Entrepreneurs: If You’re Looking for Podcasts in 2020, Pick These
By: Ben Scheer
Tags: Business, Startup, Podcast, Technology, Productivity

Stuff You Should Know

For random knowledge, SYSK is the place to go. This award-winning podcast comes from the writers over at HowStuffWorks and is consistently ranked in the top charts. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant educate listeners on different topics.

No matter the topic, they always cross-connect with pop culture. Want to learn how going to the moon works? How yawning works? What prison food is like? After lots of time listening, you’ll end up feeling like you’ve completed a degree in Out-Of-Left-Field Things.

Business Wars

There are fascinating stories behind many of the household-name companies and products that we all know. Business Wars host David Brown takes you through the audible journeys that brought many of these companies and products to what they are today.

Grasp the details of how Evan Spiegel grew Snapchat to go head-to-head with Facebook, or listen to the battle in the chocolate market between Hershey and Mars. The use of great sound effects and creative narration by this Wondery podcast makes the listening experience comparable to watching a documentary.

Reply All

For tales that keep you listening, tune in to Reply All. Focused on how people shape the internet and how the internet shapes people, hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman have lively discussions about random yet intriguing situations and dig deep.

One episode, The Snapchat Thief, is about how the identity of a Snapchat account hacker was investigated and (spoiler alert) eventually found. Another episode, called Adam Pisces and the $2 Coke, is about the occurrence of a flood of strange Domino’s Pizza orders. Each segment is about 30 to 45 minutes long, a good length for the average commute.

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Chances are, you’ve at least heard about HIBT. Produced by NPR, this is a podcast about the stories behind the movements built by entrepreneurs, innovators, and idealists. Each weekly episode is 30 to 60 minutes of conversation between host Guy Raz and a notable guest.

You can hear about the origins of Atari (and Chuck E. Cheese) from Nolan Bushnell himself, and about how Sara Blakely founded Spanx. You can listen to Drybar’s Alli Webb, or to Haim Saban’s story about Power Rangers. If you want to learn about the in-depth process and interesting hurdles that go hand-in-hand with groundbreaking success, you’ll enjoy this.

Every Little Thing

Similar to Stuff You Should Know, ELT is a goldmine for random facts. As the host, Flora Lichtman takes you through some of the most pressing questions out there. How are new stamp designs created? What are dogs saying when they bark, and why do auctioneers talk so fast? How do you make that pumpkin spice flavor we all know?

This podcast also has a wide variety of invited guest speakers. In one segment you can hear from an airline pilot, and another you can learn from a microbiologist. If you’re someone who likes to learn something new every day, these segments have you covered.

Syntax.fm

If you happen to be a hardcore tech geek or want to get accustomed to tech lingo, you’ll love Syntax.fm. The hosts, Scott Tolinski and Wes Bos, teach web development for a living, so they have a wide range of tech fluency, from JavaScript to CSS to React to WordPress. Although niche, these are topics that influence the work of many.

They have unique segments like the Spooky Stories episodes, through which you can hear about moderately-disastrous tech-related incidents. They also discuss more general topics, like design foundations for developers and how to get better at solving problems. Episodes are light-hearted and full of awesome info.

The Pitch

If you’re a fan of Shark Tank, you will enjoy tuning in to The Pitch. The show, hosted by Josh Muccio, features entrepreneurs who are in need of venture funding and pitch investors, live. The goal is to give listeners an authentic look into what it’s really like to get involved with venture capital.

You’ll hear from one entrepreneur per episode, so you’ll get into the details. You’ll hear stories about new businesses, post-pitch pivoting, and will even get to follow folks through their journey months after their pitch.