MetroMBA’s Favorite Podcasts of 2016
The sun setting on 2016 means that the holidays are here, of which now unofficially includes list week. Along with our favorite books and apps of the year, here are our favorite business podcasts for MBA students.
StartUp
Two years after leaving NPR to fund his own startup, Alex Blumberg’s StartUp has become an accentuating inside story to Gimlet—his, somewhat ironic, podcast collective. Co-hosted by Blumberg and Lisa Chow—formerly of FiveThirtyEight—StartUp is one of the channel’s 10 current shows, giving a light to how the company was founded, the struggles of maintaining a startup company and the stories of its founders and investors.
Unlike many other podcasts that focus on the startup world, Blumberg and Chow’s stories don’t jump from company to company. Rather, they give long and detailed examples from their own experiences. But the lessons widely vary, from learning how to manage a company and a child in season two, to being fired from your own company is season four. There’s a ton of lessons that can be learned in this kind of environment, but StartUp paints those lessons with a poignant, personal impression.
Entrepreneur On Fire
For those looking for a daily listen during their commute, Entrepreneur On Fire is perfect for a potential routine. Considering its volume (over 1,500 episodes), the show covers a significantly broader range of topics than some of the other selections on this list. From maximizing mentality, to rigorously updated social media strategies, EoF finds space for every possible need of a young business mind.
Planet Money
It’s more than fair to say that financial podcasts are often littered with incessant jargon. If you’re an MBA student or grad, you know the terminology better than most, but it doesn’t mean it’s not casually annoying. Planet Money, NPR’s most listened-to financial podcast, talks about the subject in a friendly, interesting manner, with stories that don’t read like a scheduled news ticker.
Harvard Business Review IdeaCast
Among the plethora of business-school hosted podcasts, Harvard Business Review IdeaCast reigns in terms of frequency and quality of production. Much like the Harvard Business Review itself, the podcast gathers together an array of celebrated guest features and interviews for welcoming, studious insight. If nothing else it provides one of the widest spectrum of topics on this list, making it interesting for any podcast-listener.
GirlBoss Radio
It’s hard to mistake the reality that much of the business, economic and finance podcasts out there are very male-centric. For a delightful alternative, turn to GirlBoss Radio, hosted by Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso.
Two years after Amoruso debuted her New York Times best-seller #GIRLBOSS her show has become a go-to for interviews and insight for female business leaders, offering an important perspective on the constantly-growing industry.
About the Author
Matthew Korman
Matthew Korman is a writer on MetroMBA. Since graduating from Rowan University with a degree in journalism and political science, Matthew has worked as a music industry writer and promoter, a data analyst, and with numerous academic institutions. His works have appeared in publications such as NPR and Sports Illustrated.
