Step 1: Pick shows where you're actually a fit
Don't pitch the biggest show you can find — pitch the one whose recent guest list looks like you. A show that's interviewed five SaaS founders in the last two months is a better target than a generalist show with a celebrity guest list, even if the second has more downloads.
Step 2: Find the actual decision-maker
On smaller shows, that's usually the host directly, reachable via the site's contact form or LinkedIn. On larger, produced shows, it's often a booking producer, not the host — check the show notes or "about" page for who researches guests.
Step 3: Write a pitch that isn't about you
Most pitches lead with the founder's bio. Hosts don't care about your bio — they care whether you'll say something specific and true their audience hasn't heard before. Lead with the story, not the resume. See our Podcast Guest Pitch Template for exact structure and examples.
Step 4: Have one sharp story, not five vague ones
The best guest pitches offer a single, specific claim: a number, a decision, a mistake. "I can talk about marketing" is not a pitch. "We cut our CAC in half by killing our best-performing channel" is.
Step 5: Make the host's job easy
Include a one-line description of what you do, the specific angle you're pitching, a two-to-three sentence bio, and links to anywhere you've already spoken — even a LinkedIn post that did well. Hosts screen fast; do the work for them.
Step 6: Follow up once, then let it go
One polite follow-up after seven to ten days is normal. More than that reads as pressure, not persistence.
Hosts don't care about your bio. They care whether you'll say something specific and true their audience hasn't heard before.