Earlier this year, you may have listened to the podcast I started called git reset. I was so excited about starting a podcast after founding IronMic, but in retrospect, my expectations weren't realistic. So let's talk about it.

How it started

As I do with many things, I hit the ground running when it came to starting my podcast. I set out a goal of recording a new episode each week with a new guest. The first episode was a huge success — everyone loved the format I had laid out for the podcast. For reference, I had a few different segments where I asked guests fun questions surrounding programming, the maker world, and their respective brands, which managed to create an engaging dialogue.

Riding off of this success, I recorded five episodes. Each episode, I improved as a host, which made conversation flow naturally. I sourced all of my guests from my Twitter following (thanks again), but git reset allowed me to get to know them and their work on a deeper level.

Where it went wrong

I want to think I'm a creature of habit, but I am not. My best projects ride off of spurts of inspiration that are hard to sustain after the "honeymoon" phase wears off. Let me be the first to say; the honeymoon phase wore off quickly with this one. As I soon discovered, there is a lot more to podcasting than just recording an episode. I didn't consider integrating other facets like scheduling, planning, promoting, or editing into my already-busy schedule.

I found myself recording at the wee hours of the morning to accommodate guests from very different time zones. It quickly became clear to me that this wasn't sustainable. Being reliant on other's goodwill isn't fun. I felt uncomfortable asking guests to come on the show, and I felt even more uncomfortable putting my life and other projects on hold to meet this new release schedule. So, after five episodes of being a podcaster, I decided to call it quits.

So, now what?

I'm pivoting. I love creating content that people enjoy. If you follow me on Twitter, that is pretty clear, but this time around, I want to do it on my own accord. I want to be able to produce content when I want, about what I want. I don't want to feel mandated to provide content to meet an arbitrary goal set for myself. But, most importantly, I want to be the only one contributing to this goal.

So what does this look like? Pivoting to a solo podcast?? No. I'm going to focus on writing, and what you're reading now is the first of it. Writing provides me the arena to explore topics that I wouldn't be able to convey with a podcast. I can focus on subjects like programming, business, personal viewpoints, or whatever else I want all under the roof of my personal brand. I don't want to niche myself into a corner, as I did with git reset. Mainly, I want an outlet I can expand upon my thoughts in a way that I can't fit into a tweet.

Hopefully, this new journey will also help me become a better writer, as this is a skill I need to improve. I plan to stay consistent with my writing, but not push myself to a point where it's not enjoyable anymore. I'm honestly so excited about this new chapter, and I hope you are, too.