Oct. 19, 2026

How Do I Find More Guests for My Podcast?

You find more guests for your podcast by starting with the people who already fit and letting AI find more like them. Write down 25 people who match what your show is for, then ask ChatGPT or Claude what those 25 have in common and who else shares it. Christopher Swing, CEO of Vantage Surgical Solutions and host of the Faithful podcast, did this and says the AI came back with 180 to 190 names.

Why do most founder podcasts run out of guests?

Most founders don't run out of people. They run out of people they already know.

The first ten episodes usually come from the founder's own network. Friends, clients, a few peers. Then the list goes quiet, and the founder starts booking whoever says yes.

That is where a business podcast drifts. A guest who doesn't fit the show's job takes a slot that could have gone to someone your buyers respect, a future partner, or a person you want in your corner.

The fix is not a bigger network. It is a clearer picture of who fits, and a faster way to find more of them.

How do you use AI to build a podcast guest list?

Christopher Swing built the guest list for his podcast, Faithful, in a few simple moves. Here is that process, translated for any founder show.

Write down 25 people who already fit. Start with the people you would book tomorrow if they said yes. Chris started with "like 25 people." For a founder show, fit means people tied to the job your podcast does: people your buyers respect, partners you want, or leaders you want to learn from. Chris's filter was leaders of faith and how they run their teams.
Ask AI what those 25 have in common, and who else matches. Chris asked AI, in his words, "what people do I not even think about or know about." That is the right question. You are not asking for famous names. You are asking for more people who match a pattern you already chose.
Push back on the first answer. Chris didn't stop at the first list. "There's got to be more than this," he said. "And so then I pressed it harder." The AI started asking him questions back. Answer them. Each answer sharpens what fit means for your show.
Check every name yourself before you invite anyone. AI suggestions can be wrong, out of date, or about a different person with the same name. Look each person up. Confirm what they do today and that they still match the reason they were picked.
Research each guest before you record. A long list only pays off if each conversation is good. Chris said "there's something different about your relationship after you do research about someone and you ask them meaningful, thought provoking questions." The list gets a guest in the door. The research is what turns the episode into a relationship.

Here is a prompt for step two. Paste it into ChatGPT or Claude and fill in the brackets.

Here are 25 people I'd love to have on my podcast: [paste the names]. My show is for [who your listeners are]. I want the show to [what you want it to do for your business]. Look at what these 25 have in common. Then give me 50 more people who share those traits, with one line on why each one fits. Include people I probably haven't heard of. Ask me questions if you need more detail.

What happened when Christopher Swing built his guest list with AI?

Christopher Swing is CEO of Vantage Surgical Solutions, an ophthalmic surgical services company, and has led the organization since 2012. He also hosts Faithful, a podcast about how leaders of faith run their businesses. He came on The Founder Podcast Lab to talk about why he hosts a show at all.

His reason shaped his guest list.

"When you are a guest on a podcast, they learn about you. When you are the actual host of a podcast, you learn about yourself," he said.

So Chris built the list around people he wanted to learn from. He started with about 25 names, asked AI who he was missing, and says it came back with "like 180 or 190." He kept pressing, and the list kept growing.

Chris says he doesn't know that the show gets him a lot of business. What it gave him was access. The guest list put him in real conversations with leaders he admires, as the host.

For a founder whose show has a business job, the same move works with a different filter. Swap "people I want to learn from" for "people my buyers respect" or "partners I want to work with." That is when the guest list is the pipeline: a list of relationships you are building on purpose, one invite at a time.

What should you do this week?

Open a blank document and write down 25 people you would book tomorrow. Next to each name, write one word for why they fit your show. Paste the list into ChatGPT or Claude and ask what those people have in common and who else matches. Pick the five best new names, check each one yourself, and send one invite before Friday.

Frequently asked questions

How many people should be on a podcast guest list?

Enough that you never book someone just to fill a week. Christopher Swing started his podcast guest list with 25 names and used AI to grow it to 180 or 190. Twenty-five people who clearly fit is a strong start, because AI needs a real pattern before it can find more people like them.

Can AI find podcast guests for me?

Yes, if you give it a pattern. AI is good at taking a list of people who fit your show and finding others who share the same traits. It is weak at knowing who fits on its own. Start with your own list of names, tell it what your podcast is for, and check every suggestion yourself before you send an invite.

How do I know if an AI-suggested podcast guest is a good fit?

Check them against the reason your podcast exists. Look the person up, confirm what they do today, and ask whether your listeners or your buyers would care what they have to say. If you cannot say in one line why a guest belongs on your show, they don't belong on the list yet.

Should my podcast guests be people I want to do business with?

They can be, as long as the conversation comes first. A podcast invite is a warm way to start a relationship with someone you want in your world. Do not pitch them on air. Research the guest, run a great conversation, and let the relationship grow from there. Christopher Swing says researching a guest changes the relationship.

Listen to the episode

Christopher Swing on The Founder Podcast Lab, with host Kenny: https://www.podpage.com/founder-podcast-lab/what-hosting-taught-a-ceo-that-guesting-never-did/