We’ve been talking about starting a podcast for months. Me and my friend — the one who’s a writer and has a way with words, the one who notices every little detail, every “what if” in a sentence. And then there’s me, the one who jumps in headfirst, already imagining the first episode playing while I scroll through potential titles.
And yet… nothing.
Part of the challenge is distance. She’s in the U.S., I’m in Cambodia, and yet we both grew up together in the Philippines. Time zones, schedules, and the simple logistics of two introverts trying to coordinate across oceans make even a short planning call feel like a small expedition. We haven’t even seen each other in person since 2017.
And yet we have a history of creating together. In the past, we ran a small bookstore and a blog that surprisingly took off. We know how to turn ideas into something tangible. We’ve tasted the thrill of building something from scratch. So why is this podcast, something we both want, still stuck in the planning stage?
Maybe it’s our personalities. She’s particular, organized, thoughtful, where everything must have a reason, a plan, a perfect execution. Me? I’m gung-ho, optimistic, ready to fumble forward as long as there’s momentum. Together, it’s a weird kind of friction. A little spark of energy that sometimes creates, and sometimes… nothing at all.
And I catch myself wondering: will we actually do it? Will we let the spark die because one of us wants it perfect while the other just wants it started?
Which brings me to the bigger question: why do people start podcasts at all? I think it’s not about becoming famous or having a perfect setup from day one. It’s about sharing a voice, exploring an idea, connecting with someone else who feels the same way you do, and sometimes learning your own thoughts out loud. It’s about building something that didn’t exist before, even if it’s small.
If that’s the goal, then the better approach isn’t perfection. It’s iteration. Start. Record. Publish. Learn. Tweak. Repeat. Perfection is tempting, especially for introverts and planners, but it’s also paralyzing. Waiting for the “right time” or the “perfect setup” can keep the podcast from ever leaving the notebook. Iteration, on the other hand, acknowledges that the first episode might be rough, that the audio might be tinny, that our nerves might show, but it also knows growth only happens when you try.
I don’t know yet whether we’ll ever get our podcast off the ground. Maybe we will. Maybe we’ll stumble, rework, pause, and then try again. But thinking about the “why” keeps me curious. It reminds me that the value isn’t in the perfect launch. I feel it’s in the act of starting, of giving yourself the space to experiment and find your voice.
So, for anyone reading this: do you have a podcast? Or have you thought about starting one, and found yourself stuck between wanting it perfect and just wanting it done? I’d love to know. Because maybe, just maybe, starting is the hardest part…. and also the most important.