With more than 250,000 podcasts (and counting) in more than 100 languages, how do you find the gems?
Here’s our list — non-fiction, tailor-made for entrepreneurs. Curated, critiqued, ranked and categorised — for your mind, business and soul. (in order)
1. The Tim Ferriss Show
(for your mind)
Tim Ferriss is a self-experimenter and bestselling author. He is most well known for The 4-Hour Work Week. In his podcast, he deconstructs world-class performers from eclectic areas including — business, investing, chess, sports, acting and beyond .
He gets into the nitty gritty more than any other interviewer out there, probing for details and often uncovering things his guests haven’t previously discussed publicly.
Why listen?
He asks unusually detailed questions revealing insights you won’t find elsewhere. His impressive list of guests includes names like Tony Robbins, Jamie Foxx and Malcolm Gladwell, but the lesser known interviewees are even more interesting, including a one-handed concert pianist and a man who climbed everest wearing nothing but shorts.
What else to know?
They’re longgggg so make sure you have a long walk or car ride ready.
You’ll love it if…
You’ve read the 4-Hour Work Week or Tools of Titans.
Your brain craves logic, tactics and clear methods to achieve results.
You get excited by varied perspectives and are detail oriented.
You apply the 80/20 principle to your life.
2. Startup Podcast
(for your business)
A podcast in a podcast — Startup Podcast starts as an inside look at Alex Blumberg launching a podcasting business (later named Gimlet Media). It begins with an idea and follow the founders (and later, the other team members) for months, gathering recordings of the most vulnerable and private details of their journey. The result is a raw, inside look at what it’s really like to start a business — how to split equity, dealing with co-founder conflict, what your first pitch shouldn’t look like, how to name your company and how to craft a powerful vision.
Why listen?
High production quality. Plus it’s funny, intimate and highly relevant if you’re starting a business. The scenes they capture are often awkward and uncomfortable — difficult situations, where a recorder would typically never see the light of day.
What else to know?
The first season follows Gimlet Media, while other seasons pick a single company - or jump from startup to startup. The most recent season takes an inside look at the controversial ex-American Apparel founder, Dov Charney.
You’ll love it if…
You’ve struggled with splitting equity, pitching, valuing a startup or hiring for growth.
You liked Alex’s work on This American Life.
You’re a fan of Seth Godin.
3. Invisibilia
(for your mind)
Latin for “invisible things”, this is one of NPR’s many choice podcasts. It dives into the invisible forces that control human behaviour — ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. The hosts weave narrative storytelling with scientific research in a way that easily connects the principles to your own life, while providing delightful entertainment.
Hear the story of a man trapped inside his head for 13 years with no motor ability and thoughts as his only companion. Uncover what would happen if you couldn’t feel fear, as told through a striking (and rare) case of a woman with no sense of fear. You’ll also meet a woman with Mirror Touch Synesthesia, who can physically feel what she sees others feeling in an exploration of the ways in which we are all connected — more literally than you might realise.
Why listen?
The stories are highly unusual, intriguing and each episode leaves you drawing questions about your own life.
What else to know?
The later episodes aren’t as punchy as the earlier ones as the narratives become harder to follow.
You’ll love it if…
You’re a fan of Hidden Brain but enjoy longer narratives.
You have an interest in unusual case studies from behavioural psychology.
You enjoy learning new things through exceptional storytelling.
4. Hidden Brain
(for your mind)
Another NPR gem, Hidden Brain helps curious people understand the world and themselves. The podcast links psychology and neurobiology with insights from art, music and literature. Using social science research and storytelling, they uncover the unconscious patterns that drive human behaviour, the biases that shape choices, and the triggers that direct the course of relationships.
Hidden Brain features more scientific research than Invisibilia.
Does the way you park your car say something vital about you? Why disorders can be a good thing? How our framing of events can change the way we experience our lives. Explore the myth of coincidences and why we search for their meaning. Hear from Allan Lichtman, a man who has correctly predicted the last 9 American elections (including Trump!) using 13 “keys”. And the most fascinating part — only two of the keys have anything to do with the candidate.
Why listen?
The goal of Hidden Brain isn’t merely to entertain, but to give you insights to apply at work, at home and throughout your life.
What else to know?
The early episodes are less anecdotal with a stronger grounding in scientific research.
You’ll love it if…
You like the science behind psychology, human interaction and behaviour.
You find Freud interesting.
You know and love the details of The Marshmallow Experiment.
4. The School of Greatness With Lewis Howes
(for your soul)
Lewis Howes is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach and former pro athlete. Launched in 2013, the goal of his podcast is to share inspiring stories from the most brilliant business minds, world class athletes and influential celebrities on the planet; to help you find out what makes great people great.
He mixes short 5–15 minute solo, food-for-thought episodes with longer 1–2 hour interviews.
He also helps to break the stereotype that men need to be the “rock” at all times by openly discussing sensitive issues, where men may be perceived as vulnerable, including his own rape.
Why listen?
He offers a powerful mix of business strategies and mindset fundamentals.
What else to know?
You can also find the video version of all of his podcasts on YouTube, which means the podcasts have little editing.
You’ll love it if…
You’re building a purpose-driven business and know that personal development is just as important as the business fundamentals.
You have burned through all of the Tim Ferriss episodes and are looking for something similar.
5. Traction: How Startups Start
(for your business)
From early-stage venture capital firm, NextView Ventures, Traction is all about the creative, clever, unusual, and downright brilliant ways entrepreneurs achieve early results. These are stories you don’t often hear from founders, startup execs, media members, and investors, despite being crucial to the world of a startups.
With topics like how smart founders vet tech talent, how to grow the supply side of a marketplace and how most startups fail due to co-founder conflict — you can be confident you’ll come away with clear, actionable ideas.
Why would I listen?
Their shows offer tactical, clever and executable strategies for building and growing startups.
What else to know?
Being produced by a US VC firm means that it’s very Silicon Valley-focused.
You’ll love it if…
You run a tech startup.
You’re on Angel List or Product Hunt.
You want to be more in touch with the world of Silicon Valley.
6. Aubrey Marcus Podcast
(for your soul)
As an entrepreneur (founder of Onnit), athlete, and consciousness explorer Aubrey Marcus uses the podcast as a venue to bring forward the life lessons learned from triumph and disaster. He chats with world class guests in search of a deeper understanding of how to turn resistance to assistance, harness the potential of your mind and emotions, and cultivate spirituality without all the BS.
He asks profound questions and goes beyond business into the deeper side of life.
Why listen?
Intellectual interviews mixed with spiritual insight about life in a way that pushes boundaries and blends the quest for high performance and enlightenment into a single, beautiful journey.
What else to know?
He’s a big proponent of psychedelics as a vehicle for personal growth. And he swears a lot.
You’ll love it if…
You’re open-minded, you want to challenge your concepts of reality and are open to spirituality.
You know what ayahuasca is.
You like Lewis Howes and are ready for something deeper but still relatable.
8. How I Built This
(for your business)
One of NPR’s latest: 30 minute interviews with innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists, and the stories behind the movements they built. Each episode is a narrative journey marked by achievements, failures, serendipity and insight — told by the founders of some of the world’s best known companies and brands from Kate Spade to Richard Branson.
Why listen?
No sugar-coating here. It’s the highlight reel, but you get to see just as many ups as you do downs.
What else to know?
It’s less tactical and more inspirational.
You’ll love it if…
You want some inspiration and enjoy hearing the journey of successful entrepreneurs.
You like short, punchy podcasts.
9. The Tony Robbins Podcast
(for your soul)
Tony Robbins shares proven strategies and tactics to help you achieve massive results in your business, relationships, health and finances. The podcast includes excerpts from signature events and insightful interviews with the most prominent masterminds and experts on the global stage — Charles Duhigg (Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author), Tom Bilyeu (founder of Quest Nutrition), and Peter Diamandis (founder of the X-Prize Foundation).
This podcast follows the theory that 80% of success is psychology and 20% is mechanics. His approach advocates that there will always be challenges and obstacles, but none are insurmountable.
His views help you train yourself to focus on what you can control, achieve the right mindset and obtain the skills you need, to give you the best shot at taking your life to the next level - in a move from ordinary to “extraordinary.”
Why listen?
He provides proven tactics that are easily applied to life and his energy will give you the motivation to take it all the way.
What else to know?
Not all of the podcasts feature Tony, which can be disappointing as he’s clearly the secret sauce.
You’ll love it if…
You find meditating hard because you have too much energy.
When it comes to personal development, you crave clear lists, methods and frameworks.
You watched I Am Not Your Guru.
Can’t find the time to add podcasts to the chaotic list of life activities? Grab some headphones — listen at the gym, on a run or walk, while you’re driving, cooking dinner or knocking off house chores, grocery shopping, or swap a little Tim Ferriss for the episode of Master Chef tonight.
Kristen Wonch - OHUDDLE