I can't thank you all enough for supporting the show. This is beyond anything I ever imagined when I launched it a couple years ago. What started as a way for me to get more comfortable behind a microphone, grew into a passion project, became a side business, and now as we look down the chamber of 2021, I feel like the pipe-dream of doing this for a living is an't just a pipe-dream anymore. And it's all because of you guys. Thank you.

So what do we do now? We fucking water this little weed of ours, and see how much it can grow.

I have goals for 2021, and I thought I'd scribble them down here to stay hungry, accountable, and motivated whenever I feel lazy. I may not be able to control how many people listen to the show or sign up for our Patreon, but if I come up short it isn't gonna be because I didn't try. This post might come off as me just blowing smoke up my own ass, and maybe it is, but I know most podcasts don't share all this info with everyone, and I want to be as transparent with all of you as possible.

So if you're sitting on the toilet, waiting in line somewhere, or laying in bed on your phone, indulge me, won't ya?



Goal #1 - 20,000 monthly downloads

​

In 2019, we had 21,000 downloads all year. By the end of 2021, I want that to be our monthly total. We came close a couple times in 2020, and what seemed impossible a couple years ago seems totally obtainable now.

Like I said, I can't control how many people listen to my podcast. And podcasting is such a crowded, oversaturated universe to begin with. Trying to stand out among the masses is almost impossible without some form of celebrity. But in 2021, I'm dedicated to working harder to get eyes (and ears) focused on our shows. 

I'll be promoting RTG more than ever on social media. I see posts from podcasts all the time, and I know how easy it is to scroll right past them. So I want to focus on creating funny, tongue-in-cheek ads that people won't just blow by. More audio clips and snippets, stuff like that. One of the tag lines for the show is "we aren't like other retro gaming podcasts", and with all due respect to those other shows, I really believe it. I think we offer a fun, laidback alternative to the "history lesson" formula other shows have, and I'm committed to proving it to more people this year. 

There's a finite number of people out there even interested in listening to a podcast about old video games, so I want to connect with as many of them as possible. Like I always say, I don't care who you're attracted to, what you wear, who you vote for, or what you like to play. As long as you're not a bigger asshole than I am, and you like video games, you're welcome at Remember The Game Industries.


Goal #2 - 250 Patrons

Look, I plug the Patreon a lot, I know. It's kind of my job now. But to be fair, I think we offer a ton of value for your money, assuming you don't hate the sound of my voice. And it looks like a lot of you agree, because our patreon subscription numbers have grown at practically the same rate as our downloads. 

Comedy won't be back in any regular fashion for a while, so the income I see from Patreon has become more important than ever. Instead of spending it on new equipment and games, it provides stuff like food instead. I'm not gonna commit to promoting it more like I am the podcast, because I feel like I talk about it too much already. My commitment with Patreon is to continue to increase the value of it.

I already offer extra podcasts, early podcasts, Discord access, the ability to have comments read on the shows, shout-outs, poll access and direct access to tell me I suck for $2. I don't know what else I can add, but I promise to work harder than ever at making the quality of the shows you pay for better. I put WAY more time into Expansion Pass than I do Remember The Game?, from a preparation and editing standpoint, and I want to assure everyone supporting us on patreon that you really are getting the best content I can produce for your money. 

When we hit 200 supporters, everyone will receive a RTG lanyard from me. And as it grows, I'd like to start supporting other podcasts and new content creators, too. I feel like we'll hit this goal this year, and I'm grateful beyond words. Thank you.


Goal #3 - Merchandise

​

I'm sure some of you don't give a shit about this one, but a LOT of you have been asking when we'll start selling RTG merchandise. I'm not gonna spend much time on this here, but the wheels are in motion. If you want to support me and the show with a t-shirt, coffee mug, whatever, you will be able to later this year. 

And this goal ties into my final mission for 2021, and the biggest of my goals this year...


Goal #4 - Make RTG my primary job

​

As I mention regularly, I'm a podcast host by day, and a stand-up comedian by night. Or at least I was, before a certain pandemic said no more comedy shows. In 2020, my time and focus started shifting away from comedy and more toward growing RTG Industries. This was partially out of boredom, and partially because I had no other choice. And over the last seven or eight months, I found that I actually enjoy podcasting as much, if not more, than doing stand-up. 

So my big goal for 2021 is to make podcasting my primary source of income. I feel like it's the most ambitious -and difficult- of my goals, but I like it hard (that's what she said.)

I make approx. $800/month from RTG right now, between Patreon and Twitch. There are ways to increase that number that I'm not really excited about. I could introduce generic ads to my podcasts, and while I'm considering it, I don't really want to. I also refuse to put old epsiodes though behind a paywall, even though it would be the smart business move. I REALLY want to increase the revenue I see from these shows, without losing sight of what made them work in the first place.

As I've said in the past, I'm putting 50-60 hours a week into RTG now, and while I love doing it, I can't continue to live off the money I'm making from it. My hope is to increase the money I'm making from these shows before comedy comes back to some sense of normalcy, so that instead of having to go on the road and take my eye off the RTG ball, I can be more selective about my comedy work and focus most of my attention on the podcasts.

The Patreon and merchandise are my best bets at doing that. 

I understand a ton of people work very hard at tough jobs to make a living, and I'm sitting here saying I want to play video games. I've worked those tough jobs, and I fully understand how blessed, fortunate, and lucky I am to be doing this. I want to reassure everyone reading this that I don't take anything for granted, I appreciate every single one of you, and I'm committed to giving you everything I can moving forward. 

I also want to suck my own dick for a moment, though. I work really, really hard at this. A day doesn't go by that I don't think about RTG, how to improve it, how to make the shows better. I spend hours and hours working on each episode. This isn't a hobby anymore; this is my job. And my audience is my boss. I keep that in mind every...single...time I start yelling into that microphone. 

A bunch of my friends, and listeners of the show, have reached out to me asking for advice regarding podcasting, and I don't have a lot to offer. I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know how we developed an audience, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. 

All I know is I'm gonna keep working as hard as I can to make my listeners happy, and see how long I can ride this slide before everyone figures out I don't know what I'm doing.

To receive messages, postcards and emails from people around the entire fucking world saying they connect with me, they like my show, that I helped them get through 2020, is the single coolest thing I have ever experienced. I actually get emotional about it sometimes, because I'm living the life I dreamed of as a kid. I wish I could tell nerdy little 10 year old Adam about this. He would never have believed it. 

 

So these are my plans for 2021. I hope you'll come along for the ride, and I can't wait to get started. Thank you all so fucking much.

 

Except you, Stephen77988. You can go fuck yourself.

- Adam (The Rambling Idiot)