✊ 5 examples of Killer Concepts (& their utterly generic counterparts)
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Hi friends, This week, we’re talking about the importance of your show concept in growing your show, positioning you as an authority in your space, and converting listeners into customers (and charging more for the work you do). And while I can (and will) harp on and on until the end of time about why nailing your show concept accounts for roughly 90% of successful podcast marketing… Some things are just easier to understand when you see them for yourself. So, today, I want to share a handful of generic show concepts—the kind of ignorable shows that exist by the dozen in every category imaginable… And then contrast them with more unique, hooky, and marketable concepts on the same topic. One note before we dive in: To avoid picking on any real shows, I’ve invented new show names for the “bad” concepts and anonymized the descriptions. For the good concepts, I’ve either pulled from real shows, or invented concepts (which might one day end up as episodes of my new concept-building show, Killer Concept). Oh, and if you want to go deeper, I’ve included a video at the bottom of the email going deeper on what makes each of these concepts work… or not. Alright, let’s dive into the good vs bad concept bonanza. Bad vs Good Concepts for a Life Advice Podcast🥱 Imperfectly Perfect - A life advice podcast sharing tips, tricks, and guest expert interviews to help you move past your perfectionism and achieve your biggest goals. 🆚 🤩 Good Enough - A life advice podcast about the subversive joy of settling, where in every episode, we re-examine a different aspect of life—from relationships to health and wellness to career, finances, and more—and ask the seemingly blasphemous question: What and how much is good enough? Not perfect, not the most highly optimized. Simply good enough. Bad vs Good Concepts for a Business Podcast🥱 Online Business Masters — A business podcast featuring successful solopreneurs pulling back the curtain on the juiciest tactics that got them to where they are today… and share how you can apply them to grow your business too. 🆚 🤩 This Isn’t Working — A business podcast where in every episode, we invite on a different solopreneur to unpack a specific part of their business that isn’t working, trace it back to its source… and then live workshop the solution together. Bad vs Good Concepts for a Self-Help Podcast🥱 You’ve Got This! — A self-help podcast sharing inspiring and motivating stories of people who’ve overcome hardships to build the life of their dreams… and how you can too. 🆚 🤩 Common (Non)sense — A self-help podcast where in every episode we examine a different piece of conventional advice that is actually harmful when repeated and internalized, unpack where it comes from, why we fall for it, and the better advice to follow instead. Bad vs Good Concepts for a Leadership Podcast🥱 The Art of Leadership – A leadership podcast where in every episode, we interview a business leader from a different industry to help uncover the timeless leadership principles that will elevate your company to greatness. 🆚 🤩 Starfleet Leadership Academy – A leadership podcast where in every episode we break down an episode of Star Trek—from The Original Series to Discovery, and beyond—and point out examples of great leadership, management, lean/six-sigma, communication, and more. Bad vs Good Concepts for a Personal Finance Podcast🥱 Millennial Money with Michael – A personal finance podcast for millennials by millennials to help you spend less, save more, and make smarter moves with your money to set you up for long-term financial success. 🆚 🤩 Other People’s Pockets – A personal finance podcast where in every episode we ask a different random stranger to get radically transparent about their personal finances in order to learn more about who we are and what makes us tick. What Makes These Concepts Good (and Bad)?As mentioned above, here's a video breaking down these concepts in more depth, highlighting the tell-tale signs of generic concepts and how to fix them. Bonus: 5 More Killer Concepts to Get Your Wheels TurningJust because you asked nicely, here are 5 more ideas from my concept idea vault for future episodes of Killer Concept (or actual shows). Architecting Happiness — A limited series urban design podcast where, episode by episode, we build out the ideal city from the ground up, bringing together experts in urban design, architecture, art, ecology, culture, technology, and business to architect the perfect place to live. They’ve Got A Point… — A podcast combatting polarization, divisiveness, and echo chambers where in every episode we tease the good ideas out of people we might otherwise think of as bad… or in some cases, downright evil. How to Decide — A life advice show where in every episode, we take on one of life’s thorniest decisions—Do I want kids? Should I buy or rent? Should I marry them?—and unpack how to think about it, and ultimately come to the decision that is right for you. We won’t give you the answers, but we will help you discover them for yourself. I Really Shouldn’t — A self-help podcast for women questioning what we really owe the world, those around us, and ourselves, where in every episode, we sit down with a woman who gave up on something she was supposed to do, and embraced want she wanted to do. Where Credit Is Due — A history podcast where in every episode we unpack a misattributed historical event, achievement, or breakthrough… and set the record straight, detailing what really happened and finally giving credit where credit is due. If you want my help dialling in your concept for a new or existing show, over the next month, I’m going to be working closely with a small group to overhaul their concepts into audience-attracting, client-converting machines in my new small-group live accelerator. It's called Craft Your Killer Concept. Here's how it will work: First… We’ll start by understanding the Concept Mechanics and listener psychology behind how podcasts actually grow… and the specific Conversion Triggers your podcast must contain to turn listeners into buyers. Next… We’ll analyze your market to identify your unique “wedge opportunities” to gain a foothold as a must-listen show for a segment of the market… and develop a personalized rubric of how to position your show to grow fast (no matter how crowded your category). Then… I’ll help you rapidly develop several dozen concept ideas—ranging from small but powerful tweaks to your existing show to radically different angles you’ve never considered—which you’ll then whittle down to a handful of your favourites for audience testing so you know with 100% certainty that your new concept is marketable, all based on a clever, single sentence pitch. And finally… We’ll take your top three concepts and flesh them out into an engaging, easy-to-make episode template, weaving in your core brand messaging, Conversion Triggers, and a series of listener attraction and retention hooks. The result? By the end of four weeks, you’ll have dialled in a truly killer show concept that is primed to become the go-to show in your niche (and a major revenue generator for your business). This is the first time I’m teaching this material in a group program, and I want to make sure everyone gets significant personal feedback and support from me. For that reason, I’m placing a strict cap of just 10 spots available in this group [7 spots remaining]. Given that my product development and promotion calendar is already filled up through the end of 2026, I won’t be offering this program again until January 2027 at the earliest—likely at a significantly higher price. The deadline to enroll is Tuesday, February 10th, at 11:59 PM Pacific. Or when the 10 spots fill up. I’ve put all the program details on the product page below. Check it out here: If you have any questions, hit reply and send them my way. I’ll be reading and responding to all of them.
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