As an entrepreneur, your time is limited, but there’s still a demand to keep up with the latest industry trends. Listening to business podcasts is the perfect way for you to continue your business education without slowing down.
Whether you listen to podcasts on your commute, while making lunch, or running, the medium is a faster way to glean quality information than reading a book or attending an event.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best business podcasts for entrepreneurs and aspiring leaders on the go.
Table of Contents
The Best Business Podcasts For Entrepreneurs
The 15 Best Business Podcasts For Entrepreneurs
In no particular order, here are the top 15 business podcasts for entrepreneurs. Pull out your smartphone, find your earbuds, and start listening.
1. How I Built This with Guy Raz
Since 2016, National Public Radio journalist, Guy Raz, has recorded candid conversations with founders like Joe Gebbia of Airbnb, Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia, and Melanie Perkins of Canva. In How I Built This with Guy Raz, he asks detailed questions about the origins of the founder and how they created their business from scratch. His new show, Wisdom From the Top, disseminates the lessons from visionary leaders like Dara Treseder of Peloton and Jorgen Vig Knudstorp of LEGO.
- Length: 30-45 minutes
- Podcast Style: Interview
- What You’ll Get: Learn how the world’s most iconic companies got started
- Episode to Start With: Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard
2. Marketplace Morning Report
Marketplace has been airing across radio stations for over 25 years, offering valuable news and insights for all things business. If you’re looking for daily business bites on your commute or while you’re making your first cup of coffee, the Marketplace Morning Report will save you time scrolling news feeds.
- Length: 5-10 minutes
- Podcast Style: News
- What You’ll Get: Daily business news
- Episode to Start With: Don’t look now, but Black Friday is already here
3. Business Wars
Here’s a podcast for your next visit to the airport or afternoon of yard work. From Wondery, Business Wars is a storytelling podcast detailing the epic battles between the most iconic businesses across history. From “Coke vs Pepsi” to “SpaceX vs Blue Origin,” you’ll meet the characters and how their decisions, both good and bad, influenced their organization’s legacy.
- Length: 20-30 minutes, 4-5 episode series
- Podcast Style: Storytelling
- What You’ll Get: Entertaining stories about the business battles that changed the world
- Episode to Start With: Coke vs Pepsi
4. The Tim Ferriss Show
We couldn’t leave one of the most successful podcasts of all time off our list. If you don’t know who Tim Ferriss is, then it’s time to get familiar with his 4-hour workweek and other strategies for successful people. The Tim Ferriss Show will provide you with interviews with authorities on topics like time management, workout routines, and financial management.
- Length: 60 minutes or more
- Podcast Style: Interview
- What You’ll Get: Personal and professional advice from top industry performers
- Episode to Start With: Brené Brown — Striving versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages, and More
5. Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman
Another pioneer in the business podcast industry is Reid Hoffman, the cofounder of LinkedIn. Masters of Scale focuses specifically on how startups can grow using best-in-class advice from Reid and his guests.
- Length: 25-40 minutes
- Podcast Style: Interview
- What You’ll Get: Startup growth strategies
- Episode to Start With: The Honest Company’s Jessica Alba: Make your customer the star
6. Planet Money
Sometimes business trends can be confusing and laden with jargon—that’s where Planet Money comes in. Host Alex Blumberg and his team use creative storytelling to explain the most complicated and unique business topics. Check out their list of favorite episodes focusing on subjects like the lifecycle of a cotton t-shirt or how one man dominated the onion market.
- Length: 20-30 minutes
- Podcast Style: Documentary (the show is a spin-off of This American Life)
- What You’ll Get: An entertaining deep-dive into diverse business topics
- Episode to Start With: The Tale Of The Onion King
7. HBR IdeaCast
The Harvard Business Review is an esteemed publication, focusing on research and insights from the top business minds in the world. The HBR IdeaCast focuses on the major storylines and topics covered in the publication with subject matter interviews. If you want to get well-researched and vetted business knowledge without spending hours reading, subscribe to the HBR IdeaCast.
- Length: 20-30 minutes
- Podcast Style: Informational and interviews
- What You’ll Get: Expert research and opinions on business topics
- Episode to Start With: Handling Stress in the Moment
8. Online Marketing Made Easy
Amy Porterfield’s first two years of starting her own business were brutal. She was burnt out, confused, and contemplating going back to her job working for Tony Robbins. 14 years later, her marketing business has earned more than $82 million in revenue, she’s served more than 50,000 students in her online courses, and her Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast receives over one million monthly downloads.
- Length: 30 minutes
- Podcast Style: Conversational and educational
- What You’ll Get: Easy marketing wins for entrepreneurs and personal lessons on how to start and grow your business
- Episode to Start With: #235: How To Identify Your Ideal Customer Avatar
9. Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast
Matt Abrahams is a lecturer at Stanford University and interviews experts on communication and public speaking. Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast is the perfect show if you want to improve your speaking skills or learn how to motivate your team.
- Length: 15-20 minutes
- Podcast Style: Interview
- What You’ll Get: Tips on how to communicate effectively
- Episode to Start With: Speak Like a Founder: How Successful Entrepreneurs Communicate to Their Teams
10. Social Proof Podcast
David Shands has been coaching entrepreneurs for almost a decade. In the Social Proof Podcast, David packs his lessons into each episode and interviews entrepreneurs at the early stages of their journey. His frequent episodes with business coach Donni Wiggins are honest conversations filled with humor and heart.
- Length: 45-80 minutes
- Podcast Style: Conversational
- What You’ll Get: Uncensored conversations between entrepreneurs
- Episode to Start With: An Entrepreneurs’ Last Will & Testament
11. Business Casual
Morning Brew, a daily business email service, is getting into the podcast game. Their show, Business Casual, is hosted by journalist Nora Ali and comedian Scott Rogowsky and focuses on interviewing experts about the hottest business trends. Scott and Nora wrestle topics like the cost of the fast-fashion industry, food scarcity, and how Netflix is still winning.
- Length: 25-40 minutes
- Podcast Style: News and interview
- What You’ll Get: A rotation of business topics and expert interviews
- Episode to Start With: Black founders need more Black investors
12. The Future of Everything
Reading The Wall Street Journal may seem like a habit reserved for investment bankers or “boomers,” but their podcast network is filled with accessible—and paperless—business insights. We suggest The Future of Everything to learn what’s happening next in business technology. Episode topics include AI student assistants, designer babies, and metamaterials.
- Length: 20-30 minutes
- Podcast Style: Documentary and informational
- What You’ll Get: Insights into technology and business trends
- Episode to Start With: Outhacking the Hackers: The Future of Cybersecurity
13. Y Combinator Podcast
Y Combinator brought a fresh approach to funding startups, in that they don’t just put up money, they move entrepreneurs into their Silicon Valley offices for three months and provide instruction for how to do this thing, only better. They prepare founders to pitch investors, and stick with them even after the investments have been secured. Their podcast includes a mixture of shows, interviews, round tables, and how-tos covering every aspect of entrepreneurship. It’s like you’re getting a sneak peek into the doors of the most successful startup incubator on the planet.
- Length: 20-30 minutes
- Podcast Style: Interview and informational
- What You’ll Get: Multiple shows, how-tos, guides, and trending startup news
- Episode to Start With: The Best Way to Launch Your Startup
14. Don’t Say Content
One aspect of building a business that most founders struggle with is understanding content marketing and its value to your brand. Thankfully, Don’t Say Content can break down the terminology and misconceptions about marketing so you can confidently go into any meeting with a marketing consultant or your marketing team with confidence. Hosts Devin Bramhall and Margaret Kelsey
combined 20+ years of experience and no bull**** attitudes are a fresh take on a buzzword industry.
- Length: 30-40 minutes
- Podcast Style: Conversational
- What You’ll Get: Tips and insights that demystify marketing cliches.
- Episode to Start With: A Babel of Buzzwords is How Marketers Created a Category of Choas
15. The Founder’s Journal
Alex Lieberman, co-founder of Morning Brew, started The Founder’s Journal as a way to share lessons he learned from his journey. This podcast is worth the binge if you’ve dreamed about starting a business but aren’t sure what to expect.
- Length: 20-30 minutes
- Podcast Style: Conversational and interviews
- What You’ll Get: Practical lessons about how to start and grow a business.
- Episode to Start With: This is for the Entrepreneur
Listen to Foundr’s Business Podcasts
If you haven’t already subscribed to Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan or the From Zero to Foundr Podcast, we suggest you open your favorite podcast app and do so now. Here’s what you can expect.
Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan
Foundr CEO Nathan Chan sits down with the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and business experts. Nathan has interviewed founders like Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, and Gary Vaynerchuk, to get the answers that won’t show up in a bio line. The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan gives you actionable insights, stories of success and failure, and the latest expertise on industry trends.
- Length: 30-60 minutes
- Podcast Style: Interview
- What You’ll Get: Actionable insights from the world’s most successful founders and business experts
- Episode to Start With: Viral Growth and Influencer Marketing in Ecommerce, with Ben Francis of Gymshark
From Zero to Foundr Podcast
Do you wish you could hear an interview with Daymond John when he was starting FUBU? In this podcast, we’re doing things a little differently. We’re interviewing students from our community who are building their businesses from the ground up. From Zero to Foundr highlights the founders of tomorrow that are working to achieve their dreams.
- Length: 20-30 minutes
- Podcast Style: Interview
- What You’ll Get: Honest conversations with founders at the beginning stage of their business journey
- Episode to Start With: $10k in 2 Days: Shamanth Pereira Walks Us Through Her Wildly Successful eCommerce Launch
Podcast Time Hack
“I already told you,” you think, “I don’t have time to check out all these podcasts. Make it easier! Quicker!
Ask and ye shall receive. Rather than review all nine podcasts recommended here to see what’s best for you, start by listening to these key episodes featuring their hosts:
- Nathan Chan on the Foundr Podcast talking about how he started Founder
- The interview with Gimlet Media founders Alex Blumberg and Matt Lieber on NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz
- The interview with Masters of Scale host and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman on The Tim Ferriss Show
- Y Combinator’s Startup School: Best Way to Launch a Startup
Now you’ve met six of the podcast personalities recommended here in just four episodes. You’re over halfway through the list!
Pro Tip: Listen to podcasts at 1.25x or 1.5x speed to get through content faster.
Find a Small Business Podcast
These business podcasts will give you the insights and strategies to be successful—but what about your specific industry?
If you’re running a coffee roasting business or selling products on Amazon, there’s probably a podcast out there for you. So, instead of only listening to Apple Podcasts’ top 10, search for podcasts that appeal to your business niche.
Independent podcasts are starting to get overshadowed by big-budget networks but “indie” podcasts are still an effective way to connect with a unique community. Here are the steps to find a hidden gem business podcast that will be pertinent to your business:
- Keyword Research: Use keywords while searching for a new show. It could be “packaging podcast,” “podcast for barbers,” “family business podcast,” or “advertising podcast.” Pick words that resonate with what you’re looking for (if they’re a competent podcast, they’ll be working to rank for these words). Search engines on podcast platforms are still in their infancy, so if you’re not finding anything, pair your searches with Google.
- Talk to ChatGPT or Bard: If you aren’t finding anything that connects with you by searching on a podcast platform, why not have a conversation with generative AI? They can help lead you to a podcast with the right tone and topics. But as a reminder, it might not have any new podcast recs before 2019.
- Trial Run: Listen to the show’s trailer or scroll for an episode that stands out to you. On your next business trip or vacation, take some time to review your podcast list. Find the host, style, and topics that resonate with you. Usually, after 1-2 episodes, you’ll understand if the podcast will be valuable to you. If not, move on to the next one.
- Invest in the Community: Podcasts don’t end with the episode feed. Indie podcasts, especially business ones, have robust communities around their shows that allow their listeners to network. Research the podcasts that they have communities. If they are like-minded, then it might be a show to continue to listen to and support.
- Start Your Own Podcast: If you can’t find the podcast you’re looking for—why not start your own?
Get More Than a 30-Minute Episode
Now that you’ve found a collection of business podcasts for daily knowledge, you’ll need thorough training on subjects like productivity, Facebook ads, and starting an ecommerce store. Visit foundr+ for courses, community, and coaching, where you’ll learn from experts who’ve been there.
