Most new B2B podcasts default to a guest interview format. Why? Because it feels safe. But safe podcasts rarely change anything.
And in fact, your guests are probably ruining your podcast. Almost every B2B podcast starts the same way.
Not with a strategy. Not with a question about outcomes. Not with a discussion about the transformation for the listener.
But with this question.
That decision usually gets made before anyone has stopped to ask what the podcast is actually meant to do.
Look, interviews are not necessarily bad, but relying on them by default is where most branded podcasts fail.
Interviews feel like the obvious choice because they’re familiar.
Every business podcast you listen to tends to feature an interview. They spread responsibility. They borrow credibility.
They let the host hide a little bit. If the episode doesn’t land, it wasn’t on you.
It’s always defended as, “Oh, it was just one of those conversations.”
And internally, interviews are politically safe.
There’s never a strong point of view. There are no hard lines. No risk of sounding too opinionated.
It’s just two people having a relatively pleasant, pedestrian chat.
Which is exactly the problem.
If you look at the business charts right now, they’re full of interview shows.
Usually someone who fancies themselves an influencer chatting to founders.
Most of them are terrible. Not because the guests aren’t impressive.
They usually are. But because the interviews are completely self-serving.
They’re structured around, “Tell us what you’ve done.”
“Tell us how amazing that was for you.” “And tell us why you’re so successful.”
It creates a sealed bubble where two important people talk at each other.
And you, the listener, are just there to provide the download.
There’s no accountability. No translation. No connection to real life.
It’s just ego dressed up as insight.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth.
Most interview-led B2B podcasts are far more interested in looking credible than helping their listener.
They want to be associated with impressive people, not help someone get from where they are to where they want to be.
And the listener can feel that.
They know when a conversation exists for them and when it exists for LinkedIn engagement.
That’s why so many branded shows get downloads, but no impact.
Okay, let’s be fair. Interviews can work.
They work when there’s already a strong host point of view and the guest is there to challenge it.
The guest should test an idea, not decorate the episode in fake insight.
Interviews should always serve the wider strategy, but they should never be the strategy.
When I’m chatting to potential podcast clients, I usually push them away from relying on interviews.
The resistance is almost always the same. It’s not technical. It’s psychological. Imposter syndrome.
Founders think, “Why would anyone want to listen to me talk for 20 minutes?”
So they hide behind guests.
That’s when I stop speculating and show them the data.
Solo episodes always outperform interviews.
Higher engagement. Longer listening times.
And more inbound messages referencing specific episodes.
People don’t say, “I loved your guest.” They say, “I loved your episode about X.”
The host becomes the authority, not the curator of other authority figures.
And one bad guest can undo months of careful positioning.
A B2B podcast has a job. You are not there for your guest.
You are there for your customer.
Listener message from Sarah in Bristol, reflecting on choosing intention over frequency and reducing guilt around weekly publishing.
Response on adjusting cadence, batching episodes, and making podcasting sustainable.
Founder FAQ with Helen, CMO at a mid-market SaaS company, on when B2B podcasts start delivering meaningful results.
Final thoughts, invitation to reflect before fixing, and call to subscribe and share.