Overview of How to Start a Podcast (Then vs Now) w/Alex Goldman
Marques and Andrew sit down with podcast veteran Alex Goldman—best known for Reply All and now Hyperfixed—to compare the early days of podcasting with today’s hyper-competitive, algorithm-driven media landscape. The conversation covers how Reply All got started, what made it break out, how podcast discovery and measurement have changed, why Alex prefers audio over video, and how Hyperfixed is built around answering the kinds of small-but-haunting questions people can’t stop thinking about.
How Alex Goldman Got Started
From radio and IT to narrative podcasts
- Alex studied journalism, worked in IT for a while, and eventually found his way into radio at WNYC.
- He was heavily inspired by This American Life and Radiolab, which shaped his taste for narrative storytelling.
- Reply All began as a scrappy internal project before becoming a full-time show.
The origin of Reply All
- Alex and his co-host initially pitched a different internet-themed show idea, but it was rejected.
- Their boss let them make a proto-version anyway in their spare time, which became TLDR.
- Later, when Alex Blumberg launched his podcast company, they brought the concept over and it evolved into Reply All.
Podcasting Then vs. Now
Why Reply All broke out
- Reply All benefited from several huge tailwinds:
- It launched during the Serial boom.
- The overall podcast market was much smaller.
- Their work also appeared on major shows like This American Life and Radiolab, which brought in large audiences.
- At the time, crossovers and guest spots were major discovery engines, similar to early YouTube collaborations.
Discovery used to be easier
- Back then, podcast discovery was mostly:
- word of mouth
- guest appearances on major shows
- being included in broader media conversations
- Today, Alex says it’s actually harder to get a show’s name out than it was in 2014, despite the audience being much larger overall.
The media environment is more saturated
- There are far more podcasts now, which makes it much harder to stand out.
- Alex also notes that the industry’s economics have shifted, with lower ad rates and more competition making it tougher for new shows to survive.
How He Chooses Stories for Hyperfixed and Reply All-Style Work
Curiosity first
Alex’s main criteria for stories:
- Is there a question to answer?
- Is there something genuinely unknown?
- Does he care?
- Are the stakes meaningful, even if small?
Small questions can still be great stories
Examples discussed include:
- a domain name that expired and was taken over
- the mystery of recycling pickup schedules
- a cake recipe recreated from memory and photos
- a Logitech mouse issue that turned into a real problem-solving episode
Not every lead becomes an episode
- Investigative/narrative audio often leads to dead ends.
- A lot of stories get partially developed, then shelved if they don’t land cleanly.
Hyperfixed: What It Is and Why It Works
Show premise
- Hyperfixed is essentially: listeners write in with problems, and Alex tries to solve them.
- Those “problems” can be practical, technical, emotional, or just weird little questions about the world.
Why it resonates
- The show taps into the universal experience of being stuck on a question you can’t let go of.
- Alex describes it as following curiosity all the way through, even when the answer is small.
Community-driven solving
- The show’s Discord has become a major part of the ecosystem.
- Listeners often help solve cases, especially technical or OSINT-related ones.
- Alex says this is one of the most satisfying parts of the project.
Audio Podcasting, Video Podcasting, and the Algorithm
Why Alex sticks with audio
- He’s not opposed to video, but:
- his team is mostly remote
- he doesn’t have a strong video workflow
- the show is written and edited specifically for audio pacing
- He feels the format would require a major overhaul to translate well to video.
He’s skeptical of algorithm-first media
- Alex argues that podcasting is still relatively “neutral” compared to social platforms:
- you search for a show
- subscribe
- get new episodes
- In contrast, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok increasingly push users toward algorithmic feeds over direct subscriptions.
Discovery and metrics are messy
- Podcast measurement is still weak compared with YouTube analytics.
- There’s no great equivalent to detailed audience retention data.
- Spotify/Apple stats are useful, but not nearly as precise as creators would like.
The video temptation
- Both sides agree that video can boost discoverability, but it also changes production dramatically.
- Alex doesn’t want to sacrifice the show’s style or quality just to chase platform trends.
Business, Premium Subscribers, and Sponsorship
Premium model
- Hyperfixed offers:
- bonus episodes
- merch discounts
- live show perks
- Discord access
- Alex says the most fun part is the community interaction, but growth requires constant self-promotion.
Sponsorship philosophy
- He’s selective about ads and avoids brands he doesn’t like.
- He also values making ad reads feel personal and in his own voice.
- Some sponsors, like certain recurring podcast-ad categories, are a hard no for him.
Tech Bits and Standout Side Conversations
Notable products discussed
Marques showed Alex a handful of strange or futuristic products, including:
- a tri-fold Samsung phone
- the Benny Robot camera bot
- Nike/Hyperice massaging heated shoes
- Dyson headphones with an attached air purifier
- a remote-operated Tau cleaning robot
Alex’s reactions
- He was skeptical of most “product mashup” concepts.
- He liked the idea of utility more than spectacle.
- His reactions consistently centered on one question: what is the actual use case?
A few fun takeaways
- The tri-fold phone is cool, but extremely expensive.
- The robot camera was entertaining, but hard to imagine as a practical everyday tool.
- The Dyson air-purifier headphones felt especially dystopian to him.
Rapid-Fire Highlights
Podcast preferences
- Playback speed: normal speed
- Podcast app: Overcast
Old tech he misses
- A Casio SK-1 sampling keyboard
Dream audio gear
- The Yamaha/Casio synth used on the Blade Runner soundtrack
- He was thrilled to learn Marques had touched the actual synth used by Vangelis
Fun final challenge
- Alex took the classic “type the alphabet” challenge and scored a strong time, landing around the middle of the leaderboard.
Key Takeaways
- The podcast world is much bigger now, but not necessarily easier to break into.
- Early podcast growth relied heavily on cross-promotion and word of mouth.
- Alex’s work has always been powered by curiosity, especially around weird, sticky, human questions.
- He sees audio podcasting as still viable, but increasingly at odds with platform pressures pushing creators toward video.
- Hyperfixed is designed around solving the kinds of problems people obsess over, even when the answer seems small.