If I listed everything I do for the podcast, it might sound like a full-time job. I:
- Research topics that interest me
- Search for and reach out to potential guests
- Juggle communication and scheduling with different guests
- Prepare interview questions and do background research
- Record each interview
- Edit each episode
- Publish to podcast platforms and the website
On top of that, there’s building the website, learning marketing and promotion, experimenting with outreach, and thinking about future partnerships.
Given that I also have a demanding full-time job, this does make for a pretty packed week. I also made the commitment to myself that my full time job always takes priority over the podcast.
🕒 How Much Time Does It Really Take?
On average, I’d say each guest requires 10–15 hours of work. That includes everything from booking to prep to editing and publishing (in the beginning it’s much longer).
Because I publish every two weeks, that averages out to 5–7 hours per week. For me, that means a few hours spread across weekday evenings and usually a Sunday morning.
🧮 My Back-of-the-Napkin Time Audit
Before I commit to anything, especially a long-term side project like a podcast, I do a quick time audit. Here’s how mine breaks down on an average weekday:
- 10 hours at work
- 8 hours sleep (non-negotiable)
- 2 hours for morning + evening routines and meals
That leaves me with around 4 hours of free time per day during the week—20 hours total. I prioritize:
- Fitness: ~4 hours/week
- Date night with the wife: 3 hours/week
That leaves about 13 hours of open time, spread across mornings and evenings. That’s more than enough for a few podcast hours, a social catch-up here and there, and some breathing room.
It might sound a bit robotic, but for me it’s not. It’s just a helpful way to reflect on where my time actually goes. If you feel like other people are getting more done than you, it’s worth looking at your own week and asking: what am I doing out of habit that I wouldn’t consciously choose to spend time on?
To be clear, I’m not against TV or gaming. I’m a fan. But I think those things should be conscious choices, not time-fillers that sneak up on you.
🚪 Leaving Space for Spontaneity
Right now, I feel like my week is about as full as I want it to be. Could I optimize more? Sure. But it would come at the cost of rigidity, and I always want at least 10% of my week unallocated, for a last-minute dinner, a spontaneous catch-up, or a Netflix night when I just can’t be bothered (which occurs way more often than a spontaneous catch up).
⚡ So Why Keep Doing It?
Fitting it in is one thing. But staying motivated to keep doing it is another.
There’s something I heard Tim Ferriss say in Episode 538 of The Tim Ferriss Show that stuck with me. It was about side projects:
“It must be something that gives you energy—not takes it.”
The first 5–10 episodes are all fun – you’re learning new things and dreaming of becoming the next Joe Rogan. But the honeymoon ends. If editing at 10pm feels like a chore, the dream of going full-time on your passion might feel even further away than before.
That’s why you have to be honest with yourself.
If the main reason you’re doing it is because you think it’ll become big or make money… you’re in for a long and possibly unrewarding road.
The reality: most successful podcasters make it look easy because they have teams behind them. They’ve published hundreds, sometimes thousands, of episodes. And behind every hit show is a graveyard of ones that never made it past episode three.
💡 Why I Keep Going
For me, the whole process gives me energy.
- The buzz when a professor or CEO says “yes” to coming on the show
- The insights I gain while researching topics
- The progress I hear in my interviewing skills with every episode
- The improvement in sound quality I make each episode (just compare Episode 1 to Episode 21)
All of that lifts my mood and improves my overall wellbeing. That alone makes it worth it.
Even if How It Ticks never earns money or reaches a massive audience, I still consider it a success.
Curious how you’d fit something like this into your week? Or already juggling a side project of your own? I’d love to hear how you manage it.
Glad you’re here,
Mike
