Smarter than your average ear

When I’m asked about why I’m such a podcast nerd, I say it’s because I love to learn new things in an easy and digestible way.

The medium of podcasts is intimate and deliberate. You can select your audio based on mood or duration, and it makes for a really conducive learning environment.

What I like to learn about isn’t academic, per se, it’s mostly anthropological, political, business insights, or how to approach a new skill.

A favourite this year has been How To! with Charles Duhigg. Duhigg is the author of The Power of Habit, a book that looks into why habits exist and how they can be changed.

In each episode, he looks at how to do a specific thing, and meets an expert in that field to guide him.

He’s goofy and intelligent, and very likeable, and the skills I’ve learnt (in theory) include how to rob a bank, withstand pain, look like a superhero, put down my phone, and survive a pandemic.

If it’s insider business acumen you are looking to learn more about, then look no further than Start Up from Gimlet Media.

This podcast started in 2014, when wannabe podcast mogul Alex Blumberg pitched his business idea to a Silicon Valley billionaire.

Start Up follows Blumberg and other business owners in a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to dream big and be your own boss.

Blumberg’s startup was Gimlet, a Brooklyn podcasting company.

The final series of Start Up has recently concluded, with episodes featuring Blumberg selling Gimlet to music streaming giant Spotify.

It is inspirational stuff and definitely a good way to finish the week a little smarter than you started it.