Eight weeks, if you start now

Weeks 1 to 2 — decide what it is

Format, length, how often, and who it is for. A show that cannot answer the last one runs out of episodes by number nine.

Weeks 3 to 4 — record three, not one

Launching with three episodes gives a new listener somewhere to go. It also means week one is not spent recording.

Week 5 — artwork, description, feed

The parts everyone leaves until the Friday before. Artwork has to read at 60 pixels; most does not.

Weeks 6 to 7 — edit and approve

Two rounds of notes, then it locks. A third round is usually someone changing their mind rather than improving anything.

Week 8 — publish, then keep going

The launch matters far less than episode twelve arriving on time. Build the schedule you can actually keep.