His Podcast Business Finally Took Off. Here's Why | Alan Katz

Abi Asija sits down with Alan Katz, founder of Costard & Touchstone Productions, a media company producing and scaling a growing slate of narrative-driven podcasts. Alan shares how his business is navigating rapid expansion while facing a core operational challenge: limited time and increasing production demands as the company scales multiple shows at once.Key Insight: The true leverage in modern podcasting is not just audience growth, but owning intellectual property and distribution so each story becomes a long-term asset that can be monetized across multiple formats and platforms.Alan explains how his background in film and television led him to shift into podcasting as a way to retain full creative and financial control over storytelling. Unlike traditional entertainment deals where rights are often surrendered, podcasting allows him to produce, distribute, and own each project while building scalable revenue streams around it.A major breakthrough for the business comes from the podcast Dead Drop, hosted by former CIA officer John Kiriakou, which now generates the vast majority of revenue through ad monetization and audience growth. Its success highlights how one strong narrative brand can become the financial engine for an entire media ecosystem when distribution and timing align correctly.To scale beyond operational constraints, Alan is actively building a small production team to remove himself from heavy editing work. This transition allows him to shift from execution into creative direction, improving efficiency while increasing output across multiple podcasts without sacrificing storytelling quality.Beyond advertising, the strategy expands into additional revenue streams including premium paywalled content, merch, community subscriptions, and future licensing opportunities for film and television adaptations. The conversation emphasizes how podcasting functions as a discovery engine for larger intellectual property when structured with ownership in mind from the beginning.Viewers will walk away with a clear understanding of how media companies scale through storytelling, how IP ownership drives long-term value, and how a single breakout podcast can evolve into multiple revenue streams across an entire ecosystem. Guest’s website is Costard & Touchstone Productions, and his email is [email protected]. Reach out directly if you want to connect or explore collaboration opportunities.