| name | kai-podcast |
| description | Launch a podcast or plan podcast guest strategy — format, content planning, episode production, guest outreach, and distribution. Use when "podcast", "start a podcast", "podcast marketing", "podcast guest", "podcast strategy", "be a podcast guest", "launch a show", or any request related to podcast creation or guest appearances. |
Kai Podcast Skill
Kai root note: knowledge/, harness/, and scripts/ paths in this skill live in the Kai install, not the user's project. Resolve them against the first ancestor directory of this SKILL.md that contains a knowledge/ folder (the Kai plugin root, ~/.claude/kai, or the kai-cmo-harness repo). MARKETING.md, memory/, and any output files live in the current project. If a referenced scripts/ command is not available in this install, say so, skip it, and continue with the file-based guidance — never fabricate its output.
Launch a podcast OR plan a podcast guest strategy. Two modes: Host (launch your own show) and Guest (get booked on other shows).
Phase 0: Load Product Context
Check if MARKETING.md exists in the project root (same directory as CLAUDE.md, README.md, package.json).
If it exists: Read it — skip product discovery questions. It has the product name, ICP, value prop, monetization, brand voice, current channels, and competitive landscape.
If it does NOT exist: Auto-explore the codebase to create it in the project root (next to CLAUDE.md). Do NOT ask the user what the product is. Read CLAUDE.md, README.md, PROJECT.md, package.json, landing pages, and any project files. Search for email/ad/analytics config. Then create MARKETING.md using the template from /kai-email-system. Present draft to user for confirmation.
Phase 1: Discovery
Read from MARKETING.md. Only ask about things not covered there:
- Mode — Are we launching a show (Host) or getting booked on shows (Guest)?
- Goal — Brand awareness, thought leadership, lead gen, networking, SEO backlinks?
- Target audience — Which persona(s)? Load from
knowledge/personas/_persona-index.md
- Topic territory — What subjects can we own? What's our unique angle?
- Existing assets — Blog posts, talks, interviews that prove expertise?
- Commitment level — Weekly, biweekly, monthly? (Host) / How many appearances per month? (Guest)
- Equipment/setup — Current mic, recording, and editing capabilities
Transcript and RSS Ingest
If the user provides an RSS feed, episode URL, transcript, raw audio, or show notes, ingest before planning derivatives.
Create workspace/podcast/_ingest-log.md with:
- Source: RSS URL, episode URL, transcript path, audio path, or show-notes path
- Permission status: owned, guest-approved, public citation, internal review, or unknown
- Episode metadata: title, guest, publish date, runtime, canonical URL
- Transcript status: provided, generated, partial, missing, or low confidence
- Repurpose candidates: quotes, stories, objections, frameworks, clip timestamps
Guardrails:
- Preserve source locations for every quote, claim, and clip candidate.
- Use public RSS metadata for planning only; do not imply endorsement by a host or guest.
- Ask for approval before publishing show notes, clips, outreach, or guest quotes.
- Do not create fake expert authority from a transcript. Attribute ideas to the right speaker or keep them as internal notes.
Phase 2: Plan
Host Mode — Launch a Podcast
- Load podcast channel guide:
knowledge/channels/podcast.md
- Load podcast marketing playbook:
knowledge/playbooks/podcast-marketing.md
- Show concept:
- Name (3-5 candidates, check availability)
- Format (solo, interview, co-host, panel, hybrid)
- Episode length (target: 20-45 min for interview, 10-20 min for solo)
- Unique angle — Why listen to THIS show over 100 others in the category?
- First 10 episodes — Map topics and guests for the launch batch
- Production workflow — Record, edit, show notes, publish, promote
- Distribution plan — Apple, Spotify, YouTube, RSS, website embed
- Promotion plan — Social clips, email, cross-promotion, guest sharing
Guest Mode — Get Booked on Shows
- Load podcast marketing playbook:
knowledge/playbooks/podcast-marketing.md
- Speaker positioning:
- 3 signature topics you can speak on
- Unique stories/frameworks/data you bring
- One-liner that makes a host say "I need this person on my show"
- Target show list — 20-50 shows where your audience listens
- Pitch template — Personalized outreach to podcast hosts
- Media kit — Bio, headshot, topic list, past appearances, social proof
Phase 3: Produce
Host Mode Assets
- Show description — For podcast directories (under 600 characters)
- Episode template — Intro, segments, outro, CTA structure
- Episode outlines — First 10 episodes with talking points
- Guest interview questions — If interview format
- Show notes template — Summary, timestamps, links, CTA
- Promotion templates — Social posts, audiogram scripts, email announcements
Guest Mode Assets
- Speaker one-sheet — Bio, topics, audience value, past appearances
- Pitch emails — 3 variants for different show sizes/types
- Talking points per topic — So you're always prepared
- Follow-up template — Post-appearance thank-you + content sharing plan
- Tracking spreadsheet structure — Shows pitched, status, air dates, results
Phase 4: Quality Gates
Validate written assets:
- Four U's Score:
python scripts/quality_gates/four_us_score.py <file>
- Minimum: 12/16 for show descriptions and episode outlines
- Minimum: 10/16 for emails and pitches
- Banned Word Check:
python scripts/quality_gates/banned_word_check.py <file>
- AI Slop Check — No filler. Every sentence earns its place.
- Pitch specificity check — Does the pitch reference the host's show specifically?
Max 2 auto-retry cycles on gate failures.
Phase 5: Output
Deliver the podcast package:
Host Mode
- Show concept document (name, format, angle, positioning)
- First 10 episode outlines
- Production workflow checklist
- Distribution and promotion plan
- Show notes template
- Gate pass/fail summary
Guest Mode
- Speaker one-sheet
- Target show list (20-50 shows with rationale)
- Pitch email templates (3 variants)
- Talking points per topic
- Tracking spreadsheet structure
- Gate pass/fail summary
Write output to workspace/ with filename pattern: podcast-[host|guest]-YYYY-MM-DD.md
