How To Start, Grow and Monetise Your Podcast · Pod School

Solo vs Guest Episodes: Which Format Grows Your Podcast Faster?

·14 min

Alex Chisnell and James Burt open with their usual teasing and quickly settle into a direct discussion about solo episodes versus guest episodes. It starts with a joke. Alex says his first show was guest-led until a day came when all of his booked guests cancelled, forcing him to record alone and find a different rhythm. That accident changes the shape of the conversation. They argue that the medium can create a strong one-to-one relationship because listeners are often hearing the show while they are in the car, at the gym, on a dog walk, or cutting the grass, away from phones, adverts, and social media. That, they say, gives expert authority more weight. The pair keep circling back to practicality, saying that in most cases you should do both. They point to a big show like Diary of a CEO as an example of someone who has mixed formats, doing solo episodes and now panels, and they frame that as testing and measuring rather than guessing. They also take a quick swipe at a familiar business-guru type they do not rate. The episode closes with a push toward their course, and a reminder to get clear on who the audience is so the content lands with that group. It ends with a nudge to keep listening, leave comments, and try the format that best fits the listener's goals.

As heard by us

A practical case for mixing solo and guest formats to see what listeners keep.

This episode treats solo versus guest shows as a plain tradeoff: trust, consistency, and whether the format actually fits the show. Alex Chisnell and James Burt keep it moving, and the story of a planned guest episode turning into a solo one makes the point without fuss.

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Why you'd press play

Pick the format that keeps your show moving when guests disappear.

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