Podcaster and social media guru Chris Penn has posted his take on the future of podcasting:

“There are still hundreds of millions of iPods out there (the low hanging fruit) that have not tuned in, largely because people still don’t know how.

We in podcasting and new media are too quick to give up on anyone who’s not an instant early adopter, and as such are leaving people – and money – behind in our mad, attention-deficit rush for instant gratification, instant results, instant fame.

So to Chris Brogan, Joe Cronin, and just about everyone else wondering what the future of podcasting is, stay tuned. There is far more yet to come, if you are willing to have the vision, commitment, and dedication to achieve long term success. If you’re not willing to make that commitment, that’s okay, but don’t expect the same results as the folks who are.”

Penn makes a great point: a lot of people mistake podcasting for a get-rich quick scheme, rather than a tool.

There are a lot of people making money with their podcasts or as a result of their podcasts now. But it’s not because of their podcasts. It’s because they are smart, talented people with a vision of how podcasting can be used and they are willing to back that vision up with hard work.