What Are You Measuring?

🔑 The Unlock

Change the Scoreboard

• Make the Invisible Visible – Every system has a scoreboard, whether it’s explicit or not. What are you really tracking? And is it shaping the right behaviors?
  

• Measure What Moves You Forward – Optimize for creativity? Track experiments, not just results. Building trust? Track responsiveness, not just sales. The right metrics pull you toward the future, not just record the past.
  

• Model the Change – The best way to shift a scoreboard is to live by it first. When leaders start rewarding the right behaviors, the team follows. When creators value craft over clicks, the audience learns to value it too.

📌 Take Action: This week, write down three things you measure in your work. Then ask: “If I keep optimizing for this outcome, where will it take me in five years?” If the answer isn’t where you want to go, it’s time for a new scoreboard.

📡 Industry Pulse

• YouTube Hits 1 Billion Monthly Podcast Users – YouTube is now the biggest podcast platform, proving video is reshaping audio consumption. If you’re not thinking about visual-first podcasting, now’s the time. Read more

• Podcasters Battle Subscriber Churn – Holding onto listeners is harder than ever. Leading shows are winning with bonus content, fan engagement, and community-driven experiences. Read more

• Can AI-Generated Content Be Copyrighted? – The U.S. Copyright Office weighs in: AI can assist, but humans must create. Expect legal battles ahead. Read more

• K-Pop Superstars BTS Once Drove 95% of HYBE’s Revenue—Now It’s Below 20% – Diversification works. HYBE’s expansion into new artists, gaming, and AI proves betting on one success story is a risky game. Read more

• Amazon Adds Controversial AI Music Generator to Alexa – Suno, an AI-trained music generator, has been integrated into Alexa despite legal concerns. The tech is moving faster than the law—so where does that leave artists? Read more

📌 Why It Matters: The scoreboard for creators is shifting, fast. The biggest podcast audience is on YouTube, not Apple. The fight in music isn’t about streams—it’s about AI. The game is changing, and the winners will be the ones who change what they measure.

💡 Creative Edge

An Underrated Skill: Making Others Feel Heard

Most leaders focus on communication skills. Few focus on listening skills—and that’s the real superpower. Deep listening builds trust, fuels collaboration, and sparks innovation faster than any vision statement ever could.

Want to lead better? Stop preparing your response and start hearing what’s actually being said.

📌 Try This: In your next meeting, ask one clarifying question before you respond. Watch how it changes the conversation.

💼 Open Opportunities 

In Podcasting:

• Senior Audio Producer, The Gray Area – Vox Media – Remote, USA

• Campaign Creator – Wondery – Various Locations, USA

• Producer, WSJ Gimlet Podcast – Gimlet Media – Brooklyn

• Senior Accountant, Podcast & Creator Monetization – Spotify – New York

• Director, Podcast Strategy & Operations – Libsyn – Remote, USA

In Music:

• Vice President, Publishing/A&R – Raedio – New York or Los Angeles

• Junior Product Manager – Bright Antenna Records – Los Angeles

• Associate Manager, West Coast Label Partnerships – Spotify – Los Angeles

• Creator Marketing Strategist – Sony Music Entertainment – Los Angeles

• Head Of Product - CD Baby – Los Angeles

📌 Know someone looking? Forward this their way!

⚡ Final Note

You’ve got an idea. A message. A story worth telling. The only thing standing between you and your own podcast? Getting started.

That’s why I put together The 7-Day Podcast Challenge—a simple, step-by-step guide to getting your podcast live in a week. No fluff, no wasted motion. Just a clear path from idea to launch.

📥 Grab your free copy here.

And thank you for spending time with Red Threads this week. I’m glad you’re here.

~ Jaime

📌 If this issue sparked something for you, forward it to a friend.