The Next 8 Episodes...

As many of you would have noticed on the periphery of some recent episodes, I have a few months ago, moved back to Australia… and now I’ve settled into this freshly minted geographical isolation, the podcast is on my mind. 

Proximity to guests, mostly, but also a reflection on where the podcast is, and where it might be going. Australia is far removed from the rhythms of my old life. I used to just pop over to London a week at time for interviews which will now be virtual.

And although the majority of episodes have been via pixels on a screen, I opt for in person, whenever it’s possible. It’s more real, higher chance of awkwardness, higher chance of derailing even, but as is the knifes edge, it also has the chance of going so much better, more buy in from the guest, sharper attention, and a feeling of comfort which can occasionally envelop the intimate space we briefly share.

I think back to some of those occasions as highlights on the podcast so far. Jon Lee Anderson on the same stage in the same venue where Julian Assange announced WikiLeaks, the attic of Sam Leith’s northern London home, the sunny courtyard of a rural cafe with Rory Sutherland, across from Bill Browder in his Hermitage Capital offices, the Swedish summer house of the Surrounded By Idiots bestseller, Thomas Erikson, Cambridge with Christopher Marquise, London’s Bloomberg HQ with Stephanie Baker, the list goes on and on. But now I’ve just returned from the first big podcast trip around Australia. Driving through Victoria and New South Wales to interview several people whom I’ve anticipated for years. A broader podcast reflection is pouring out.

Because when I think about the collection of those I spoke to, I can’t help but notice the random inconsistency between them.

And therefore, I’m afraid from the outside, the podcast might appear a bit too weird and eclectic. If I just look at the last three episodes we went from the Chief Strategy Officer at one of Europes biggest banks, to travel writing royalty, Colin Thubron, to the warden of the isolation unit at Swedens largest max security prison… and I’m not sure what to make of that. I reckon perhaps the inevitable cost of this eclectic curation is that to a potential new listener, it all might smell a bit aloof. Perhaps even unserious. And while It may be the podcast’s biggest limitation for growth, I also think the flexible freedom in who the guest may be for this show could be it’s defining characteristic. 

But from the inside, I hope you’ll agree, a serious tone is occasionally struck. It can be fun and loose if there is room for it, but I want to never regret that I didn’t do more to prepare. Sometimes I think that something more conversational than interviewy style would have been better. But I can only ever really know that in hindsight. So therefore, rather than an aloof assortment of interesting people, I’d like to think the podcast as more a curation of a curious worldview. The steady realisation for just how overlapping so many of these disparate interests end up being.

Afterall, this is the freedom of curation made possible by this new media landscape. Business models are being recast, youtube is bigger than streaming and tv combined. Podcasts are severely undervalued, and a show like mine would have never been possible were it not for the non-existent barriers to entry this medium makes available. Any new type of media is an investment, and investments demand revenue forecasts, which demands advertisers and a predictable business model, which demands a certain target audience guarantee to meet x and y demographic. Shows which meet these standards are less risky, more bankable. Sports, lifestyle, news, investing, self help, all these categories are matched by brands prepared to risk that their niche product will meet that niche audience. But when I go from banker to travel to Swedish prisons three weeks on the head that reliable niche is kind of out the window.

And I’m just not sure what to do about that…

Because I’ve been doing this show for 5 years. It’s achieved the top 1% globally by download count… but I’m still an ocean away from this paying for my life and the subsequent freedom that would enable. When Chris Williamson (who was a very early guest) drops a new episode, he’s likely to get on that one episode, downloads equal to the lifetime of my entire catalog. Therefore, although I might stand tall above 99% of the other shows, when I look up, I’m completely smothered by the mountainous shadows which makes up the rest. The Matthew Principle and the compounding nature of algorithmic search propagates this immensely. Creative mediums are winner take all domains. Music, art, books, photography, podcasting. I may be in the top 1% of downloads, but I’m in the same minority as the other 98% … the top 0.5%, however, are a majority in their own right playing an entirely different game. You’ve probably heard of the Pareto principle.. Well rather than 80/20, my suspicion is that podcasting is closer to 99/1.

99% of all podcast downloads today will accrue to 1% of the shows. 

Therefore to you listening now… I can’t thank you all enough for the support. I’ve had the enormous pleasure to meet and maintain correspondence with many of you. Together, through the many filters of the internet we’ve reached this mutual and gangly version of bizarre curiosity.

And I wanted to ask you directly for a favour. If you don’t follow the show, then please press the follow button - especially if you listen on Apple or Spotify. And also leave a review, if you think the show is worth one. This is a pretty tacky metaphor, but If I’m climbing an ice wall, every review, follow and written comment is a foothold on the way there. 

But now to the teaser at the top… a preview to the next 8 episodes and what I’ve been doing for the last months.

A preview into the next 8 episodes…

• Josh Szeps - This guy is Australia’s best interviewer in my opinion. He’s conducted thousands of them… from the biggest celebrities in the world, to academics, to geopolitics, to culture wars, comedy and the rest - it’s incredible how flexible he is and how well he can extemporaneously talk about seemingly any topic. I wanted to get something evergreen on Josh’s worldview and evolving timeline of a career… we did this in person in my flat a couple of weeks ago.

• Robyn Davidson - I don’t know where to start. Especially as to not just come of brown nosing the whole time. But she’s just remarkable. I’m so happy with how this turned out… Robyn’s famous for her journey documented in Tracks - a 27  year old woman crossing the Simpson dessert with a few camels as colleagues… however after this she went on the document nomadic life, living as a nomad herself… and now 40 years after tracks, has published her memoirs. She is the most incredible writer and as you’ll see, speaker as well. We recorded this in her home last week.

• Nicholas Gruen - An Australian economist with a simultaneously radical but as well old idea for a third body in politics. A lottery system which like jury duty, selects regular people from the populous to come together and determine gridlocked policy. It’s actually not as wild as it may sound… I’m a huge fan of Nicholas as you’ll notice. We recorded this in his home in Melbourne.

• Gideon Haigh - The GOAT of cricket journalism but as well just about the most eclectic writer and wildly curious person you could imagine. He’s published over 50 books. We did this in his house in Melbourne between his floor to ceiling bookshelves. Check out youtube for this one.

• Tim Cope - Alongside Robyn Davidson, I think this episode was the highlight of the week. I drove out into Towonga, about 4 hours away from any sizeable town. Nestled in the foothold of some of Australia’s highest peaks. Tim wrote a magnificent book about his journey across the Eurasian steppe where he documents his observations for the decay of the historical traditional of horse nomadism that dominated this geographical region for thousands of years. The book presents as an adventure tale - but should almost be treated as history and anthropology. Its so good, and Tim himself, such a good writer, and I think good writers make good talkers. I’m extremely excited to be publishing this. 

• Sam Roggeveen - This was Monday last week, in Canberra I sat down with the man who coined the Echidna Strategy for Australian defence policy. Echidnas are not dangerous, but if you attack them, you’re surely going to get hurt. It’s couched in a world of isolationism, can Australia continue to rely on America, should we get ourselves involved in their foreign policy? These are the questions Sam Roggeveen tackles. 

• Pat McGee - Recording with him earlier last week, Pat has written Apple in China which is an incredible story that deconstructs just how deeply intertwined with China, Apple has become. It feels like a story that should have been huge before this book took off. Because it’s absolutely wild. The thesis is essentially that without Apple, China’s manufacturing base could not be how sophisticated it is today, and that has dastardly implications.

• Lawrence Kraus - The great physicist and atheist, we will be discussing his book ‘A Universe From Nothing’… and probably lots more, including some Christopher Hitchens stories I hope. This is set to record a week from today.

• Carlos Araque - This is geothermal all the way down… this will be Carlos’s second time on the podcast. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of Quaise Energy, a company striving for truly deep and ubiquitous geothermal. It’s just one of the most exciting companies I can think of. For a primer of geothermal or why it get’s me so excited, check out our first episode.

Two of the 9 people you’ll hear over the next few weeks are names I’ve had right up the top of the dream list of guests ever since this podcast began. They are the quintessential combination of big adventure and phenomenal writing. 

Finally, please forgive how tardy I’ve been with publishing this year. I’m in the throws of buying my first apartment - moved country - getting married in a few months and riding the pressure cooker of my full time job - I want to dedicate all my time to this podcast, but alas, life get’s in the way. 

The show may be in the top 1% but its still miles and miles away from where I want it could be. Your support is the biggest thing you can do to help get me there. I’m keen to hear from you, anything you’ve observed that you think might improve the show, please write to me. My email is in the description.

See you all very soon…