Ever looked at a podcast production flowchart and felt personally attacked? Same. In Episode 6 of Behind the Workflow, we pulled real-life podcast workflows from Reddit and walked through them live—the good, the chaotic, and the surprisingly smart.

🎥 Prefer to watch? Catch the full episode on YouTube →

TL;DR:
We pulled real podcast workflows from Reddit—and gave them a friendly roast. Some were solid, most were overcomplicated, and all had room to grow. In this episode, we break down what’s working, what’s not, and how to actually build a workflow that doesn’t fall apart mid-season. If your current setup looks like five tabs and a prayer, this one’s for you. Plus, we share how Northflow makes it easier to plan, track, and produce without tool overload.

What We Reviewed

Simona and Taly reviewed two workflows shared by Reddit users—one detailed visual breakdown (complete with directional arrows and a five-phase approach) and another step-by-step checklist built inside Notion. Here's how they held up.

Workflow #1: The Overachiever's Flowchart

The breakdown:

• Pre-production: Research, outline, copyright check, guest prep

• Production: Record episode, intro/outro

• Post-production: Edit, clips, music, exports

• Distribution: RSS feed, website, YouTube, Patreon

• Marketing: Email list, social

What we liked:

• It follows clear phases

• Divides creative and technical tasks logically

• Shows who does what

What it was missing:

• No visibility into timing (due dates, deadlines, production windows)

• Not interactive—great overview, but needs another tool to make it functional

• No analytics or review phase

Simona's take:

"This is a solid overview, but it’s not clickable. You can’t dive into the task or access files. It’s a step in the right direction, but not yet a full system."

Northflow tip: Use stages to match your flow (pre-prod, production, post-prod) and tie tasks, due dates, and files directly to each episode. Everything becomes traceable—and manageable.

Workflow #2: The Checklist That Stressed Us Out

The setup: A Notion checklist with 30+ tasks from "brainstorm guest" to "final upload through HandBrake."

What stood out:

• Organized from top to bottom

• Thoughtful about backup and storage

• Easy to duplicate as a template

What made us nervous:

• It reads like an episode-length to-do list

• Still requires extra tools for forms, bookings, distribution, etc.

• Feels fragile (one missed task could break the flow)

Taly's take:

"I love a good checklist, but this one made my head spin. If your workflow looks like this, it might be time to consolidate."

Common Workflow Mistakes

Too many tools: Notion, Trello, Google Forms, Slack, Typeform, Zapier—you name it. Tool overload = chaos.

• Lack of clear roles: Who’s doing what, and when?

• No time tracking: What’s due next? What’s falling behind?

• Manual processes: No automation = more work, more mistakes.

According to a 2024 Podcast Movement survey, 70% of podcasters feel limited by their tools, and 60% say their workflows are inefficient. If that’s you, you're in good company—and it doesn’t have to stay that way.

What a Better Workflow Looks Like

Taly and Simona didn’t just react—they shared their own workflow, built inside Northflow.

• Pre-Built Templates: Every task, every show, already assigned.

• Flexible Views: Kanban, timeline, or list—your choice.

• AI-Boosted Tasks: Generate notes, images, or outlines inside your episode card.

• Episode Planner: Visually map out your season.

• Integrated Forms + Calendars: Guest intake becomes an episode card—no copy-paste.
  
  

"If your workflow still requires five tabs and a prayer, it’s time for something better."

Key Takeaways

• Patchwork systems look fine until they break.

• Templates and timelines keep your team on track.

• Review your workflow quarterly—and improve it.

• You can build smarter. You don’t need to build it all from scratch.

• One platform is better than six.

Want Us to Review Your Workflow?

We’re taking listener submissions. Send yours to taly@northflow.io and we might feature it (kindly) on an upcoming episode.

And if you’re tired of overthinking your workflow every week, Northflow was built for you. Request an invite today and try it while founding member access is still free.