Podcasts are a wonderful source of information and entertainment, and there are numerous ones available that focus on the business world. But are they worth everyone’s time, or should company leaders avoid assigning “homework?” To find out, we asked members from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) this question:
“Do you encourage employees to listen to business-related podcasts? If so, which ones are your favorites?”
Podcasts Recommended by Startup Founders
Here’s what YEC community members had to say:
1. ‘Startup’
“Alex Blumberg’s very meta podcast about a startup that covers startups is a great podcast. It helps give employees wider context about how difficult this startup journey really is. That helps prepare them for the inevitable roller coaster that is startup life. I’ve had great conversations with a number of my employees about the podcast, and highly recommend it.” ~ Mitch Gordon, Go Overseas
2. ‘This Week in Startups,’ ‘Startup School Radio’ and ‘Reboot Podcast’
“Being a startup means frequent change. For a junior person, that can lead to a feeling of thrashing. We’ve found that hearing stories about other startups can help provide context. A few favorites are “This Week in Startups” (focused on bigger companies), “Startup School Radio” from Y Combinator, and Jerry Colonna’s “Reboot Podcast,” which gives tools for dealing with the stress of startup life.” ~ Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches
3. ‘The Tim Ferriss Show’
“‘The Tim Ferriss Show‘ is a great exploration of some of the highest-performing people alive right now. It has in-depth interviews and interesting guests every time. I think podcasts are a great way to learn, so I encourage my team to take advantage of them as often as possible.” ~ Adam Steele, Loganix
4. ‘The Top’
“I learned through a lot of trial and error that ‘telling’ people doesn’t really motivate or really encourage them to listen to podcasts. So rather than tell, I share the emotional stories I heard or learned about on the podcasts. Nathan Latka’s podcast “The Top” has so many amazing stories of success and growth that it’s easy to tell people about how and why they should listen to it.” ~ Chris Brisson, Salesmsg
5. ‘This Girl Means Business’ and ‘Creative Living With Jamie’
“My two favorites are “This Girl Means Business” with Carrie Green and “Creative Living With Jamie” by Jamie Ridler. These are inspiring and offer great advice for female and male entrepreneurs. It is useful for all employees who can learn from the advice provided.” ~ Angela Ruth, Due
6. ‘The Optimized Geek’ and ‘Marketing Speak’
“My office is a big fan of Stephan Spencer’s “The Optimized Geek” and “Marketing Speak” podcasts. I encourage my team to listen to these podcasts as continuing education around digital marketing and also entrepreneurship. Stephan brings on guests with proven track records of success, and while he spends time allowing the listener to get to know his guest, he gets them to always deliver actionable tips.” ~ Kristopher Jones, LSEO.com
7. ‘EntreLeadership’
“I encourage all of my employees to learn as much as they can about the digital marketing industry, whether it’s reading blogs, watching videos, or listening to podcasts. One of my favorite podcasts is “EntreLeadership.” These speakers have tremendous success in their businesses, and they share valuable lessons that are applicable to many aspects of business and life in general.” ~ Duran Inci, Optimum7
8. VC Podcasts
“There are a lot of great entrepreneurship podcasts from VCs firms. Some good one[s]: “A16z” (Andreessen Horowitz), “Traction” (NextView Ventures), “Collective Wisdom” (Founder Collective), “The Riff” (David Tisch/Andy Wiessman), “Ventured” (KPBC), “Bothsides TV” (Upfront Ventures), “Menlo Ventures Lead” (Menlo Ventures), “Greymatter” (Greylock), “The Bootstrapped VC” (Backstage Capital).” ~ Adelyn Zhou, TOPBOTS
9. ‘Eventual Millionaire’
“I like “Eventual Millionaire” and feel like it is good for all team members, because it covers so many important topics about being successful in business no matter what your position or industry. There are lots of action-oriented tips to implement to improve your own career and contribute to the success of a company.” ~ Andrew O’Connor, American Addiction Centers
10. ‘Serial’ and ‘Built On Purpose’
“I learn more how employees spend their time in the car during a work commute. For those who have commutes, I encourage them to listen to entertaining podcasts like “Serial” as a way to introduce them to the medium. Then I’ll recommend that they take a listen to the “Built On Purpose” podcast as a way to learn more about business. Podcasts are both a great learning and employee engagement tool.” ~ Brett Farmiloe, Markitors
11. ‘Stuff You Should Know,’ ‘Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me’ and ‘We Study Billionaires’
“I love podcasts and think they’re incredibly helpful and educational, but I don’t limit my suggestions to only business-aimed podcasts. I believe there is something to be taken from a lot of podcasts. If “Stuff You Should Know” or “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me” educates my team, inspires them and helps them think outside of the box, that’s great! Though I always enjoy ‘We Study Billionaires.’” ~ Renato Libric, Bouxtie Inc
Podcast Photo via Shutterstock
This article, “Favorite Business-Related Podcasts Startup Founders Recommend” was first published on Small Business Trends