You’re on a long flight with your smartphone in hand, and some ear buds wedged into your ears. What should you do? Listen to a podcast, of course.
Podcasts offer a great way to consume information, especially for people who love to multitask and take advantage of every minute in an already busy day. You can listen while you’re driving, sitting on the subway, or lying in bed.
The challenge is finding the best podcasts to listen to. Which ones will provide you the most value? Which ones ask the best questions, and bring in the most knowledgeable and entertaining personalities?
We scoured the podcast world to find the best entrepreneur podcasts, and found eight business podcasts that will keep you in the loop and feeling inspired.
Traction: How Startups Start
Traction, produced by Next View Ventures, a Boston-based venture capital firm, features entrepreneurs telling stories of how their products took off. The show details the creative, clever, and unusual ways entrepreneurs scrape their way to early results with a roster that includes the founders of DraftKing, LinkedIn, and many more. If you’re looking for ideas on how to get the word out about your startup, you’ll be inspired by the stories told on Traction.
Listen to Traction if:
- You’re looking for creative ways to get the word out about your products and services.
StartUp
From the producers of Planet Money comes StartUp which is a podcast about what it means to build your own business. StartUp’s production value can’t be beat, and the stories are rich, engaging, and authentic. It doesn’t cover the nuts and bolts of business. It dives deep into the emotional ramifications of building your own thing. StartUp is a podcast for anyone interesting in business, whether you’ve built one yourself or prefer to watch from the sidelines.
Listen to StartUp if:
- You feel lonely on the emotional roller coaster of entrepreneurship.
The Pitch
Pitching your startup to investors? Then check out The Pitch, a podcast that showcases founders pitching their early stage startups. On the show, founders give their pitch to hosts Josh Muccio and Sheel Mohnot, who then help the founders raise money from an audience of angel investors. Startups have included Dollar Beard Club, Chameleon, and Havenly.
Listen to The Pitch if:
- You love Shark Tank, The Profit, and other TV shows on CNBC.
Re/code Decode
Kara Swisher is one of tech’s most revered journalists, and she brings her straightforward style to Re/code Decode, her own podcast. Swisher interviews various business leaders and personalities and isn’t afraid to examine how business, media, politics and culture collide. Swisher tackles such topics as the NFL media, whether hoverboards are worth buying, and how Airbnb envisions the future of hospitality.
Listen to Re/code Decode if:
- You’re interested in the latest trends and how technology connects to pop culture.
How to Start a Startup
Y Combinator and Stanford University now have their own podcast — How to Start a Startup. In this podcast, Sam Altman and the folks from Y Combinator, one of Silicon Valley’s most elite accelerators, offer up an incredible lecture in each podcast. Some recent lectures have included How to Run a User Interview and Legal and Accounting Basics for Startups. You can choose which lectures will help you out. Listen to world-renowned speakers such as Peter Thiel and Marissa Meyer dole out advice.
Listen to How to Start a Startup if:
- You want actionable, real-word advice about how to run your company.
a16z
Andreesen Horowitz is one of the most famous venture capital firms, and now they’re producing an amazing podcast. A16z focuses on technical topics, addressing how startups, technology, and data fit into the world’s culture. The podcast addresses how to improve processes, closed vs. open approaches, and how to scale ideas across the globe. Knowledgeable guest speakers from around the world come on the show to hone in on specific topics.
Listen to a16z if:
- You want insights and advice from the world’s most knowledge and experienced venture capitalists.
The Critical Path
The Critical Path focuses on mobile technology, specifically focusing on Apple, and is a must-listen for anyone who’s remotely interested in mobile. Hosts Anders Brownsworth and Horace Dedieu are mesmerizing, and are able to situate technical developments within historical context. This podcast will expand your view of how technology fits into the world as a whole.
Listen to The Critical Path if:
- You’re working on a truly innovative product and want to be at the forefront of mobile development.
Mixery Startup Stories
Every startup has a story that’s unique and special, and each story is full of lessons entrepreneurs can learn from. Mixergy Startup Stories tells these stories in interviews with business leaders and founders, resulting in an enjoyable podcast that profiles companies of all sizes and industries.
Listen to Mixergy Startup Stories if:
- You love a good story and like listening to founders talk about their journeys.
What podcasts are you keeping up with? Feel free to share you best finds below!
