by Dan Kendall, Founder of Mission Based Media.
Ever wonder what podcasts and milkshakes have in common?
No, it’s not just that they’re both cool. Or that they’re easy to consume. (Though both are true.) Harvard professor Clay Christensen tells a story in his 2003 book “The Innovator’s Solution” about a fast-food chain trying to boost milkshake sales. They did what most companies do. Asked customers about flavors. Thickness. Price. Made improvements based on the feedback.
Sales didn’t budge. So Christensen’s team tried something different. They watched people buying milkshakes and asked a better question: “What job are you hiring this milkshake to do?” Turns out, morning commuters weren’t buying milkshakes because they loved the taste.
They were hiring them to make a boring drive less boring. To fill them up until lunch. To give them something to do with one hand while the other stayed on the wheel. The milkshake lasted exactly as long as the commute. It fit in the cup holder. It kept them occupied and satisfied. See where this is heading?
Now let’s talk about podcasts. Podcasts get hired to do a job too. They keep you company while you’re doing the dishes. Making dinner. Exercising. Shaving. Driving home from work. They’re perfect for when your eyes are busy but your mind is free. You don’t need to hold anything. Just pop in your earbuds or hit play in the car, and you’ve got a companion for whatever boring or routine task is ahead. A health podcast teaches you something new about nutrition while you meal prep. A true crime show keeps you engaged during your commute. A business podcast makes your morning walk feel productive instead of mindless. Like milkshakes, podcasts last exactly as long as you need them to. A 30-minute episode for a short drive. An hour-long deep dive for the full workout. They satisfy a different kind of hunger. Not the one in your stomach, but the one in your mind.
Here’s how podcasts and milkshakes stack up:
Christensen’s ‘Jobs to be Done’ insight was that people don’t buy products. They hire them to make progress in their lives. The morning commuter didn’t want a milkshake. They wanted their drive to be less boring and their stomach to be full. Your podcast listener doesn’t want audio content. They want to feel engaged while doing mundane tasks. To learn something useful. To be entertained during the in-between moments of their day.
Podcasts engage, educate, and empower. They connect directly to the soft tissue between your ears in a way few other mediums can. So if you’re creating a podcast, ask yourself: What job is my show actually doing for listeners? Are you the companion for their commute? The teacher during their workout? The friend who makes folding laundry bearable? When you understand the job your podcast gets hired to do, your entire podcast strategy gets clearer. Your podcast content. Your podcast format. Your podcast marketing. Because just like that morning milkshake, your podcast isn’t competing with other podcasts.
It’s competing with silence. With music. With whatever else fills those in-between spaces in your listener’s day.
Make your podcast the obvious hire.
P.S. Speaking of understanding what podcasts can do: Health Podcast Summit 2025 features 37 sessions with 42 leaders across health and podcasting – including Sounds Profitable’s own Bryan Barletta and Tom Webster. If you’re creating content in the health space (or any space), I invite you to check it out. Recordings and a private RSS feed are available, for free, thanks to Bryan’s advice!
About the Author:
Dan Kendall is the founder of Mission Based Media, an integrated digital media company dedicated to engaging, educating and empowering audiences with trustworthy health information through podcasting. He leads health-focused platforms including Health Podcast Network, Health Podcast Summit, and Health UNMUTED. When he’s not thinking about the jobs podcasts do, he’s creating platforms and resources that empower health leaders and organizations to reach the soft tissue between their audience’s ears.
