UNFTR Behind the Scenes

Last night, sometime around midnight, UNFTR hit a pretty cool milestone: 100,000 downloads. 

What’s funny about a number like 100,000 is that, to some, that sounds enormous. Others are probably like, “That’s it? Are you fucking kidding me?”

It’s unusual, as I’ve learned, for podcasters to talk about their numbers. Until recently, this field has been kind of the wild west. But those who have dabbled in podcasting will tell you how difficult it is to get 50–100 downloads per episode. And most go downhill quickly when friends and family stop listening.

The reason I’m sharing this is because what we have accomplished together is actually quite rare, and it’s important to stop and recognize the good while it’s happening. Being present in the moment and appreciating the little victories is something that comes with age. So allow me to show mine for a moment, and invite you to share in this little bit of success.

We weren’t prepared to really begin this show last year, but we thought it was important to start prior to the election so we had a record that wasn’t colored by the outcome. We dropped our first episode in the beginning of October, and several more through the rest of the year.

Knowing this would be a long, slogging journey to find an audience, I began reaching out to several friends in broadcasting, other shows and advertising brokers to promote UNFTR. We didn’t ask for any favors. Hosts work too hard to cultivate an audience, so we were clear that we wanted only to advertise.

And… nothing. Turns out, our money wasn’t welcome in many places.

So I called my friend Jay!. (The exclamation point is deliberate. That’s part of his deal.) Most Subf*ckers probably know who I’m talking about already. Jay! is the founder and host of Best of the Left. He took the time to listen, talk to me for a while on the phone about the show and its potential and cut us a deal initially to help us get off the ground. He was a believer.

From our first episode on October 9, 2020 to January 25 of this year, we registered a grand total of 578 downloads.

578. And, honestly, 50 of those were probably me.

Then, on January 26 of this year, our first ad ran on Best of the Left. And the rest is history. I mean, it’s not like we landed on the fucking moon. It’s just a podcast. But still.

Bottom line, things are progressing quickly. Unf*ckers and Sub*ckers are clearly spreading the word and sharing it with friends and family. That’s how this shit really catches fire. So, I didn’t want this moment to pass without acknowledging your support. It is no small thing to dedicate this many hours of your valuable time to a podcast. We’re competing for your earballs against television, family time, reading, sex (please don’t forego sex for this), you name it. We don’t take this lightly.

As the show continues to (hopefully) grow, we will remain committed to responding to every email and offering shout outs to as many supporters and reviewers as possible. At some point, this might be impractical, but for the foreseeable future that’s our plan.

Mostly, though, we promise to honor your time and put out a quality product. For those of you who have financially contributed to the show thus far—receiving literally nothing in return—we simply don’t have the words to properly express our gratitude. Hopefully, now that we have the option to purchase coffee through our partnership with the Native Coffee Traders, you will actually receive physical value in return for your support.

We just put in our first order with our partners on the reservation, and they are beyond thrilled that this is taking shape. Not only will this boost their operation, but it will lead to hiring tribal members to fulfill demand if we do this right. In fact, we have already sold out of the initial promotional t-shirts, so we’re off to a strong start.

I hope this isn’t a strange or off-putting email that smacks of self promotion. It’s truly an authentic expression of amazement and gratitude for a community that has given us a shot to fulfill a lifelong dream of political expression. So, please take this message in the spirit it is intended, which is to share this first of many milestones with Unf*cking vanguard.

You have made this happen.

Oh, and tomorrow (or Friday, at the latest!) we’re finally dropping our missive on Uncle Fucknut.

So… FMF.

-Max