--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started a podcast about 'X-Files' and…" description: "\"I started a podcast about 'X-Files' and ended up on it. Then I started a podcast about video games, and I'm in the new 'Mass Effect' game. I have to pi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/kumail-nanjiani-7820_game_i-started-a-podcast-about-x-files-and-en_1139177.jpg" --- # I started a podcast about 'X-Files' and ended up on it… ![“I started a podcast about 'X-Files' and ended up on it. Then I started a podcast about video games, and I'm in the new 'Mass Effect' game. I have to pick the stuff I love and do a podcast on it.” quote by Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/kumail-nanjiani-7820_game_i-started-a-podcast-about-x-files-and-en_1139177.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/kumail-nanjiani-7820_game_i-started-a-podcast-about-x-files-and-en_1139177.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/kumail-nanjiani-7820_game_i-started-a-podcast-about-x-files-and-en_1139177.jpg) > “I started a podcast about 'X-Files' and ended up on it. Then I started a podcast about video games, and I'm in the new 'Mass Effect' game. I have to pick the stuff I love and do a podcast on it.” [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He followed his interests into podcasts, leading to unexpected opportunities like appearing in a video game, showing the power of niche enthusiasm. **In simple terms:** Following passions can open unexpected doors. Key Takeaway Pursue what you love and share it. Themes creativity career media Mood enthusiastic optimistic Type inspirational career advice When to use this quote - starting a niche podcast - building an audience - leveraging media appearances Key Concepts personal branding networking serendipity Questions to Reflect On - What niche could you turn into a platform? - How do you sustain enthusiasm over time? A Different Perspective Success may depend on timing and market interest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [I love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-love/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mass effect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-effect/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [Podcast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/podcast/) [Podcast Files](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/podcast-files-3167934/) [Podcast Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/podcast-video-3167935/) [Started Podcast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-podcast-1151562/) [Video games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video-games/) ## Related quotes > [When I started my podcast, 'The School of Greatness,' one of the top three people I wanted to get on the show was Tony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howes/when-i-started-my-podcast-the-school-of-greatness-one-of-the-top/) [Lewis Howes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howes/) > [I was on the outside of the industry. So I started a podcast early in the podcast boom and that caught on a little.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-shaffir/i-was-on-the-outside-of-the-industry-so-i-started-a-podcast-early-in/) [Ari Shaffir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-shaffir/) > [When I started my own podcast, I realized I definitely wanted to do characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/when-i-started-my-own-podcast-i-realized-i-definitely-wanted-to-do/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [“disrupts socio-technological balance, all scientific advancement due to intelligence overcoming compensating for limitations, can't carry a load so invent wheel, can't catch food so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordin-solus/disrupts-socio-technological-balance-all-scientific-advancement-due/) [Mordin Solus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordin-solus/) > [In the 'Mass Effect' universe, there is zero ad libbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hale/in-the-mass-effect-universe-there-is-zero-ad-libbing/) [Jennifer Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hale/) > [I'm a big fan of the Mass Effect games, and that's all about social manipulation and observing people and alliances and relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/i-m-a-big-fan-of-the-mass-effect-games-and-that-s-all-about-social/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [I'm a huge fan of BioWare games. I think they do some of the best character-building. I mean, I have a relationship with Thane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicia-day/i-m-a-huge-fan-of-bioware-games-i-think-they-do-some-of-the-best/) [Felicia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicia-day/) > [Whatever we do would likely happen before or during the events of Mass Effect 3, not after](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-hudson/whatever-we-do-would-likely-happen-before-or-during-the-events-of/) [Casey Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-hudson/) > [A little light on the RPG elements but heavy on action, 'Mass Effect 2' was the game that created a world of characters that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/a-little-light-on-the-rpg-elements-but-heavy-on-action-mass-effect-2/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“Try to relax. Slow, deep breaths. Let go of your physical shell. Reach out to grasp the threads that bind us, one to another.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiala/try-to-relax-slow-deep-breaths-let-go-of-your-physical-shell-reach/) [Shiala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiala/) > [For people who are invested in these characters and the back-story of the universe and everything, all of these things come to a resolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-hudson/for-people-who-are-invested-in-these-characters-and-the-back-story-of/) [Casey Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-hudson/) > [Mass Effect 3 is all about answering all the biggest questions in the lore, learning about the mysteries and the Protheans and the Reapers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-hudson/mass-effect-3-is-all-about-answering-all-the-biggest-questions-in-the/) [Casey Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-hudson/) > [“You can't compete with Batarians when it comes to terror tactics. Sure, Krogan'll charge you, tear your face off, kill your family, but Batarians.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaeed-massani/you-can-t-compete-with-batarians-when-it-comes-to-terror-tactics-sure/) [Zaeed Massani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaeed-massani/) > [“Games such as Mass Effect allow the gamer a freedom of decision that can be evilly enlivening or nobly self-congratulating, but these games become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bissell/games-such-as-mass-effect-allow-the-gamer-a-freedom-of-decision-that/) [Tom Bissell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bissell/) > [“Life is a negotiation. we all want. we all give to get what we want.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordin-solus/life-is-a-negotiation-we-all-want-we-all-give-to-get-what-we-want/) [Mordin Solus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordin-solus/) ## More by Kumail Nanjiani > [One of my favorite comedies is 'Shaun of the Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/one-of-my-favorite-comedies-is-shaun-of-the-dead/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I was extremely shy and had a terrible fear of public speaking. But I had fallen in love with stand-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-was-extremely-shy-and-had-a-terrible-fear-of-public-speaking-but-i/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I was on this path to becoming a computer-science guy, but I didn't like it. I got no joy from it. It was very,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-was-on-this-path-to-becoming-a-computer-science-guy-but-i-didn-t/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [TV requires a lot more patience. No one's ever like, 'I gotta get up at 5 A.M. and write my stand-up!' It's an easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/tv-requires-a-lot-more-patience-no-one-s-ever-like-i-gotta-get-up-at/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I want to be so famous that I'm the pop-culture reference that people would make to try and be racist to me. So I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-want-to-be-so-famous-that-i-m-the-pop-culture-reference-that-people/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [When I started working on 'Michael And Michael,' it was my life for three to four months, and then suddenly it's gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/when-i-started-working-on-michael-and-michael-it-was-my-life-for/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [Because of the Internet, you're sort of forced to deal with people from very different backgrounds and beliefs. It's a great challenge of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/because-of-the-internet-you-re-sort-of-forced-to-deal-with-people/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I didn't know if I could be funny on stage or write a joke. But I saw that there are no rules. If you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-didn-t-know-if-i-could-be-funny-on-stage-or-write-a-joke-but-i-saw/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [A lot of times, it seems like social media has devolved into people just yelling at each other and not really conversing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/a-lot-of-times-it-seems-like-social-media-has-devolved-into-people/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [Just because you saw a vampire doesn't mean that a snowman or a Loch Ness Monster also exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/just-because-you-saw-a-vampire-doesn-t-mean-that-a-snowman-or-a-loch/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [You really need to have that discipline. It's not even discipline. I just put down these rules. It's not like a vague, 'Motivate yourself!'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/you-really-need-to-have-that-discipline-it-s-not-even-discipline-i/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [Studio execs were like, ''Lord of the Rings!' People want to see sword-and-dragon-type things!' No, people just want to see great stories. Hollywood always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/studio-execs-were-like-lord-of-the-rings-people-want-to-see-sword-and/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [Living in Pakistan, you didn't have a sense of how huge and varied America was, geographically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/living-in-pakistan-you-didn-t-have-a-sense-of-how-huge-and-varied/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [You can get stuck in the trap of reading your YouTube comments all the time. Sometimes I regret it. Not everyone is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/you-can-get-stuck-in-the-trap-of-reading-your-youtube-comments-all/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I moved to New York first and was really apprehensive about moving to L.A., but I really, really like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-moved-to-new-york-first-and-was-really-apprehensive-about-moving-to/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) [Explore all 87 Kumail Nanjiani quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) ## More Game quotes > [Raised by game where niggas ain't phased by fame. Come to the crib, get banged, they take your chain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/raised-by-game-where-niggas-ain-t-phased-by-fame-come-to-the-crib-get/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [I've always been very hard on myself, and I never want to get to a point where I'm like, 'Alright, I'm kicking butt,' but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-sauerbrunn/i-ve-always-been-very-hard-on-myself-and-i-never-want-to-get-to-a/) [Becky Sauerbrunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-sauerbrunn/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/) [Gene Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-scott/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [Often in my game as an actor, someone else pays for your travel and there's nothing like being able to lie flat on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-gruffudd/often-in-my-game-as-an-actor-someone-else-pays-for-your-travel-and/) [Ioan Gruffudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioan-gruffudd/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [With the Capital One Bowl, the average fan might think whoopty do. But if you are a team member, you win that game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/with-the-capital-one-bowl-the-average-fan-might-think-whoopty-do-but/) [Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/) > [I remember throughout middle school and high school how excited my mom, sister and I would be when a UNC game was on TV.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/i-remember-throughout-middle-school-and-high-school-how-excited-my/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Obviously, I want to win, but at the same time, at the end of the day, it's a game and that's what I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-rendon/obviously-i-want-to-win-but-at-the-same-time-at-the-end-of-the-day-it/) [Anthony Rendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-rendon/) > [It's more than a game. It's an institution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hughes/it-s-more-than-a-game-it-s-an-institution/) [Thomas Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hughes/) > [There are things you can do in training like learn from the manager and talk with team-mates, but it's the game that tests you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burke/there-are-things-you-can-do-in-training-like-learn-from-the-manager/) [Oliver Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burke/) [Browse all 13,309 Game quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started a podcast about 'X-Files' and ended up on it. Then I started a podcast about video games, and I'm in the new 'Mass Effect' game. 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