Sources of information and inspiration
In the third part of my series on tech resources we look at tech podcasts. Alongside newsletters and blogs, podcasts provide a great complement. My commute into work involves a 25 minute drive, making it an ideal time to get through an episode on a single or return trip.
There are a whole range of different tech podcasts and start-up podcasts available. With so much valuable content again available and so little time, it’s unfortunately again a case of having to pick and choose. As a result, I don’t get to listen to as many episodes as I’d like.
Nonetheless, these are my favorites. And, as always, I’d love to hear your suggestions.
Podcasts
- This Week in Start-Ups (TWiST) and Angel, by Jason Calacanis. Jason’s podcasts are as entertaining, insightful and valuable as they are numerous. As a result of having several episodes a week he is now well into the 900 episodes. TWiST is the main podcast, focusing on everything about start-ups as well as having episodes aimed at founders. Angel was launched after the book (see next week’s post) and is more aimed at investors. With the podcasts, the book, the Launch accelerator, Founder University, Jason really has started to build out an entire start-up franchise. In addition to the audio, there are also videos available.
- The a16z Podcast, by a16z. Andreessen Horowitz make great use of the podcast medium, with a steady flow of high quality, bite-sized episodes. A lot of their episodes are recordings of recent panel discussions, typically moderated by one of their partners and featuring leading experts and founders from the topic being discussed.
- FYI – For Your Innovation, by Ark Invest. Launched in 2019, FYI is a newer tech podcast. But it’s weekly episodes are already some of my favorites due to their focus on healthcare, AI and crypto. They also introduced me to the highly recommended AI youtube channel of Siraj Raval. And to the book by Charles Graeber on cancer immunotherapy, which I’m currently thoroughly enjoying.
- Exponential View, by Azeem Azhar. As mentioned in last week’s post about blogs. Azeem is the godfather of AI related tech blogging. His weekly podcast simply contains tons of useful and interesting information and great guests, making it an essential podcast on this list.
…More podcasts
- Should This Exist, by Quartz. This podcast is rather different from the others in the list. It’s produced by Quartz, and when I say produced I really mean produced. Whereas most podcasts are in the form of an interview, conversation or panel, Should This Exist has a very distinct, almost quirky, format. Each episode addresses a new technology that has some ethical considerations, each time asking the show’s question: should this technology exist or would we be better off without it? I’ve quite enjoyed the episodes I’ve listened to, although at times it does feel rather gimmicky and overproduced. Curious to hear what others think of it.
- The All Turtles Podcast, by All Turtles. I’ve only recently discovered this podcast and really like it. All Turtles is a start-up studio and the podcast therefore has quite a lot of emphasis on founders. It includes the recent Start-up Playbook series of episodes, addressing different areas of starting a company. Lots of good guests and 30-35 minute episodes mean that you get lots of valuable information in a short period of time.
- 20VC, The 20 minute VC, by Harry Stebbings (“with two B’s”). Like Jason Calacanis, Harry Stebbings might be a bit like marmite in terms of how you feel about them. Regardless, Harry Stebbings at the tender age of 22, has carved out an incredible brand already with his podcast. His guests are the creme de la creme of the VC world and with twice weekly episodes it’s hard to keep up. As the name suggest though it’s short, but buckle up because it’s high energy. Great stuff, as long as you can get past the barrage of catch phrases that he’s managed to accumulates. He does appreciate that so much…
- This Week in Tech (TWiT), by Leo Laporte. It would feel wrong to have a post about tech podcasts without mentioning the actually granddaddy of them, TWiT. Now with over 700 episodes, each in excess of 2 hours. That for me however is also the reason I don’t listen to them. With so much other, higher information density, content out there I can’t find the patience or time to listen for 2 hours on a regular basis. The couple of times I did (e.g. the episode about CES in January) was fun enough though. So if you have enough time to fill up, definitely add this to your list.
Topic specific blogs
- Unchained & Unconfirmed, by Laura Shin. Previously a Forbes contributor, Laura Shin is now an independent journalist, covering everything crypto. She has had almost all the big names from crypto on her shows at some point or another. And she does a great job at deconstructing a topic as complex as crypto for a more general audience. Unchained is the original weekly podcast, covering crypto in general. Unconfirmed is newer and more focused specifically on this week’s news. They provide a great entry level into crypto.
- Epicenter, by Brian Fabian Crain, Sebastien Couture and Meher Roy. If Laura Shin’s podcasts provide the entry level, the Epicenter podcast is a significant step deeper down the crypto rabbit hole. A lot more technical, they tend to discuss a specific crypto project with the founder and dive deep into the weeds. At times it can be overwhelming, but it can equally leave you marveling at the amazing brains working in this space.
- Messari Podcast, by Messari. I’ve contributed to the Messari project as a volunteer and love the work they’re doing. They started a podcast, with short episodes on the latest news and brief interviews. It seems to have been discontinued not long after though.
- HVMN Podcast, by HVMN. This isn’t so much a tech podcast, as it is about nutrition, fitness and health. The majority of episodes aren’t of interest to me, focusing on diets (specifically keto). But there are some interesting episodes about biohacking and improving human performance. Worth keeping an eye on if your interest lies in the healthcare and biohacking space.
What tech podcasts do you listen to?
As always, I hope this list of tech podcasts has provided you with something useful. Personally I’ve become a big fan of podcasts. And it’s turned what was a wasted time commuting into a really useful and informationally fruitful period. Like with the blogs and newsletters, I will be adding new tech podcasts to the list as I come across them. So if you have any suggestions then please share them in the comments section below..
While you’re here…
Earlier this week, I shared some thoughts on what the call by congressman Sherman for a ban on crypto suggests about the rise of crypto. And how it’s gone from something that was ridiculed and mocked, to something that is now being seen as a potential threat to the US. As well as some of the ongoing misunderstandings about the industry. I hope you will have a look, alongside other recent posts and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the different topics.