How to Get the Most Out of CustomPodcasts

The Agent Does Not Read Your Mind

When you sign up for CustomPodcasts, you pick topics and get a daily briefing. That works fine out of the box. But "fine" is not the same as "exactly what you need."

The AI agent that researches and writes your episode is powerful, but it starts with zero context about you. It does not know your role, your industry's jargon, or what angle matters most to your work. The difference between a generic briefing and one that feels like it was written by your smartest colleague comes down to one thing: custom instructions.

What Custom Instructions Actually Do

When you provide custom instructions, you are giving the AI agent a persistent brief — a set of guidelines it follows every time it builds your episode. Think of it as hiring a research assistant and spending ten minutes explaining what you care about, what you do not care about, and how you like information presented.

The more specific you are, the better the output. Vague instructions produce vague episodes. Detailed instructions produce episodes that feel tailor-made — because they are.

Examples That Show the Difference

The Beverage Distributor

A wine and spirits sales rep who drives between accounts all day wrote these instructions:

> "I am a wholesale beverage distributor covering restaurants and retail liquor stores in the Southeast US. I need daily news on: wine import trends, new spirit releases from major distilleries, craft beer distribution deals, and state-level beverage regulation changes. Focus on the wholesale and distribution angle — I do not care about consumer reviews, tasting notes, or sommelier content. When covering new product launches, emphasize distributor availability and pricing tiers, not flavor profiles. Include any news about the three-tier distribution system, franchise law changes, or retailer consolidation."

This sales rep now listens to a 12-minute briefing while driving between accounts. Every story is relevant to their actual job. Without those instructions, the agent would have produced a generic food-and-beverage roundup full of restaurant reviews and cocktail recipes.

The Fintech Compliance Officer

> "I lead compliance at a mid-sized payments company. Cover CFPB enforcement actions, state money transmitter license changes, EU PSD3 developments, and any fintech-related sanctions or AML enforcement. Skip general fintech funding news unless the company is a direct competitor (list: [Company A, Company B, Company C]). When covering regulation, always note the effective date and which jurisdictions are affected. I need to know about proposed rules, not just final rules."

Notice how specific this is. They named competitors. They specified "proposed rules, not just final rules." They told the agent what to skip. This level of detail means the compliance officer gets a briefing they can actually act on, not a generic fintech newsletter.

The Climate Tech Investor

> "I am a partner at a climate-focused VC fund. Track: new climate tech startup funding rounds (Series A and above), DOE loan program announcements, carbon credit market developments, and EU Green Deal implementation updates. Ignore consumer-facing climate news (e.g., weather events, lifestyle tips). When covering funding rounds, include the investor syndicate if available. When covering policy, focus on incentive structures and subsidy programs, not political commentary."

Again — the instructions tell the agent what to include, what to exclude, and what angle to take. The result is a briefing that sounds like it was curated by a sector-specialist analyst.

The Local News Junkie

> "I am a city council member in Austin, TX. Cover: Austin city government news, Travis County policy changes, Texas state legislation affecting municipalities, local real estate development, and regional transportation projects. I want to know about zoning changes, bond elections, and infrastructure spending. Skip national politics unless it directly affects Austin funding or policy. Mention specific council districts when relevant."

CustomPodcasts is not just for finance and tech. Anyone with a niche information need benefits from specific instructions.

How to Write Good Instructions

Here are the principles that separate great instructions from mediocre ones:

1. State your role and context

The agent makes better editorial decisions when it knows who you are. "I am a wholesale beverage distributor" leads to very different coverage than "I am interested in the beverage industry."

2. Be explicit about what to skip

Telling the agent what you do not want is just as important as what you do want. Every irrelevant story in your briefing dilutes the value of the relevant ones.

3. Specify the angle, not just the topic

"Cover AI news" is a topic. "Cover AI news with a focus on enterprise deployment costs and ROI case studies, skip research papers and benchmarks" is an angle. The angle is what makes a briefing useful.

4. Name names when possible

If you have specific competitors, publications, geographies, or regulatory bodies you care about, list them. The agent can prioritize accordingly.

5. Tell it how to handle edge cases

"When covering new regulations, always note the effective date." "When covering funding rounds, include the lead investor." These small instructions add up to a much more actionable briefing.

Iterate Over Time

Your first set of instructions will not be perfect. After a few episodes, you will notice patterns — stories you always skip, angles you wish were covered, topics that crept in that you do not need. Update your instructions. The briefing gets better every time you refine them.

Think of it as training a research assistant. The first week they are learning your preferences. By the second week, they are anticipating what you need.

Start With Something, Then Refine

If you are not sure where to begin, start with this template:

> "I am a [your role] at [type of company/organization]. I need daily coverage of [3-5 specific topics]. Focus on [your preferred angle]. Skip [things you do not care about]. When covering [specific type of story], always include [specific detail]."

Fill it in, save it, and listen to your next episode. Then adjust.

The whole point of CustomPodcasts is that it adapts to you — but only if you tell it what "you" means. The five minutes you spend writing good instructions will save you hours of irrelevant content over the coming months.

Set up your custom instructions now and hear the difference in your next episode.