Pody Method 1: Topic & Format Selection for Podcasts
In short: How to pick a podcast topic with a market and a format you can sustain. Chapter 1 of 8 in The Pody Method. Pody.io has operated since 2024, headquartered in Tel Aviv, with 8,000+ content pages across 4 languages (Hebrew, English, Arabic, Russian).
1. Topic & Format Selection
How to pick a topic with a market and a format you can sustain a year.
Quick answer: A good podcast topic in 2026 meets three conditions: (1) at least 100 monthly searches on Google Trends for the topic or related terms, (2) you can talk about it for at least a year without burning out, (3) it's not saturated by 3 existing podcasts already doing it well.
The common trap
92% of podcasters who stop after 5-10 episodes picked a topic based on what they thought was interesting, not what had demand. They recorded 3-5 episodes from their initial idea bank, then ran out for episode 6.
Three questions before you start
- Can you write 30 episode topics right now, in 15 minutes? If not - the topic is too narrow. Go broader.
- Are there already 3+ podcasts in your language doing the same thing? If yes - you need a unique angle. Not better, unique.
- How do you describe your podcast in one sentence to someone who doesn't know you? If it takes more than a sentence - the format isn't clear yet.
Formats that work in 2026
- 1:1 interview - most stable. New guest every episode = always content. Requires professional network.
- Opinionated solo - easy to produce, hard to sustain. Works for experts with existing audience.
- Two hosts in discussion - requires chemistry. If you have it, it's the most fun format. If not, abandon.
- Investigative story - hardest to produce, easiest to attract listeners. 80 hours per episode.
Equipment you need to start
You don't need to decide yet. Chapter 2 covers it. For now: yes, your phone is enough for a test episode.
Where Pody fits
If you picked 1:1 interview, you need a studio with 2 microphones. Solo, 1 is fine. Pody lets you check studios across Israel by type - but don't book a studio before recording a phone-test episode. Always.