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How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

blog.usejournal.com

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Re: How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

#61
post #35
post #24

A hidden threat in this, is that podcasting can look like journalism to many economies. If you "report" on current affairs in any way, you can fall into the trap. Mainstream broadcasters are always super-careful when staff are sent to the USA, to get the right visa. If the staffer just goes to the USA, they have to make damn sure they don't return to work, even if they take that call about some story, there is a risk…

I always thought that a "tourist" visa allows you to do "work" for your non-US company, it just prevents you to from "working" for a US company, or being paid by a US company for work done during your visit. I entered the US dozens of times on an ESTA for work reasons, I always declare I'm there for "business", offering detail if needed, and never had any issue.

As you'll find if you dig into visa regulations in many countries, the definition of "business" (activities usually permitted on business visas or visa waiver programs) is typically a lot more detailed than just whether the company paying you is in or out of the jurisdiction.

For example, in the US case, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_visa#Acceptable_and_prohibit.... The rules for B visas apply to ESTA as well. Journalism is explicitly prohibited on B visas.

This is why my employer's internal immigration processes, even for short-term visits like conferences or whatever, present you with a comprehensive list of different categories of activity you might be undertaking to determine whether you need a work permit or not. It's annoying, and our internal immigration systems are very, very much imperfect, but I can see how it came to be.

Re: How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

#62
This author really practices what he preaches with regards to being vulnerable himself to get others to open up. Check out the about page [0] of his site. It's an honest reckoning of his entire life, not just a list of the highlights, as so many other people's bios are.

[0] https://www.disruptingjapan.com/tim/

Re: How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

#63
post #57
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

entering the UK under a tourist visa or waiver program, you must be able to fund your stay. The tourist visas are No Work or Recourse to Public Funds. If you are funding your stay in the UK by working remotely, you are not abiding by the terms of your visa. This isn't the same as getting an emergency call out while on holiday. How does the border agency know? They ask you a whole bunch of questions upon entering the…

If you are visiting and not working for a UK company it is perfectly legal to do work while travelling. If you overstay your visa different story. Put another way vp of sky visits Canada answers a few emails/calls while on vacation, perfectly legal.

answering calls, writing a few emails on holiday, is different from actually living in a country on a tourist visa and working remotely.

Re: How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

#64
post #53

The title doesn't mention it, but this only applies to Japan where podcasting isn't nearly as popular or economically viable as it is in other countries.

My view is actually the opposite - that this likely applies to most countries except the ones with a large and established podcasting ecosystem, of which I only know one (the US, with UK scene piggybacking on it).

Re: How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

#65
post #63
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are visiting and not working for a UK company it is perfectly legal to do work while travelling. If you overstay your visa different story. Put another way vp of sky visits Canada answers a few emails/calls while on vacation, perfectly legal.

answering calls, writing a few emails on holiday, is different from actually living in a country on a tourist visa and working remotely.

Define "living." As a US citizen, I've gone over to the EU, including the UK, for multiple weeks to attend multiple conferences, have customer meetings, etc. I've never been anything but 100% upfront in answering any questions about the purpose and duration of my visit honestly and have never had an immigration official so much as blink at my answers.

I know that some countries (such as China) do require business visas for attending a conference and I've to get letters of introduction, etc. in order to get my visa. But it's never been an issue in Europe.

Re: How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

#66

I appreciate what Tim has done and continues to accomplish to raise the profile and acceptance of startups as a viable career choice in Japan. I've first-hand experience with the many challenges of startups in Japan. Finding talent who understand how startups are different. Convincing larger partners you're not simply another "supplier" they can grind margin out of. Explaining to potential investors the tradeoffs of…

Wow. Thank you for that. I love putting the podcast together, and I enjoy it more now that I've taken the show non-commercial. I like to think I'm having an impact on the ecosystem here, and as I mentioned in the article, four Japanese startup founders have told me that listening to the guests on Disrupting Japan is a big part of what gave them the courage to start their own companies. I kind of teared up when they t…

Indeed, thank you very much. I listen to a lot of podcasts while commuting and exercising, and I'd wondered about how the business end worked. I receive an extraordinary amount of great content for nothing more than the price of ads (which I skip a lot of; sorry but it's true).

I have gone out of my way to purchase products that advertise on podcasts: I'm typing this as I eat a lunch flavored with hot sauce from FuegoBox.

I don't know how well most podcasters do from that. You had a wonderfully lucrative target audience; most of what I listen to has a larger market but with less money. I don't know how many Casper mattresses and MeUndies they can possibly buy. The impression I get from the IHeartRadio-branded ones hint that by the time the marketers and support get their cut, it's poverty-level wages.

Again, thanks for the look behind the scenes. That was incredibly informative and very well written.

Re: How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

#68

Great post Is there a general ratio for how much audio you record per session vs how long your average podcast episode is? Do you cut, say, 25% or something like that? They seem to run 40-50 minutes, from checking your site. Would going the Patreon route (since your podcast is ad-free now) be viable?

As a consumer I almost always wish more was edited out. Too much time is wasted on random anecdotes, stories, etc. that have nothing to do with the topic hand. Maybe there are two different audiences as well. One that likes the podcaster and thus wasn't the unedited content the other could be content focused and only want the core of the content which is probably only 20% of the recording.

Re: How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

#69
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always thought that a "tourist" visa allows you to do "work" for your non-US company, it just prevents you to from "working" for a US company, or being paid by a US company for work done during your visit. I entered the US dozens of times on an ESTA for work reasons, I always declare I'm there for "business", offering detail if needed, and never had any issue.

As you'll find if you dig into visa regulations in many countries, the definition of "business" (activities usually permitted on business visas or visa waiver programs) is typically a lot more detailed than just whether the company paying you is in or out of the jurisdiction. For example, in the US case, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_visa#Acceptable_and_prohibit... . The rules for B visas apply to ESTA as…

That's great information, thanks.

To be honest, the range of activities allowed it's fairly reasonable.

Re: How I made money podcasting and why you probably don't want to

#70

Loved the ending. Self-disclosure is a big part of humanistic psychology. Sidney Jourard[0] explored this in depth: You cannot collaborate with another person toward some common end unless you know him. How can you know him, and he you, unless you have engaged in enough mutual disclosure of self to be able anticipate how he will react and what part he will play? If we want to be loved, we must disclose ourselves. If…

What a fantastic quote.
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