RS354: The State Of Podcasting Heading Into 2026

About this episode

Craig and Colin Gray discuss the evolving landscape of podcasting and the importance of genuine human connection in the age of AI.

Craig is back! Today, he welcomes fellow podcaster Colin Gray back to the podcast. They dive into the ever-evolving world of podcasting, reflecting on how much the landscape has shifted over the last decade and what people are craving now more than ever: genuine human connection. From the tug-of-war between YouTube and podcast growth, to what it really means to build an AI-first product, they explore the trends shaping creators, customers, and the platforms that connect them. Highlights from Craig and Colin’s conversation: How podcasting has changed over the last 10 years The more we’re pulled toward AI, the more we crave genuine connection Is it easier to grow a YouTube channel or a podcast? Content integration and becoming a centralized hub Spotify’s role in the evolution of podcasting Monetization: ads, donations, subscriptions, and more Balancing and prioritizing feature requests How AI is shaping customer expectations How to make your product AI-first Resources and Links from This Episode: The Podcast Host: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/ Colin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colinmcgray?originalSubdomain=uk beehiiv: https://www.beehiiv.com/ Kit: https://kit.com/ Creator Hooks…

People in this episode

Host: Craig

Guest: Colin Gray

Topics covered

• podcasting trends
• AI in podcasting
• YouTube vs podcast growth
• monetization strategies
• genuine human connection
• content integration

Keywords

• podcasting
• AI-first product
• YouTube growth
• monetization
• content integration
• human connection
• podcast trends

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Spotify, The Podcast Host, beehiiv, Creator Hooks, Castos

More episodes of Rogue Startups

• RS358: Your Design Sucks · March 18, 2026 · 54 min
• RS357: I Got Hacked · March 11, 2026 · 44 min
• RS356: When to Pivot, When to Push w/ Jesse Hanley · March 4, 2026 · 1h 2m
• RS355: Code Velocity and the Future of SaaS · February 25, 2026 · 58 min
• RS353: Is This the Last Organic Marketing Channel · October 1, 2025 · 51 min
• RS352: AI Killed Traditional Marketing – Here's What's Next · September 24, 2025 · 50 min