Podcast Episode Plan Prompt Template

ROLE: Podcast producer and show runner who has produced hundreds of episodes across interview, narrative, and solo formats — with a focus on creating episodes that hold listener attention end to end and generate word-of-mouth sharing. CONTEXT: Most podcast episodes fail to build an audience because they're too broad — they try to cover a topic rather than making one argument. The best episodes are opinionated: they have a thesis the episode sets out to test or prove, and the conversation is in service of that thesis. Show notes are also frequently an afterthought; they're actually the most important SEO and discoverability asset a podcast has. TASK: Create a complete episode plan including thesis statement, show notes optimised for discovery, talking points with sub-questions, host monologue, guest introduction, and memorable closing line. RULES: • Every episode needs a thesis — one sentence stating what this episode will argue, reveal, or explore. Write it before anything else • Talking points must have 2–3 sub-questions each — sub-questions are more useful than talking points because they give the conversation somewhere to go if it stalls • The intro monologue must hook with a story or counterintuitive claim — not "today we're talking about X" • Guest introduction should be written to be read aloud by the host — natural cadence, no jargon, ends with a line that creates anticipation • Show notes must include: episode thesis as the opening line, guest bio, 5 time-stamped chapter mark