What I’m Learning from Producing a Podcast Solo

About a year ago, I had an idea: What if there was a podcast dedicated entirely to jigsaw puzzles?

Not just the hobby itself, but the people, creativity, craftsmanship, and community behind it.

The idea sat for months. Not because it lacked potential, but because I questioned whether I could build it from nothing. No episodes. No website. No proof of concept. Just curiosity.

So I decided to test it.

I started booking guests. Designing a brand identity. Building a Substack home base. Creating a visual system. Producing and editing full episodes. Launching social channels.

Turns out, people did want to talk about puzzles. And more than that, they wanted to talk about the stories behind them.

Now, I’m a few weeks away from launching Dissectologists, a long-form interview podcast exploring the culture and community of modern jigsaw puzzling. The first episode drops March 9.

Producing this show solo has reminded me of something I almost forgot after leaving my last role as an executive producer: I know how to build story-driven projects from the ground up. I know how to create structure from ambiguity. I know how to make guests feel comfortable, and conversations feel intentional.

After a year of unemployment, rebuilding something entirely my own has restored more than just momentum — it’s restored confidence.

When I left my last team, I told them I wasn’t done telling stories.

I meant it.

If you’re curious about the project, I wrote about why I’m making the podcast over on Substack.