Grow The Show Episode 240 Summary

Podcast: Grow The Show
Host: Kev Michael
Title: I Analyzed 5,463 Podcasts And Found 4 Hidden Growth Secrets
Release Date: October 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Kev Michael dives into a massive study he personally conducted, analyzing 5,463 podcast episode titles from 25 of the most successful YouTube podcasts, including heavyweights like Diary of a CEO, Huberman Lab, and Tim Ferriss. The goal: uncover hidden patterns that separate viral podcast episodes from those that languish unnoticed. Kev reveals four counterintuitive but data-backed rules for crafting podcast episode titles that will supercharge your show's visibility, engagement, and ultimately, its business potential.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of a Singular Promise (Rule #1)

• Mistake: Most podcasters cram too much into their titles—episode numbers, show names, multiple topics, hashtags, etc.
• Insight: “Every winning title makes one specific promise.” (Kev Michael, 01:07)
  • Example: Huberman Lab’s episode titled simply, “How to Build Immense Inner Strength” (19.6 million views), vs. a cluttered title, “298 Releasing Control, Celebrating Your Successes, and Tossing Your To Do List” (10 views).
• Stat: Removing episode numbers increased views by 62–715% across various channels.
• Action:
  • Eliminate extraneous info from titles.
  • Focus each title on a single, clear transformation or takeaway.

2. Negative Framing Doubles (or More!) Your Clicks (Rule #2)

• Data Analysis: Titles with negative framing grossly outperformed positive ones—both in frequency and impact.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Negative titled episodes appeared more often. Words like ‘mistake’ appeared twice as often as words like ‘tips.’” (Kev Michael, 02:01)
  • “The negative framing got 10x more views.” (Kev Michael, 02:48)
• Examples:
  • Positive: “The Discipline Experts, Successful People All Have This” – 1.2 million views.
  • Negative: “Harvard Professor Revealing the Seven Big Lies About Exercise” – 12.3 million views.
  • “Body language expert: Stop using this, it’s making people dislike you” – 10.7 million views.
  • “Jordan Peterson: Stop lying to yourself” – 5.1 million views.
• Stat: On average, negative titles had 445,000 views vs. 185,000 for positive ones (2.4x difference).
• Insight: Our brains are wired to notice threats, so negative framing compels attention.
• Action: Frame titles around mistakes, myths, or things to avoid for maximum intrigue.

3. Credentials Trump Guest Names (Rule #3)

• Counterintuitive Finding: Nobody cares about your guest’s name unless it’s a true celebrity (think: Taylor Swift).
• Evidence:
  • “41 Harsh Truths Nobody Wants to Admit – Alex Hormozi” got 974,000 views.
  • “The Man That Makes Millionaires: How to Turn $1,000 Into $100 Million” (no name) got almost 4.5 million views—4.6x more.
• More Examples:
  • “Leading neuroscientist”—16.3 million views.
  • “Harvard professor”—12.3 million.
  • “Ex Google officer”—11.4 million.
  • “The money expert”—6.1 million.
• Stat: On Diary of a CEO, credential-first titles average 2.96 million views, vs. 2.06 million for name-first.
• Quote: “People would rather hear nothing than to hear a stranger’s opinion.” (Kev Michael, 05:26)
• Kev’s Advice: “If your grandma hasn't heard of your guest, you're not allowed to put their name in the title.” (05:40)
• Action: Use credentials (“Harvard professor,” “divorce expert”), not names, in episode titles.

4. Use Numbers to Create Certainty (Rule #4)

• Data:
  • Titles with numbers consistently get more clicks AND more views, especially when dollar amounts and timeframes are included.
• Examples:
  • “How to improve your business”—200 views.
  • “How to make $10,000 a month as a writer”—262,000 views.
  • “From $0 to millions in two years”—6.1 million views.
  • “This $28 habit is keeping you poor”—4.3 million views.
  • “Give me 15 minutes and I'll make you dangerously confident”—3.3 million views.
• Stat: 39% of high-performing episode titles included specific numbers.
• Quote: “Numbers create certainty. Certainty creates clicks. Clicks create views. Views create subscribers. And subscribers create thriving podcast businesses.” (Kev Michael, 09:52)
• Insight: Specifics answer listeners’ unspoken questions—how much, how long, how fast?
• Action: Include numbers, timeframes, and/or dollar amounts in every show title possible.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kev Michael, on title clutter: “It’s like trying to tell your entire life story in the first handshake.” (00:53)
• On why negative titles work: “It’s survival psychology. When you frame your episode around what people should stop doing, or what mistakes they’re making, you tap into that primal trigger.” (03:41)
• On names vs. credentials: “When you see a name you don’t know, that name might as well be Joe Schmo. And it’s not even neutral. It’s actually a detractor.” (05:19)
• On what actually keeps podcasters from growth: “The difference between you growing your podcast and… quitting your podcast silently and hoping nobody notices is not your content quality… it’s your titles.” (10:50)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 — 01:36: Kev introduces the study and rule #1 (One Promise Per Title)
• 01:36 — 06:14: Discussion of rule #2 (Negative Framing) with supporting examples
• 06:14 — 07:49: Rule #3 (Credentials Beat Names) and colorful analogies
• 07:49 — 10:10: Rule #4 (Use Numbers), including detailed case studies
• 10:10 — 11:21: Kev summarizes and provides a resource for title templates

Episode Resources & Further Actions

• Title Templates: Kev offers a free “swipe file” of 50 proven podcast title templates derived from the analyzed shows. Access at growtheshow.com/titles.
• Actionable Takeaway: Start revising your podcast episode titles TODAY, using the four rules to attract more clicks and listeners.

Final Thoughts

Kev Michael’s data-driven approach shatters many standard podcasting assumptions and offers clear, actionable strategies for podcasters ready to break out of obscurity. If you want your show to stick out on YouTube and beyond—as Kev says—fix your titles first.

For more insights on podcast growth, subscribe to Grow The Show or connect with Kev Michael via the provided links.