What Happens When a Podcast Outlives a Decade? Talking Drupal Knows

My life at The DropTimes is nearing two years, and as far as I can remember, a majority of my Tuesdays began by filing the Talking Drupal story. Week after week, the episodes continued, and like many of you, I got acclimatised to this, ignoring what transcribes behind the screen. But no, on May 2, 2025, Talking Drupal hits episode 500. That’s not a typo. FIVE HUNDRED! In a world where most podcasts fizzle after six or seven episodes, this one’s kept going for over 12 years. Not because someone made it a job, but because a community made it a habit.

So, how did a podcast about Drupal make it this far? We decided to dig in, and I had the opportunity to talk with many wonderful people behind it.

Let’s rewind.

Hey, Want to Start a Podcast?

John Picozzi still remembers how it started—sort of.

“The way I seem to remember it is that Stephen, Nic, and I... we were in a book club with a bunch of different people,” he said. “And then one day Stephen said, ‘Hey, I'm thinking about doing a podcast, would you be interested?’ I said, ‘Yeah, sure. Why not?”

That casual start 13 years ago snowballed into what Talking Drupal is today. Stephen Cross and Jason Pamental laid the foundation for Talking Drupal from regular conversations. They would meet at a coffee shop regularly and talk about technology. Jason was getting interested in Drupal, and the talks turned to ideas, then to a tech book club.

"Eventually, I thought, why not share our conversations about Drupal with others? I had already done a podcast with my daughter about the U.S. election system; she lost interest quickly, but I learned how to set up and run a podcast."

shared Stephen. So in 2013, Stephen, Jason, John, Nic, and Stephen's business partner, Jay Lee, came together to run the podcast.

But don’t ask anyone how the name came to be; no one remembers.

“I think you know, maybe we discussed it. Maybe we didn't,” John admitted, laughing. “Maybe somebody said it and we were like, ‘Oh yeah, that's good. Let’s go with that.”

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Even Nic Laflin, one of the original co-hosts, admitted: “The name came up in conversation. We probably brainstormed a bit, but I honestly don’t remember exactly how we landed on it.”

And yet, it stuck. Talking Drupal launched with little fanfare and even less expectation. 

“Back then we said, ‘If we get through 10 episodes, we’re doing all right,’”

says John.

Jason Pamental came up with the logo for the podcast that you see now and the intro song. Stephen bought the rights to it from an online seller, and they’ve used the same one ever since.

The Growth

Over time, the show found its rhythm and its purpose. As Stephen Cross, one of the show's founding hosts, puts it: 

“We just wanted to create a space where Drupal people could hear from other Drupal people. It was really about conversations.”

In the initial days, almost all of the work was done by Stephen alone. Jason stepped down after a while, the responsibilities took a toll on Stephen: 

“It was a passion project, but burnout is real. Still, I’m incredibly proud of what we built.”

After Stephen moved to the background, the work was split between John and Nic. John took over guest booking, Nic took over editing and publishing, and  Stephen took on smaller roles like newsletters and graphics.

Running a podcast for over 12 years as hosts is no small feat, and that cannot be said enough. Even John and Nic are not alien to burnout.

"Burnout is a recurring topic in our quarterly meetings. Steven stepping back as host was due to burnout. He was doing too much. That’s why I regret not stepping up sooner."

We’ve tried to avoid burnout since. One way is by implementing two-week breaks—one in the summer and one in winter. This year we’re doing one in May. The breaks really help. Around week 25 or so, I start to feel it. The breaks reset things for me.

shared Nic.

John echoed the sentiment, sharing his own challenges: “Scheduling guests is the easy part. Writing show notes? That’s my kryptonite.”

The secret to longevity? Teamwork. “We have quarterly meetings,” John explains. “We talk about what’s working and what’s not. We’re constantly trying to improve.”

The Format: Familiar, Yet Evolving

Despite the years, the core structure has remained consistent: a guest or topic, a module of the week, and candid discussion. 

Module of the Week is handled by Martin Anderson-Clutz, but its history in the podcast long predates Martin's entry. He was once invited as a guest host and continued being one for a few episodes.

"When I was on the show, they’d have that conversation at the start, 'Do we have a Module of the Week?'—and I often had one to suggest because I’d just been working with something."

shares Martin. Later, Stephen approached Martin and offered him the role of a correspondent to cover 'Module of the Week' on an ongoing basis, and Martin graciously accepted.

Martin also has a very interesting story about his introduction to Talking Drupal. He was looking for Drupal podcasts to listen to during his commute and discovered Talking Drupal.

"The first episode I listened to, during the intro, Nic was talking about a blog post I had written a few weeks earlier. So that was funny, the first time I listened, Nic was talking about something I’d written. That created a personal connection. I continued listening, joined the Slack channel, participated in conversations, and eventually that’s how I became more involved."

“Their format hasn’t changed much,” says longtime guest and listener Josh Mitchell. “But they’ve polished it. The show flows well, and the quality’s gone way up.”

Josh first appeared as a guest back when he was CTO of the Drupal Association. “I think my first episode was about the Drupal.org infrastructure,” he says. Since then, he’s returned many times, as both guest and guest host.

"I've listened to a couple of others, but most of them do a few weeks of shows and then take a break. Talking Drupal is the only one I’ve found that’s been running pretty much every week for about ten years."

shares James Shields, a long-time listener and friend of the podcast.

As for the impact? 

“It reminds you of the staying power of open source,” Josh says. “A few goofy guys talking tech for 12 years—there’s something magical about that.”

It opened James' eyes to what goes on in the Drupal world.

"They cover so many topics, it gives a great introduction to things I might not have known about otherwise. Some weeks it’s not super relevant, other weeks I’m digging into something I just discovered. It’s a great starting point for learning more."

Guests On-Board

Stephen recalled that in the early days, the show began as simple conversations among the four of them, discussing topics they were familiar with. But over time, they realized that to keep the momentum going, they needed to bring in guests. That shift marked the evolution of the podcast into more of an interview-style format.

The podcast has never been about the hosts alone. Guest contributions have been key, and the show also has tried to look beyond the Drupal bubble.

“We try to get off the Drupal island,” says John. “Our episode on AI in education had perspectives from outside the community. Same with our sessions on accessibility, diversity, and even digital nomadism.”

That last topic came from Chad Hester, who, along with his wife Shelley, has appeared in multiple episodes. 

“Episode 428, we talked about working remotely across borders,” Chad recalls. “And in 192, we talked about being a married couple in tech. Both were great experiences.”

Chad, who’s been featured in nearly a dozen episodes, also partnered on a miniseries with Mike Anello. 

“It was about leveling up your Drupal skills—not starting from scratch, but upgrading. Mike adapted the training to meet me where I was. It was fantastic.”

Nic is particularly proud of pushing for the guest directory, helping rebuild the website in Drupal 10, and ensuring Talking Drupal guests receive proper credit on Drupal.org, sometimes their very first contribution credit.

The Listeners Become the Family

It’s not just developers tuning in. James Shields shared his emotional tie to the show:

“It kept me connected when I felt adrift in the community. The voices on that show were familiar. It was more than a podcast—it felt like colleagues in a room.”

Martin Anderson-Clutz   praised the format:

“It’s approachable. Even if I don’t care about the week’s topic, I’ll still listen because I always learn something.”

Nic Laflin summed it up best:

“We’re just trying to make something useful. If even one listener gets value each week, that’s a win.”

In the early days, audience interaction was mostly through Google+, but now it’s through our Slack channel. We’ve got about 350 people in there.

"I remember throwing out a Module of the Week suggestion once while guest hosting. Their Slack channel is a great way to ping them with ideas. They’re very open to it."

shares Josh.

Rajab Natshah is a friend of the podcast and a constant listener, he adds,

"It eases the join to the community, with no pressure, or big research or reading, just listen while you are working, and watch when you are enjoying the time. It’s a gentle, natural way to learn, stay connected, and feel like you’re part of the family."

When Things Don’t Go As Planned

What happens when a guest bails?

That’s when the team leans on a format they call Off the Cuff, impromptu episodes built from whatever topics the hosts have in their back pocket.

“It doesn't happen very often,” John said. “But when it does, we just pick one or two topics each and riff.”

The truth is, there are fans for these impromptu episodes as well. 

"I think those are really interesting. It’d be great if they did those regularly, maybe once a quarter. Maybe invite back a few recent guest hosts and just have a casual discussion."

shared James Shields

Episode 500: Community Edition

So what’s planned for the big 500? A massive community episode open to guests from all over the Drupalverse. The invite list includes core maintainers, agency leaders, trainers, and longtime contributors. Everyone gets a mic.

“It's not about us,” John says. “It’s about everyone who made this podcast what it is.”

That includes contributors like Chad, who now co-leads the Pacific Time Virtual Drupal Users Group and recently joined the Bluefly Collective. 

“This podcast helped me grow in this industry,” he says. “It connected me when I needed it. I’m grateful.”

And he’s got a message for the team: 

“Since 2013, Talking Drupal has kindly helped me and others learn about Drupal and stay connected with our community. Cheers to 500 episodes—and many more.”

To Move Forward

John Picozzi: “Just a thank you to the community. If this show were just Nic and me talking for an hour, it wouldn’t last. The value is in bringing community members on to talk about their work, their ideas, and their passion.”

Nic Laflin: “None of us are directly paid. It’s a passion project. We do it to give back to the community. And I really feel like I get a lot out of it too—hearing what the community’s thinking about, what’s new, what’s cutting edge. That interaction really stands out for me.”

Stephen Cross: “I slowly came back and now I contribute in a way that’s more comfortable for me. I’m humbled we’ve made it to 500. It’s a service for the community.”

Josh Mitchell: “If you make your living doing Drupal, it makes sense to listen. It introduces terms, tools, and concepts that are helpful for ongoing learning. Absolutely. It's critical. When I train internal teams, I tell them to subscribe to... Talking Drupal”

Rajab Natshah: "TD has shaped our understanding and follow-up with Drupal and the community. It is the Drupal weekly coffee meeting to talk about the best of Drupal. 
WE LOVE DRUPAL and we love Talking Drupal! Keep the love moving!"

From a book club to 500 episodes, Talking Drupal isn’t just a podcast. It’s a heartbeat. And it’s still going strong. Catch Episode 500 on May 2, 2025, via talkingdrupal.com, YouTube, or your favourite podcast app.

We have removed the inline videos posted with the original story as they weren't intended to be published as solo interviews. We might publish an edited version or snippets from those casual conversations afterwards. — Editor