their new company. I guess finding out what they are up to will give everyone yet another reason to keep tuning in to the show.

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