Launching a podcast at your San Francisco software company, step by step
Our podcast launch program takes a San Francisco team from a rough idea to a live show. Strategy comes first. After it, we build a trailer and your opening episodes, and we write the 90 days that follow.
We serve San Francisco companies online, so the whole thing runs on calls and shared folders. You’ve got a product to ship, and we’ll keep the show moving.
What does a startup need to settle before it launches a show?
Shipping an episode is the easy bit. The choices that come first decide whether you’ll keep going.
Software founders often start with a guest wish list. We’d start with the listener, because that’s who the show serves. Is the show for buyers, for future hires, or for investors who like to see how you think?
Each of those listeners wants something different. So we pick one first audience, then match a name and a format to it.
After that comes the schedule. Product teams know a process doesn’t work unless it repeats, and a format your team can repeat is what keeps a show alive past episode ten.
What comes with a launch?
Two groups cover everything a new show needs.
Strategy and brand
- A clear first listener and the show’s positioning
- A look at the shows you’ll sit beside
- The show’s title, its format, and an outline for each episode
- Cover art, a music bed, and an intro
- One produced trailer episode
- Post templates for the first week
Production and growth
- Help with recording, plus editing, mixing, and mastering
- Video work and cuts built for YouTube
- Short video clips and audiograms, meaning audio set over a still, lightly animated image
- A hosting account with listener stats
- Listings across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and 20-plus other directories
- A launch-week marketing plan, plus a written 90-day roadmap you keep
Why is attention hard to win in San Francisco?
There are plenty of builders here, and there’s plenty of money chasing them. That makes for a loud room.
The first number describes the San Francisco-Oakland metro in May 2024. The second spans a wider region and tells you nothing about any one company.
Together they describe a crowded field. A show can help buyers and recruits hear how your team thinks, but it can’t promise results, and we won’t pretend it does.
How do the twelve weeks break down?
Every launch runs in five stages. Slow sign-offs stretch the calendar, and fast ones shrink it.
| When | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 2 | Strategy | We pin down the listener, shape the positioning, and agree on the name, format, and episode outline. It’s the step that matters most. |
| Weeks 2 to 4 | Brand assets | Our team drafts your cover art, music, intro, and trailer script, and each piece waits for your approval. |
| Weeks 4 to 7 | First episodes | We record your opening episodes and produce them. |
| Weeks 7 to 10 | Launch | Your trailer and opening episodes go live everywhere, while the launch-week plan runs. |
| Through week 12 | Optimize | We study early results, tweak whatever isn’t landing, and hand over a written 90-day roadmap. |
What will your founders and marketers handle?
What you do
Your team knows the product, and you know who’s buying it.
- Be there to record
- Make the final creative calls
- Supply the on-mic host and pick the guests
- Update your own stakeholders as you go
What we do
We handle the production work, so you aren’t learning it on the fly.
- Plan the series and every episode
- Create the brand pieces, the trailer, and launch materials
- Handle editing, publishing, and distribution
- Go over early data and map the next step
What can a launch promise a venture-backed team?
What a launch delivers is a clear plan, careful production, and a show people can find. A hit is outside our control, so be cautious of any agency that offers one.
Your investors may ask about metrics. We’ll look at the first numbers with you and tell you what’s working, and what isn’t.
Wondering if you’re ready? Try the podcast readiness assessment first. Software teams can also see how we frame B2B SaaS podcasts.
Where does the show go once it’s live?
Most launches grow into a longer partnership, and you’ll choose which pieces to add.
Unsure what that’ll add up to? The cost calculator takes ten questions and gives back a monthly range.
Common questions from San Francisco founders
Is there a San Francisco studio?
No. Our work for San Francisco companies happens online, from your laptop. A call is the easiest way to start.
How soon could our show go live?
Expect 8 to 12 weeks, counting from kickoff. Review speed on your side moves that most, across the strategy, artwork, and first episodes.
Does the launch include a trailer and listings?
Yes to both. You get a produced trailer episode, and we submit your show to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and 20+ more directories.
What usually happens after the launch?
Most teams stay on with us for 6 to 12 months of ongoing production, as a show needs that long to find its rhythm. A few services can also be bought on their own, so bring that up on your call.
Will the show take off?
We can’t promise that. You will get a planned, polished show that’s simple to find, and a candid view of what’s working after it’s live.
What do we need to begin?
Real expertise in one subject, a host who’s comfortable talking into a mic, and an hour or two of your time for every episode. We’ll suggest gear and handle editing and distribution.
Let’s map your launch
Bring a loose idea of the show and who should hear it. We’ll talk through the shape of a launch and what it takes.