If it takes two hours to explain something, there’s a good chance it could have been said in ten minutes.
I’ve had this thought for a while now, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.
Some books could say everything they need to say in just a few pages. Instead, they stretch a single core message across chapters: different examples, different stories, but the same message. Somewhere along the way, I start to drift. I’m like, “Alright… I get it. What else?”
For the longest time, I thought this was just a book problem. Until I started noticing the same thing in podcasts.
The Substance vs. The Expansion
Some podcasts run for one, two, or even three hours. But if we’re being honest, the core idea, the actual substance, can usually be extracted in the first 10 to 20 minutes. Everything else is expansion, repetition, or just conversation flowing.
Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you want the full experience. But it made me think about something we already accept with books: You don’t have to finish the whole thing to get value. You take what you need and you move on. Why don’t we treat podcasts the same way?
The "Aha!" Moment
As of January 2026, there are about 4.5 million podcasts globally. Most are trying to be the next Joe Rogan: long-form, deep-dive, expansive. Which leads to the obvious question: With all of this out there, do we really need another podcast?
When I dug into the history of how this whole thing works, I had an "Aha!" moment. I realized that at its core, podcasting is beautifully simple. It’s essentially just a "pipe," an RSS feed with sound. If the technical foundation is that lean, why was I overcomplicating the delivery?
The answer didn't come from the numbers. It came from the room.
Capturing the "Echo"
I run a builders community called Sandbox Réseau. In rooms like that, meetups, small gatherings, the "after-hours" talk, something important happens. People share lessons, mistakes, and half-formed ideas that are incredibly real, but they rarely write them down.
Once the conversation ends, that value stays in the room. I wanted to capture it.
That’s where the idea for The Reverb came from. If the main conversation is the "moment," then the Reverb is the echo, the part that lingers and makes you think later.
The 5-Minute Rule
I knew from the start I didn’t want to create another long-form podcast. I wanted to lean into the problem I noticed earlier: if an idea can be captured in a short time, why not just do that?
The Reverb is built for the fast lane:
- Short episodes: Around five minutes.
- No fluff: No long intros or dragging things out.
- Real voices: Raw, honest insights from people building within the Sandbox Réseau ecosystem.
The Builder’s Workflow (No-Frills)
To keep this sustainable and authentic, I simplified my setup. I stopped worrying about the "proper" way to do it and focused on a workflow that keeps me moving:
- Record: On my phone (iPhone - Voice Memo).
- Clean: Adobe Podcast.
- Edit: Descript (which I love).
- Design: Canva.
- Host: Spotify.
And of course, my friend Oppong Barfo, who produced the iconic soundtrack, deserves an honorary mention.
Early Signals
It’s early days, but the early signals are interesting. With 5 episodes out and a goal to hit 30 by the end of the year, I’ve seen:
- 168 plays and 10+ followers in just a few days.
- Listeners: Mostly between 23–34, primarily from Ghana, the US, Rwanda, Nigeria, Poland & Canada.
But more than the numbers, I’m paying attention to the feedback. One of the most fitting responses came as an audio message from one of our guests, which captures exactly why the "short-form" approach works:
(Click below to hear a guest share what he thinks about the episode and initiative.)
Why It Matters
We don’t need more content just for the sake of it. We need better ways to preserve what already exists: the conversations in rooms, the lessons learned in real time, and the small insights that don’t make it into a 2-hour deep dive.
The Reverb is an attempt to give those moments more life. Just long enough for someone else to hear it and take something from it.
...and that's my reverb.
Spend 5 minutes with an episode today. You might just find the one idea you've been looking for.
Catch the echo: Spotify / Apple Podcasts