Do I Need 10,000 Downloads for a Successful Podcast?

Let me just start by saying: number of downloads is a vanity metric. I know it’s something I love to see grow, and it is a way to measure progress. The more downloads, the more people you can potentially reach. But sweating over the exact number of downloads you can drive your crazy. You Don’t Need 10,000 Downloads per Episode
People might tell you that you need a certain amount of downloads before you’re featured in Apple Podcasts, or before you start getting downloads. I’m here to tell you that none of that is true.
While is it true that if you have a bigger audience, there can be more opportunities for you, sure. More audience means more people hear your message, and that’s the ultimate goal of a podcast – to reach people. But there’s not magic number tied to success.
My First Sponsor came with ZERO Downloads
Do you know how many downloads I had before I sold my first sponsor spot? ZERO. I sold one sponsor spot for my first episode, and one for my second, before the show even launched.
I landed big names to my show, like Cory Miller and Chris Coiyer, with ZERO downloads.
My very first episode was featured in a popular newsletter for the community
Source: https://managewp.org/articles/18526/do-i-need-10-000-downloads-for-a-successful-podcast

source https://williechiu40.wordpress.com/2019/04/10/do-i-need-10000-downloads-for-a-successful-podcast/