Listen to These 6 Great Podcasts to Sharpen Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Entrepreneurship is a difficult path that requires a lot of self-discipline and self-directed learning. However, it can be difficult to find good resources for learning and answering questions.
Mentors are an excellent resource, but they are not always available and may not have insight into the particular issue at hand. Books are another great resource, but modern entrepreneurs have a newer tool as well: podcasts.
Whether you need help raising money or hiring new people, podcasts are a great resource. You might think of a podcast as a pre-recorded radio show you can download or stream online at any time via your smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. The best podcasts feature fascinating conservations about popular topics, interviews with experts, and lively dialogue that makes for a fun listen. Best of all, podcasts are great for multi-tasking — something you’re probably familiar with, if you’re starting a business. You can listen to podcasts while you’re doing chores, exercising, or commuting.
Some great podcasts on entrepreneurship you may want to consider include:
1. How I Built This with Guy Raz
This podcast features startup stories that are both engaging and educational. Real entrepreneurs talk about their experiences building companies and do so in a lively story format that hooks your attention. As a result, the content is relatable. Guy Raz makes it a point to ask difficult questions that shed light on challenging problems and yield important points of advice for entrepreneurs. The episodes are also inspirational and can give you a lot of insight into the struggles behind entrepreneurship, as well as the eventual successes. This podcast is a good choice for anyone struggling to get an idea off the ground who wants some insight into how other people have done it.
2. StartUp
Gimlet Media has emerged as one of the biggest players in the podcast market. This podcast comes from Gimlet, but it focuses on the company itself. The creators made the podcast in real time as the founders launched Gimlet, so the podcast offers a lot of raw, real emotion and provides a unique perspective on the process. The founders struggled with entrepreneurship, and you may relate to many of the questions and problems they faced. The podcast relies on a documentary-style format, but it’s done in a way that holds your attention from start to finish. Importantly, the podcast expands beyond Gimlet to talk about other companies with compelling founding stories. However, don’t skip the Gimlet season.
3. Entrepreneurs on Fire
This daily podcast features a number of different entrepreneurs interviewed by host John Dumas. With a military and business background, Dumas is great at asking cutting questions that get right to the heart of the matter at hand. Together, Dumas and his guest figure out why each company was able to succeed, which can really help entrepreneurs who are launching their own ventures. This podcast is a great source of inspiration, but it can also help you apply a more critical lens to your own startup and prompt you to ask the right questions as you move forward. In addition, since new episodes are released daily, there are plenty of companies to learn from. Dumas has been making this podcast since 2012 and has interviewed more than 2,000 founders since.
4. The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss is a highly respected entrepreneur and thought leader whose podcast has become one of the most popular business podcasts in the world. What makes him so engaging is his willingness to be open and raw on the show. The podcast features a wide variety of guests, from entrepreneurs to actors, scientists, and athletes. No matter who he’s talking to, Ferriss is able to generate important business tips and strategies from the conversation. However, the podcast offers much more. Ferriss and his guests often give great book recommendations and talk openly about personal choices and lifestyle modifications that can help you get ahead. Plus, the conversations themselves are always fascinating.
5. Mixergy
Hosted by Andrew Warner, Mixergy is a podcast that does deep dives into various companies to look at the hurdles they overcame and the strategies that helped them succeed. What makes this podcast stand out from others is the fact that Warner focuses on smaller companies, so you probably haven’t heard these stories before. Plus, Warner himself is a wonderful teacher. Listening to Mixergy can sometimes feel like being in a college class about entrepreneurship as it does tend to get quite analytical and down to the nitty-gritty. However, the topics are always relevant and you’ll find thorough answers to many of the startup questions you probably have.
6. HBR IdeaCast
This is a weekly podcast from Harvard Business Review that features many of the leading thinkers in business and management. The show is hosted by Alison Beard and Curt Nickish, who together explore a wide range of topics, such as burnout, networking, and working with family members. Many of the episodes focus on leadership, which makes it a great choice for budding entrepreneurs. With each episode lasting only about 30 minutes, the podcast is also a great way to learn something new and gain some perspective without investing a lot of time. You’ll also hear from some of the most revered and respected industry leaders.
