Trevor Blaszczyk built his podcast from zero. No connections, no budget, no production team. After nearly 70 episodes of Mind Over Matter and rebranding into the Saving 22 Podcast, he put together the definitive guide to starting a podcast—covering everything from finding your niche to the exact hardware, software, and distribution strategy you need to get your first episode live.
Start With Your Niche and Your Idea
Before you buy a microphone or create an account anywhere, Trevor argues you need clarity on two things: who you’re talking to and why you’re talking to them. Your niche isn’t just a topic—it’s the specific group of people you serve and the problem you help them solve. Trevor started with veteran mental health because it was personal. That’s the kind of niche that sustains a podcast past episode five when the excitement fades and the work begins.
Too many people start podcasts about everything. Those shows die fast. The podcasts that grow are the ones with a clear point of view and a defined audience. If you can’t describe your ideal listener in one sentence, you’re not ready to record.
The Hardware You Actually Need
Trevor curated an Amazon list with his recommended hardware setup—no fluff, no $500 microphones nobody needs on day one. The goal is to sound professional without spending money you don’t have. A decent USB microphone, headphones, and a quiet space will take you further than any expensive setup with bad content behind it.
The truth most podcasting gurus won’t tell you: listeners will forgive imperfect audio quality if the conversation is worth their time. They won’t forgive boring content recorded on a $3,000 setup.
Free Software That Gets the Job Done
You don’t need to spend anything on software to get started. Trevor breaks down the free tools that do the heavy lifting: Discord for building community and connecting with guests, OBS for recording and livestreaming, Calendly for scheduling guest appearances without the back-and-forth email chain, and Buffer for scheduling social media posts to promote your episodes.
These four tools alone cover communication, recording, scheduling, and promotion—the four pillars of running a podcast without a team.
Paid Tools Worth the Investment
Once you’re committed, Trevor recommends investing in tools that scale your output. An RSS feed service through rss.com or Spotify for Podcasters gets your show distributed across every platform. Streamyard handles livestreaming and remote recording. Podpage gives you a professional podcast website without needing web development skills. CapCut handles video editing. And for merch, Shopify paired with Printful lets you sell branded products with no upfront inventory costs.
Where to Build Your Audience
Trevor ranks social platforms in order of importance for podcast growth: X (Twitter), TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitch. Each platform serves a different purpose. X is where conversations happen in real time and where you connect with potential guests. TikTok and Instagram Reels drive discovery through short-form clips. Facebook groups build community. LinkedIn works for professional credibility. The key is not trying to be everywhere at once—pick two or three and go deep.
Build Your Schedule and Stick to It
Consistency beats quality when you’re starting out. Trevor emphasizes building a publishing schedule you can maintain—whether that’s weekly, biweekly, or something else. The podcasts that grow are the ones that show up reliably. Your audience needs to know when to expect you, and more importantly, you need the discipline of a deadline to keep creating.
If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast, this is the roadmap. No gatekeeping, no upsells, just the practical breakdown from someone who built his show from nothing. Visit endsuicide.us to support Trevor’s mission and connect with the community.
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