Program basics

Choosing milestones or a leaderboard

Both formats reward listener ambassadors, but they create very different expectations. Start with the experience you want your ambassadors to have.

Start with your goal

Build a habit

Choose milestones

Use milestones when you want an ongoing program that keeps rewarding listeners as they bring in more friends.

Set up milestones →

Create urgency

Choose a leaderboard

Use a leaderboard when you have a deadline and want ambassadors to compete for a limited set of prizes.

Set up a leaderboard →

What is different?

Question	Milestones	Leaderboard
Who can earn a reward?	Every ambassador who reaches a referral goal.	Only the top-ranked ambassadors when the contest ends.
How long does it run?	Ongoing — no end date is required.	For a defined window that ends on a specific date.
What motivates ambassadors?	Personal progress toward the next reward.	Competition for a place among the winners.
Best for	Always-on growth, community building, and a simple promise.	A launch, premiere, event, or other short promotional push.
Reward planning	Plan for everyone who reaches each threshold.	Set a fixed prize and a fixed number of winners.
The public message	“Refer 3 friends and unlock a bonus episode.”	“Finish in the top 3 by June 30 to win signed merch.”

Think about the ambassador experience

Ambassadors do not need to understand your program configuration. They only need a promise they can immediately repeat. Choose the format whose promise best matches your campaign.

Milestones promise“Keep referring. Each goal unlocks your next reward.”

This feels inclusive: ambassadors compete with their own progress, not with each other.

Leaderboard promise“Refer more before the deadline to finish among the winners.”

This feels competitive: ambassadors know there is a finish line and a limited number of prizes.

For that reason, a public ambassador screenshot would be less useful than this decision framing: the paused demo cannot be published just for documentation, and the podcaster’s choice is the part that changes the ambassador promise.

One final check before you choose

If you would be disappointed to turn away an ambassador who reaches a goal, choose milestones.
If a deadline and limited winner count are central to the offer, choose a leaderboard.
If you are unsure, start with milestones. They are the clearest first program for most ongoing communities.

Whichever you choose, saving valid details does not make the program public. You must explicitly select Go live when you are ready.