Ed Elson’s Post

I love really well produced podcasts. Even if the content of the podcast is good, if the show is poorly produced it loses me. I’ve been listening to some really brilliantly produced podcasts that have had me hooked recently. I generally enjoy most shows from Wondery and their ‘Business Mover’s’ podcast does not disappoint! I just finished the 4-part series on the story of retail giant Macy's! Real innovators of their time, who understood the power of ‘theatre’ in the retail experience! Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dZAKp6dw Tenderfoot TV’s ‘To Die For’ had me hooooooked! The life story of a Russian ‘Red Sparrow’ and the world of sexpionage was fascinating! I’ve always been fascinated by the ‘charm offensive’ - why it works, how it works etc. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dKp2_jBr iHeartRadio’s ‘Creating a Con: The Story of Bitconned’ was another gem! It follows the story of how early bitcoin company Centratech was started and their fall. It’s crazy what these guys got away with but also not too surprising when you understand who typically makes it big in the start-up world and why they make it. Also made me think about the smoke and mirrors world of the Cape Town start-up scene 🫣 Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dUDggtyz Ed Zitron’s ‘Better Offline’ was a bit ‘shouty’ and not ‘overly produced’ but so well researched that it had me (ironically) Googling all the ‘villains’ in his 3 part series about the people and companies breaking the internet (if you listen to it, you’ll understand the irony). This one really made me question how useful Google actually is these days, given how far one has to search to get past advertising to find true value. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dvsvaGVN Love a good referral so if you’re listening to anything great right now, please drop a comment below.

Witness Publicis Sapient FSNA leader David Donovan's recognition in Tearsheet's Top Ten podcasts!!.. He recently shared insights in one of Top Ten podcasts of the year. 🎙️ Don't miss out on understanding Gen Z's expectations from service providers - delving into the interplay between their deep-seated values and financial considerations. 🚀 #LeadershipInsights #GenZExpectations #PodcastInterview

I just read a student reflection on a conference about this topic of "Imagine 2080". I had to share the related Podcast - as her insights were brilliant. Jesse Wente made the closing comments and ended with: Prepare for the future by keeping the things that are most important for whatever comes next, that in imagining our future we must remember the things that were done when we were here before".  Have a listen: https://lnkd.in/gB4ir-_Z

What does a brand get when it partners like a popular, general interest podcast network to produce their branded company podcast? Potentially they get one of the most recognizable voices in podcasting as the celebrity narrator of their show. - - - Smart Talks with IBM - - - The show has the combined pedigree of iHeartMedia Ruby and Pushkin Industries. A typical model when a brand works with a premium production company is that they are paying for the service of finding a singular host for the podcast that has the right mix of subject matter expertise, audio skills, and name recognition. What’s interesting with Smart Talks is that it taps into a range of audio talent from Pushkin. Malcolm Gladwell is of course the most famous voice at Pushkin, and in the episode I listened to about “Responsible AI” he acted as essentially a narrator or emcee more than host. He narrated some framing voiceovers that led into the longer sections with host Laurie Santos, from Pushkin’s Happiness Lab show. I thought the model worked quite well. The familiar sounds of Gladwell was a hook at the start of the episode, and then Santos’ hosting drove the rest of the episode. I can see this format working well for more brands, leveraging a mix of emcee and in-depth host and getting the benefits of both types of voices. - - - Got any other favorite branded company podcasts? They should be participating in Brands In Audio - a new directory exclusively of branded podcasts, plus show reviews like this and insights from the industry landscape. Head over to http://brandsinaudio.com to submit a show for inclusion in the directory! - - - 

Exciting stuff!! 🎉 Our CEO, Matt Beall has launched 2 separate podcasts! 📢 https://lnkd.in/eJpQ2BGR https://lnkd.in/ezhtG2yQ One podcast, "Limitless," explores a wide variety of topics that are of personal interest to Beall. The other, "Legacy," focuses on a range of professional topics centered around the Beall family business. Innovation and staying connected are critical. 🌎 Subscribe and listen in -- Links above! 🎧

After just two episodes of “The Contrarians with Adam and Adir”, we have broken into the top 50 business podcasts, according to Apple! 🤯 That feels kind of insane to be honest. But a nice intro to episode 3 which has just dropped. This week we talk about: 1. When and how will Booktopia make 💰 2. Maggie Beer Holdings’s becoming an e-commerce business and why their financial results are hard to understand 3. Whether there will still be any Airbnb homes left in Melbourne after a new law. I received positive messaged about our fundraising explanations in episode 1. So this week we use Maggie Beer to explain how write downs and earn outs can make profit look totally different. Let me know if it makes sense and is interesting. Plus lots of funny and insightful comments from Adam Schwab, as usual. I can’t post a link as LinkedIn throttles me when I do, but you can find it on all good (and some bad) podcast apps. 😂

Imagine a world where every voice can be heard, where stories and ideas travel through the air, reaching millions of eager ears. That’s the world of podcasting, a place that’s growing more vibrant each day. Picture this: in 2024, there are over 414 million different podcasts out there—think of it as 414 million unique conversations. And there are over half a billion people worldwide who are tuning in to listen, laugh, learn, and be inspired. That’s more than the entire population of South America, all listening to podcasts! In the United States, podcasts aren’t just a pastime; they’re a booming business worth billions—about as much as the entire movie industry makes in a year. And it’s still growing. Imagine every American, from the bustling streets of New York to the quiet towns of the Midwest, tuning in to eight different podcasts a week. It’s become as common as enjoying a morning coffee. This isn’t just a trend; it’s a revolution in storytelling. For anyone who has something to say, from the person with a microphone in their bedroom to the big studios, the opportunity is massive. The world is ready to listen. So, if you’ve ever dreamed of sharing your story, now’s the time. The microphone is on, the stage is set, and the audience is waiting. So, what are you waiting for? Press play on your dreams. Let's make "sound" waves together!

We often (not often enough 😢) brainstorm with Chaya Trevor about how to make our podcasts better. And recently, she shared a really cool blog post with me 👇🏻 It's written by Michael Nielsen, a scientist and programmer who started brainstorming the questions he'd ask himself before going on a podcast. "Most podcasts are boring because the interviewer is asking questions they already know the answer to, faking the role of an ignorant audience member. They're much better off asking questions they don't know the answer to, but genuinely want to know the answers to. One such genuine question, of shared interest, can often support many hours (or even a lifetime) of back and forth; but if they have no such questions, they have the wrong guest. This has many consequences. One is that they sometimes must explain a fair bit of background context for the audience. Second, it means that a well-prepared interviewer should not be asking questions designed to get their guest to restate things they've published – those ought to be presumed common knowledge. Rather, they will be asking frontier questions – clarifying and pushing beyond what's been published. This ought to feel exploratory, a bit wild. The most interesting questions for any person are often the questions they don't know to ask themselves, things in their creative blind spot. It follows that an interviewer ought to ask me much better questions than those above. But perhaps the questions are nonetheless useful as stimulus". I especially like the part about not making your guests restate their position that they already made public. However, I also think it's essential to remind the audience of the context and sometimes that means going over the stuff that's already been said. So what are the questions that you'd like to ask founders of SaaS companies when you listen to saas.unbound? Is there anything I'm missing?

What Are Your Top Five #Podcasts to Tune In To? Calling all #tech nerds and #comms people. Every January, I like to revisit the list of podcasts that I listen to. For me, it's easy to get into a routine and not look for new stuff, so January is the month I try and dig up new streams. Here is my current top five list: 🎙️NYT Daily - A great overall show, highlighting some of the most important tech, political and business stories from the The New York Times. 🎙️The Journal - More focused on business, power and money, this daily podcast from the The Wall Street Journal is concise, compelling and usually quick. 🎙️Throughline - An excellent weekly podcast from NPR that delves into current issues and traces this history of particular subject 🎙️Planet Money - Another NPR podcast, PM does a great job at tackling economic and financial issues in an easy-to-understand and sometimes funny way. 🎙️The Economist Podcasts - This group of podcasts includes shows on politics, economics and global tech issues. You get more if you subscribe to The Economist magazine, but the free content is pretty amazing. Any suggestions to add to this list? I'm all ears!

The job market is complex and nuanced. Staying informed on the topic requires constant attention. My friend Kevin Cooper and I have always enjoyed breaking down the data, looking at trends, and discussing these complexities at length. Just recently we've started recording our talks to share our insights with those that are keen on understanding the ever-changing landscape. So far, we’re on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Links below in the comments. Check us, we’d love to hear your feedback. Morgan Benjamin Search Group #jobs #economy #refineyoursearch