Too Many Podcast Options? I’ll Make it Easy for Ya
(Overcast screen shot by JT)
How would you like to be part of a little experiment? My buddy Dave and I are inviting you to try something if you're up for it.
We’re always recommending podcasts to each other. Or more specifically — recommending a particular podcast episode.
Here's an example. I'm a big fan of The Moment with Brian Koppelman. In his podcast, screenwriter Brian Koppelman interviews people about the pivotal moments that fueled their creative careers. I'd never mentioned the show to Dave until a few weeks ago when Brian's guest was Marc Andreessen.
Marc is one of the guys who created Mosaic, the first widely used web browser. He was the co-founder of Netscape. And now he's a partner in a big-time Silicon Valley venture capital firm.
As I listened to Marc talk about his journey, it occurred to me that, for the first time, I was listening to an episode of The Moment that Dave would appreciate. We've worked at a couple of tech startups together, and this episode is packed with stories and lessons about growing a successful company.
Getting podcast recommendations is easy. There are tons of charts, lists, guides, and enthusiastic friends out there. But when a show has dozens or hundreds of episodes — where do you start?
Do you jump in with the most recent one? Start at the beginning? Skim the library to see what looks interesting?
Any of those options can work. But it could be better if someone you know and trust said, "I think you'll dig this episode."
So in this post, Dave and I each recommend an episode of a favorite podcast. If you like our recommendations and want to get a couple more in your inbox next week, then you can sign up here.
Like I said at the beginning, this is just an experiment. It could be something, or it could be nothing. We might do it for the next two weeks or the next two years. We might provide recommendations on our own, or we might end up giving you a network of friends whose taste you trust.
But for now, we think you'll dig these two episodes:
Dave: "The Pilot and the Passenger," from The Way I Heard It — You know Mike Rowe best from Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch. This is his podcast featuring stories with an interesting twist. The twist in this episode is so good that Dave doesn't even want to give you a hint what it's about. "It's like explaining why you like the Sixth Sense," he said when I asked him to explain why this is his pick.
Listen on the podcast website
Listen on Spotify
Johnny: "Redemption and a Thirst for Change with Scott Harrison," from Chase Jarvis Live — Chase is a photographer and entrepreneur who believes the very act of making anything is a creative act. On his podcast, he digs into what makes some of the world’s top creative entrepreneurs, artists, and authors tick. In this episode, Scott Harrison talks about how what he learned as a nightclub promoter helped him build charity: water, which has given more than 9.5 million people around the world access to clean water.
Listen on the podcast website
Listen on Spotify
Bonus: The episode of The Moment with Brian Koppelman that inspired our experiment.
Listen on Stitcher
Listen on Spotify
Click here to put your name on the list if you want more recommendations next week.
And if there's a podcast episode you think we should know about, then use the contact form to let us know.
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