I've heard some version of the same advice about five times in the last couple weeks from content coaches, creator newsletters, and other podcasters: in the age of AI, people crave authenticity, so keep your episodes messy, leave in the tangents, don't over-edit. I agree with about 70% of that. It's the other 30% I think we're taking way too far.

In this episode I get into why editing and authenticity aren't actually opposites, the difference between personality-led, entertainment-led, and utility-led podcasts (and why the "keep it raw" advice only really fits two of those three), and the four rules I actually use when I'm editing my own show. Plus the fitness podcast story that's been bugging me for years, from way before AI was even part of this conversation.

If you've ever felt like a podcast made you wait too long for the thing it promised you, this one's for you.

00:00 The "leave it messy" advice I've heard five times in two weeks 03:37 Where this take actually comes from (a fitness podcast, years before AI) 06:11 Why niche interview podcasts drift off-topic 07:35 Personality-led vs. utility-led vs. entertainment-led podcasts 13:16 Signifiers of authenticity vs. authenticity itself 16:14 What every creative discipline already knows about constraints 19:49 Four rules for editing without losing your voice

If this got you thinking about your own line between raw and just untidy, hit subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you don't miss where this goes next.

And if you'd rather read this one than listen, the written version lands on the blog soon.

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