The culture of podcasts in Armenia is developed by people who break away from accepted stereotypes and taboos. They want change, they talk about new topics and find people who have something to say but who are left in the shadows.

For more than ten years, Narek Amirkhanyan, the creator and host of the Rearrange with Narek Amirkhanyan project, has followed many representatives of the American podcast market, the knowledge gained from which has helped him change his attitude towards life.

He has been trying for a long time to set a precedent for alternative conversation in Armenia, a format that is very similar to conversational discussions, except that it is sincere, interesting, and does not bypass taboo topics. A conversation with Narek has a great advantage, it is not limited in time and develops as much as the interlocutors are willing to continue.

Neither the guest nor the moderator himself has a problem gaining an advantage in the conversation, there is only a good goal – to go deeper into the topic until they get to the bottom of it…

Why a conversation?

I have been following various podcasts since 2010, which motivated me to start this project.

I have searched and found answers to many questions in the content of that format and over the years I have realized that there is a huge lack of it in Armenia.

It was time to replace the leaders of popular opinion from the mainstream media with people who, in their field, mainly very detached from politics, are busy with their work.

I wanted to make their voices heard and show them not the surface level of the topic, but the depths. We try to find people who are not visible, but their work is influential, very important for society, and also unappreciated.

To put it simply, I wanted to get a series of conversations on topics that interest people, which is not limited in time and does not change with editing.

Often the lack of time does not allow people to open up and be honest, to show their personal and professional type.

We warn our guests that after rec everything will be recorded and posted on our channel without editing.

Starting a series of conversations that lead to sincerity is a very bold step because the chosen period is also sensitive.

My project has no political or financial constraints when it comes to discussing topics of public concern but which have been considered taboo for years. We need a relaxed conversation, whether we like it or not.

I think the current situation forces the exchange of sincere and transparent thoughts, because first, we have to imagine the problems, and only then talk about solving them.

In the interviews of the mainstream media of our time, there are many artificial, formal, template formulations, which are followed by more interest and opportunity than thought, worry, or idea.

Everyone says we should do this, do that, but there are no answers to the most important questions: how to do it, why to do it, why to do exactly that and so on.

Now, in a way, it has become fashionable to talk about the development of the economy, in the words of journalists and specialists it is impossible to find examples, ideas on how we will develop the economy, with what potential, in what directions, it will help realize our common dream, but what is our common dream?

We talk a lot about value system issues, we say we should unite, in fact, it is a deception – a fake. During my podcast we talk about what we can unite around, can we or not?

Rearrange has no agendas, so the reactions can be extreme, right?

I talk about questions and problems that interest me first: I am free to choose them.

We do not have sectoral restrictions, our task is not only to talk, but we also want to transfer knowledge to people, technical skills, any valuable information that can change his daily life, way of thinking, facilitate work and so on.

This project gives me a lot of energy because it feels different to have no limits.

They write to me from the Diaspora that we are doing a good job and through our guests, they have understood that there are many thoughtful and dedicated people here in Armenia and have decided to make investments.

To be honest, for me every conversation is revealing and valuable because in the process I get a lot of information about which I did not know before or did not have such deep insights.

I will not say boastful words, but many people write to me that they follow or consider it very relevant: The feedback gives me confidence that it was a justified step and needs to be continued.

Over time, our audience changes, previously it was 25-30-year-olds, now it is 18-35, we can also consider 35-55-year-olds a stable audience.

Online content today provides an opportunity to get a detailed analysis of the audience, 30% are our compatriots in the Diaspora.

This indicator is important to understand that we must show especially those people living in Armenia who have the opportunity to leave, but stay, have dreams to realize here, deeply believe in their work and the future in which they participate.

Self-financing projects in Armenia do not last long if they are not sold. Let’s talk about resources and the future.

We are limited only in terms of resources, we have a small technical team and one copywriter.

At the moment, I am the only one investing money for the project, I have already spent about 10 thousand dollars and I have not received anything material.

In the future, the goal is to make it commercial and expand the geography with the money received. If it is possible to take the project abroad, to the USA, Europe, Russia.

To begin with, the goal is to go to the regions first.

I am from Vanadzor myself and I know many people who are in the shadows, but they do important, influential work in their community. Why not share about them to the Diaspora audience and vice versa.

We just have to work and increase the audience, increase the number of 2 thousand followers to 20 thousand and more, and only then take that step.

How does your personal motivation intersect with people’s desire to receive information?

We often attach importance to scale and miss the essential from our point of view. It is important to tell each other about our experience, it may be instructive for one or more people and pave different ways.

I try to take the material of the conversation out of the field of political, territorial and other restrictions, spread it and press the painful points.

We cannot indefinitely postpone the conversations on furrowed issues. The more courageous we are in this issue, the sooner we will get out of the crisis.

To summarize, I want to help people in Armenia make sense of their work because if people do not live well here, I will not feel good either.

Thus, I have a narrow personal interest in this project.

Interview by Gayane Asryan