Like learning but short on time? Looking to stay sharp and up to date on the business world without having to constantly slog through news articles and websites?
Whether you’re running a startup or intend to someday, educating yourself on the business world is vital. And the best way to do it is to learn from people who have experienced the challenges themselves and can share lessons they have taken with them.
No matter which part of your journey you’re on, we’ve got everything you need right here. Lean into podcasts and learn from like-minded entrepreneurs from the comfort of your own kitchen, bathtub, car, or wherever else you can lend an ear.
Find below a refined list of the 15 best startup podcasts for entrepreneurs, founders, startup CEOs, or anyone looking for valuable information to help grow their business in 2024.
1. Entrepreneurs on Fire
Listen as EOF founder John Lee Dumas hosts entrepreneurs who are “on fire.” Bringing his own entrepreneurial and author experience, John interviews inspiring entrepreneurs about their founder journeys, providing valuable insights that you can learn from in quick 25-minute episodes.
2. TechCrunch Equity Podcast
Tech Crunch’s Equity podcast, by Alex Wilhelm, Natasha Mascarenhas, and Mary Ann Azevedo, is all about the business side of start-ups. It delves into the statistics and facts behind news headlines, giving you an inside look into the start-up world and how and why businesses make their way into the limelight.
3. The Rework Podcast
37signals (the makers of Basecamp and HEY) bring you this podcast about better ways to run your business and make the most of your time. Unlike the common tips to scale up as quickly as you can and raise as much money as possible, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson believe there’s a better way. Listen to stories of business owners who have leaned into staying small, growing slow, and bootstrapping.
4. Inside Intercom
To keep tabs on everything Saas/tech and peep in on engaging conversations of do-ers and makers, check out Inside Intercom, brought to you by the Intercom team. With guest speakers from the worlds of start-ups, marketing, design, and product management, there’s something for everyone to learn.
5. Business Wars
Hosted by David Brown and brought to you by Wondery, Business Wars gives you the unfiltered, true stories of what drives businesses and their investors, founders, leaders, and executives. Take a look behind the scenes of what builds these businesses up, or ends up taking them down.
6. The Tim Ferriss Show
Check this podcast out to hear Tim Ferriss, one of Fortune’s “40 under 40” and an avid author and technology investor, break down world-renowned experts and performers in niche subjects. Pick up tricks, tools, and tactics on the best books to read, good habits to build, time-management skills, and more that can all be applied to business and life.
7. Marketing School
Short on time? Neil Patel and Eric Siu bring you a 10 minute podcast every day of actionable marketing advice to help you take your business to the next level. They take into account current economic and marketing trends to keep you up to speed and ready for whatever comes your way.
8. Startup Savant
TRUiC brings you Startup Savant, a startup podcast where Ethan Peyton interviews experts and startup founders to give an inside peek at what it’s like to launch and grow a business. Covering all stages of entrepreneurship and the challenges that present themselves along the way, you’ll be able to learn from others’ experiences.
9. Mixergy
What do the top startup founders know that you don’t? Mixergy is the business startup podcast that can answer that for you. Listen as Andrew Warner, an entrepreneur himself, provides a platform for other entrepreneurs to share their stories of starting and growing a business. With thousands of episodes available, there are endless interesting stories and learning opportunities.
10. Planet Money
Brought to you by NPR, Planet Money has been reporting on all of the “big, complicated forces that move our economy” since 2008. The podcast has won multiple awards for its investigative podcast journalism, so it’s safe to say that there are valuable insights to be gained from giving it a listen.
11. The Gradience
“The people you bring into your leadership team can make or break your startup.” Join Nigel Robinson on this startup stories podcast as he speaks with startup founders and experts about the art & science behind hiring leaders, why it’s so important, and how best to approach hiring for your startup.
12. Confessions of a B2B Marketer
This podcast follows Tom Hunt, a B2B marketer, entrepreneur, and businessman, along his journey of growing his B2B agency, Fame. Listen as he discusses the world of B2B marketing and his key tips on creating demand generation and business growth.
13. Bootstrapped Web
Listen along as Brian Casel and Jordan Gal share bootstrap business tips they’ve picked up through their own entrepreneurial journeys and from others in the industry. Stay connected to the software entrepreneur community while learning how to elevate your own “spiritual hustle journey” with 45-minute episodes released each month of this founders podcast.
14. Startup Therapy Podcast
“The No BS version of startup life you’ve been looking for.” Startup Therapy Podcast is hosted by Wil Schroter and Ryan Rutan, two startup founders who bring a mental health-focused perspective on being an entrepreneur. With episodes that discuss challenges founders face, what risks they truly present, and action steps you can take to solve them, this podcast is an excellent choice.
15. Slow & Steady
If you’re looking for insider information from independent software developers, Slow & Steady is for you. Brian Rhea, Benedicte Raae, and Benedikt Deicke share stories of what it’s like to build and launch software products.
16. Innovators Can Laugh
Innovators Can Laugh is like the Tonight Show of startup-related podcasts. Texas expat, Eric Melchor, interviews innovative startups based in Europe in a fun and casual way – turning their wisdom and expertise into actionable advice you can use to scale your business no matter your industry.
The interviews are different and reveal a fun perspective on Startup Culture as opposed to traditional business-related podcasts. Unlike ordinary entrepreneurial-related shows interviewing cookie-cutter guests, Eric is the only American host who interviews fresh faces of the European startup scene. You can listen to new episodes every Thursday.
Listen Up
There you have it! The 15 best podcasts for start-up founders to listen to. If you’re short on time (which – who isn’t these days?) and looking to stay sharp, informed, and learning, pick a few podcasts that spark your interest and make listening to a part of your daily or weekly routine.
