It’s no surprise why today’s modern entrepreneurs like to listen to startup podcasts.
Podcasts are portable — a great way to get information when you can’t read but can listen. Often podcasts contain golden tidbits that you might not pick up in a written piece. Many startup podcasts include interviews with experienced business experts who can offer invaluable insights to help you grow your business in ways you never considered before. And best of all, they are usually free.
Here are 10 startup podcasts to put on your listening list, along with a description of why each is a terrific choice for startup entrepreneurs.
List of Best Startup Podcasts
StartUp
Some podcasts feature business tips and secondhand stories. But if you want to dive really deep into the startup story, you might consider a podcast like StartUp.
Produced by Gimlet Media, StartUp features hosts Alex Blumberg, CEO and co-founder of Gimlet, and Lisa Chow, former editor of FiveThirtyEight and reporter at NPR’s Planet Money and WNYC. The podcast delves into a variety of issues that come up when you’re starting a business, tackled from a firsthand perspective since Blumberg has dealt with them during his journey with starting and managing Gimlet.
Topics covered include securing a domain name for your business, motivating a team, and even the stress that comes with entrepreneurship. So if you’re looking for startup podcasts that offer an in-depth look at entrepreneurship issues, rather than generic tips and anecdotes, check out StartUp.
This Week in Startups
This Week in Startups is a must-listen for anyone who is looking to stay on top of all the latest tech trends and current happenings in the startup world. Hosted by entrepreneur, investor, and author Jason Calacanis, the show features interviews with a different guest entrepreneur or expert each week, ranging from media moguls like Tim O’Reilly to angel investors like Zach Coelius.
Topics on This Week in Startups range from how to create a roadmap for innovation in your business to where to find ideas and inspiration and tips for angel investors. Tuning in can help you stay up-to-date with the innovations and approaches that can help you keep your business relevant.
Entrepreneurs On Fire
One of the best parts of running a business is when you get one of those a-ha! moments where you’re able to solve a problem or bust out of a slump. And you’ll get to hear a lot of those inspiring stories by listening to the Entrepreneurs On Fire podcast.
Host John Lee Dumas, who is an experienced podcaster and author of books like Podcast Launch and Entrepreneur on Fire – Conversations with Visionary Leaders, speaks with a different entrepreneur every day to share stories of how they found inspiration, learned important lessons or otherwise got fired up over the course of running their businesses. Some recent guests include author and filmmaker Douglas Folsom, Healthy Numbers founder Ingrid Thompson, and brand strategist Aaron Pierson.
A new show is released daily. So if you want a constant stream of inspiration and entrepreneurial stories from passionate business owners, this is the startup podcast for you.
Youpreneur FM
The days of keeping your business and personal life separate are over. That doesn’t mean you have to fill up your dinner table with business contracts. But it does mean that having a personal brand to build your business around can be a major benefit. The Youpreneur podcast, hosted by successful virtual entrepreneur Chris Ducker, is all about building a great personal brand.
On each episode of this startup podcast, Ducker invites a guest entrepreneur. Recent interviewees include Mike Morrison of The Membership Guys and Antonio Centeno, founder of Real Men, Real Style. Guests share stories about how they built their personal brands and learned important lessons about succeeding as a solopreneur or virtual business owner.
If you are looking for startup podcasts that cover successfully launching new products or services, monetizing content and growing your personal brand into an actual business — this is a good one.
Marketing School
If you’re looking to improve your marketing but don’t have a ton of time to dedicate to listening to tons of different podcasts, check out Marketing School. While not a startup podcast per se, it offers specific actionable tips in less than 10 minutes per episode.
The show is hosted by accomplished entrepreneurs Neil Patel of CrazyEgg and Kissmetrics and Eric Siu of Growth Everywhere and Single Grain. Recent episodes have covered methods like webinars and live events.
Others have focused on specific questions or issues like solving email deliverability issues and whether or not it’s worthwhile to sponsor conferences. So if you need an answer to a marketing question, you can search the archives for the episode that best matches your query.
#AskGaryVee
#AskGaryVee is a Q&A format podcast featuring insights and discussions with serial entrepreneur, author, and internet personality Gary Vaynerchuk. There’s also a video version available.
Vaynerchuk is known for his no-nonsense attitude and ability to deliver strong opinions and insights in a very direct way. In the show, he covers topics ranging from marketing and social media to the personal pressures of entrepreneurship. And he answers questions directly from listeners, so you can even submit your own specific queries for consideration
If you like startup podcasts with opinionated no-nonsense advice, you will adore this one.
The Pitch
Want to hear actual startup entrepreneurs make pitches to investors? If so, this is the startup podcast for you. The Pitch is a podcast that features real startup founders making actual pitches to real investors. No scripts, fake names or theoretical businesses involved.
Hosted by Josh Muccio, an entrepreneur turned podcast host for Gimlet Media, each episode features a different pitch from a different company. By listening to this startup podcast, you can learn important lessons for perfecting your own elevator story or pitch. But you also pick intriguing factoids and trend insights, such as learning about unique innovations like a regional transit system that uses electric charging stations, or a better way to brew instant coffee.
Social Pros
Social media has become one of the most popular ways to market a business. And if you’re looking to learn more about harnessing the power of social media for your business, Social Pros could be the podcast for you.
Hosted by Jay Baer of Convince and Convert and Adam Brown of Salesforce, Social Pros covers topics ranging from live streaming to utilizing specialty sites like Quora. The hosts also regularly interview entrepreneurs and social media managers from successful companies like Krispy Kreme and Esquire.
If you are looking for startup podcasts with actionable tips and examples for social media marketing, check out Social Pros.
Smart Passive Income
Passive income can take many forms. Common methods range from using affiliate links to earn commissions from websites, to launching information products that can be sold again and again online. Those methods can serve as a great standalone business opportunity or even just help you diversify your startup’s income streams.
That’s exactly what the Smart Passive Income podcast is all about. Host Pat Flynn has made a living from using a variety of passive income techniques over the years. Each week, he interviews a different entrepreneur or passive income professional to share his or her story and offer advice.
One recent episode features an interview with Cassidy Tuttle, founder of Succulents and Sunshine. She shares how she built a successful niche business that teaches people to care for succulents using passive income techniques like blogging and online courses. Other episodes in this startup podcast include interviews with affiliate marketers. From time to time it even features coaching calls with entrepreneurs looking to improve their own passive income techniques.
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss of the Tim Ferriss Show is a tech investor and best selling author of several well-known titles including The 4-Hour Workweek, which has revolutionized productivity in small business offices around the world. And his startup podcast is one of the most popular and highly rated business podcasts on iTunes.
The podcast focuses mainly on business tips and inspiration. The guest list includes big names like actor Jamie Foxx and life coach Tony Robbins.
So if you’re an entrepreneur or professional seeking startup podcasts to inspire you and make big things happen, this can help you reach those lofty goals.
Download Away
So there you have 10 startup podcasts I recommend. Download them and next time you’re traveling, you can be learning at the same time.
