Yesterday I had breakfast with Chris Knudsen of Podango. Great guy. Interesting company. I wonder if Podango is a threat to Apple Computer, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: AAPL) stranglehold over podcasting. I put a few questions to him for the record. See what you think:
What is Podango and how does it differ from iTunes?
ITunes is a great service but it has several problems. Anyone can aggregate their podcast to iTunes, which means potential problems with quality and consistency. At Podango, we contract with Station Directors to run specific niche stations on topics they are recognized experts in. These Station Directors aggregate the best quality and most consistent podcasts to their Podango station. That means you as a listener get the best podcasting experience delivered to you on demand anytime you want it.
How long has Podango been around and how long have you been with the company?
Podango has been around for about a year. We've been in a heavy development mode but we just entered our beta, which is going great. I've been with the company for two months. My primary responsibility is to bring sponsorships to Podango.
Who else is involved in management and who are the people who are doing podcasts for you already?
The Company was founded by Lee Gibbons and Doug Smith. Sean Roylance heads up our development team.
The notable Podcasters include Paul Colligan, a famous marketing podcaster and author of The Business Podcasting Bible. We also have Roger Merrill running the Leadership station at Podango. Right now there are about 25 stations on Podango. We should have 50 up by the end of the year. I believe we'll have about 1000 up by the end of next year. The growth is exciting!
Normally I'd ask an entrepreneur where he hopes to be in five years, but Internet time is like dog-years, accelerated; where do you want to be in six months to year with this business?
I'd like to see Podango break even within the next year. We have a generous amount of financing that is helping facilitate growth. Within the next year we will be recognized as a leader in the space. We already have a great reputation and tons of industry attention. Its very exciting!
Thanks, Devin! Great meeting with you!
Posted by: Chris | October 26, 2006 5:11 PM | Permalink to Comment