E201 - How Podcasting Became a Media Business Built Like a Factory with Adam Torres

In this episode, Adam Torres shares how a career in finance, a reluctant first book, and a co-founder who wouldn't take no for an answer led him to accidentally build one of the largest podcasting operations in the world. He has conducted nearly 7,000 interviews, launched over 250 shows, and written a book on why podcasting is still in its early stages.Adam walks through the unlikely path from financial advisor to media company founder, including why he ignored every good idea until he couldn't anymore. The conversation covers how he built the production infrastructure before he ever focused on becoming a better host, and why he believes the host's genuine engagement matters far more than format, gear, or trends. He also gets into the systems thinking that allowed him to scale to over 1,500 interviews a year without losing his mind.What we cover:- How handing out a self-published book as a business card led to speaking tours and eventually a media company- The early Periscope streaming show called the Gratitude Show, and why growing an audience scared him into stopping- Why his first 300 podcast episodes were unedited phone call recordings and still built an audience- Building the production side like a factory, tracking cost per episode down to the quarter, before ever focusing on being a better host- How systems and obligations to guests, rather than personal discipline, are what keep him showing up consistently- The difference between quantity-first and quality-guest podcast strategies, and how to choose the right model- Why format, AI tools, and production trends matter far less than whether the host genuinely enjoys what they are doing- Reading nearly 10,000 pages of entertainment biographies to study the patterns behind great hosts- What his book One Billion Podcasts argues about where podcasting is headed and why the window is still openChapters:00:00 Introducing Adam Torres01:20 Starting in finance at 16 and managing $200 million02:30 Writing a book he did not want to write03:49 Handing out the book as a business card and landing speaking tours in China04:26 The shift toward publishing and the anthology book model06:49 Publishing Barry Sanders and building a full book company07:03 How the co-founder pushed him into podcasting against his will07:33 First 300 episodes: unedited phone call recordings09:03 The Gratitude Show on Periscope and the moment that scared him11:47 What kept him going through the early episodes12:26 Systems over discipline: designing a company around the host15:56 Building the production factory with a finance mindset17:20 Posting episodes within two hours of recording18:46 Spending 95 percent of early time on production, 5 percent on hosting20:03 Reading 10,000 pages of entertainment biographies to study great hosts22:05 Interviewing anyone with a pulse: the quantity-first strategy23:11 What actually matters in podcasting, regardless of trends24:07 Why the host's genuine engagement is the only thing that never changes25:27 Choosing audio only for the right audience and nicheLinks:One Billion Podcasts book and website: https://onebillionpodcasts.comIf this episode got you thinking about your own story and how to use it, follow Surviving the Side Hustle and catch every new episode at SurvivingtheSideHustle.com.