Category 1 – Relationship

These are people I have some kind of existing connection with.
We might not be best friends, but maybe we’ve interacted on Twitter, exchanged a few emails, or have a mutual friend who introduced us.

It’s pretty obvious that, as a host, I’d prefer to record with someone I trust and like. That’s just human nature.

Category 2 – Someone I’m Interested in

There are lots of reasons why I might be interested in someone:

I’ve used their tool and liked it
They’re notable, or I admire their work – maybe they write a great blog or have a YouTube channel I enjoy
There’s a specific reason, like a tweet they wrote about how they got their first users that I’d love to dig into

But here’s how inbound requests to be on the show tend to go:

Hi Jack, I love the podcast. I’d love to come on sometime and share how X makes developers more productive with Y.

Unless they are already in category 1 or category 2, this kind of pitch usually doesn’t work.

How to Build a Better “Get on Podcasts” Strategy

The best approach is to put yourself into both categories:

Build a relationship
Make yourself interesting to the host

Building a Relationship

Pick a few podcasts you’d really like to appear on
Listen to their episodes and share, publicly, something you learned from each one – and tag the host/show
(be authentic, don’t outsource this to ChatGPT)
Be a super-fan: reply to their tweets, subscribe to their newsletter, respond to their emails, and even send them episode ideas that don’t involve you but are genuinely good
Offer to help out if you see an opportunity

Basically: be interested in what they’re doing, be helpful, and be kind.

Making Yourself Interesting to the Host

Look at the kinds of episodes they publish and think about whether you have similar stories or experiences worth telling
Write those stories down and share them publicly
Record short videos of those stories/experiences
If your writing or videos get good feedback, share them with the podcast host
(you can offer to come on and talk about it – but don’t shove it down their throat)
If they say no, don’t give up. Keep sharing interesting stuff on your own channels. Send them the really good ones now and again
Be open, transparent, and honest. Share actual numbers. This is especially important if you’re not already super successful or well-known

Summary

Don’t just fire off a single cold message.
Instead, build a relationship over time and share your story on your own platform first.
That way, the host becomes interested in you. And even if they never become interested in you... you still made great content!

P.s. I absolutely encourage you to use this strategy to get on Scaling DevTools.