Best Business Podcasts (and the Books to Pair Them With)

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There are thousands of business podcasts, and most of them are two guys agreeing with each other for ninety minutes. The good ones are rare. They either do serious research, get guests to say things they haven’t said a hundred times before, or both.

These are the eight I’d keep if I had to delete the rest. For each one, I’ve picked the episode I’d start with, plus the book that goes best with it. Because this is Podcast and Book, and that’s kind of the whole point.

Quick Glance

1. Acquired

Start with: “Nike” (Season 13, Episode 1). Listen to the episode

Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal spend weeks researching a single company, then talk about it for three or four hours. That sounds like too much. It isn’t. Their episodes on Costco, Nvidia, Hermès and Nike are better than most business books on the same companies.

The Nike episode is the perfect entry point because it pairs so neatly with one of the best memoirs ever written. Fair warning: it’s four hours. Spread it over a week of commutes.

Listen if: you love the full story of how a company really got built.

Skip it if: you want short episodes. None of them are.

The book to pair with it: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. Knight’s own account of Nike’s chaotic early years. Read it before the episode and you’ll catch a dozen details the hosts are clearly geeking out about.

2. Founders

Start with: #41, The Hard Thing About Hard Things. Listen to the episode

David Senra reads biographies of founders (Rockefeller, Edison, Estée Lauder, James Dyson) and tells you what he learned. That’s the entire format, and it’s addictive. He’s done hundreds of episodes and his enthusiasm hasn’t faded once.

It’s basically a book club run by the most excited person you know. You’ll finish most episodes wanting to buy the book.

Listen if: you want to learn from history’s great builders without reading 300 biographies.

Skip it if: you want interviews. It’s mostly Senra solo.

The book to pair with it: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. Ben Horowitz’s survival guide for the bad months. Senra’s episode pulls out the best lines, and the book fills in the rest.

3. How I Built This

Start with: browse the show’s founder interviews on NPR. Listen to the episode

Guy Raz gets founders to tell their origin stories, warts and all: the near-bankruptcies, the cofounder fights, the moment they almost quit. Spanx, Patagonia, Airbnb, Ben & Jerry’s. It’s the most human show on this list.

Episodes are well produced and easy to drop into, so just pick a company you’re curious about. That’s honestly the right way to start.

Listen if: you want inspiration and great stories.

Skip it if: you want frameworks or deep analysis.

The book to pair with it: How I Built This by Guy Raz. Raz turned the show’s best lessons into a book, organized by the stages of building a company. It’s the show distilled.

4. Lenny’s Podcast

Start with: “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy” with Richard Rumelt. Listen to the episode

Lenny Rachitsky interviews product leaders, growth people and the occasional legendary strategist. The episodes are long and tactical, the kind where you pause to take notes.

The Rumelt episode is one of his best, and a good example of what the show does: a big idea, explained in detail, with practical questions from someone who builds products.

Listen if: you work in product, growth, or tech strategy.

Skip it if: you’re outside tech. Much of it assumes that world.

The book to pair with it: Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt. The best book on what strategy actually is. The episode is almost two hours of Rumelt expanding on it.

5. Invest Like the Best

Start with: #174, Hamilton Helmer on Power and Business. Listen to the episode

Patrick O’Shaughnessy talks with investors, operators and founders about how businesses win. It’s smart, calm and dense. You’ll want to listen at normal speed for once.

Even if you never pick a stock, it’ll change how you look at the companies you work for and buy from.

Listen if: you’re interested in investing, or in what makes businesses last.

Skip it if: you want light listening.

The book to pair with it: 7 Powers by Hamilton Helmer. O’Shaughnessy calls it one of the best business books ever written, and this episode is a guided tour through all seven sources of power.

6. The Knowledge Project

Start with: #177, Shane Parrish: A Glimpse Into Clear Thinking. Listen to the episode

Shane Parrish, who runs Farnam Street, interviews people about how they think and make decisions. Guests range from CEOs to athletes to scientists. The questions are thoughtful and the show avoids hype completely.

The episode I’d start with is short: Parrish himself, previewing the ideas from his own book.

Listen if: you care about making better decisions at work and in life.

Skip it if: you want business news or tactics.

The book to pair with it: Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish. Parrish’s argument is that most bad decisions happen in ordinary moments, when emotion or ego takes over. The book shows how to catch them.

7. Masters of Scale

Start with: The Reid Hoffman Story, Part 2. Listen to the episode

Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn cofounder) tests a theory about growth in each episode, using stories from founders. It’s polished, almost like a radio show, and a little cheesy at times. The ideas are solid, though.

The two-part episode where Hoffman becomes the guest is the best place to start, since it explains where his whole worldview comes from.

Listen if: you’re building something you want to grow fast.

Skip it if: you’re bootstrapping a lifestyle business. Hoffman’s world is venture scale.

The book to pair with it: Blitzscaling by Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh. Hoffman’s argument for prioritizing speed over efficiency when a market’s up for grabs. It’s the book behind a lot of the show’s thinking.

8. My First Million

Start with: “Hormozi Teaches Me Everything He Knows in 90 Minutes”. Listen to the episode

Sam Parr and Shaan Puri brainstorm business ideas, talk about who’s quietly making money, and interview operators. It’s loose and funny, and it’s the show most likely to give you an idea you’ll actually try.

It’s also the least polished show here. Some episodes wander. When it’s good, it’s really good.

Listen if: you like side hustles, business ideas and entrepreneurs who talk numbers.

Skip it if: you want carefully researched content. Go to Acquired.

The book to pair with it: $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi. Hormozi’s guide to building offers so good people feel dumb saying no. The episode covers his newer thinking, and this book is where it all started.

Where I’d Actually Start

If you only add one show this week, make it Acquired. It’s the most impressive thing happening in business podcasting. Then add Founders for your shorter drives.

Lenny’s and Invest Like the Best are for when you want to get sharper at your job. My First Million is for when you want to get excited about starting something. And How I Built This is the one to share with a friend who doesn’t think they like business podcasts.

FAQ

What is the best business podcast for beginners?

How I Built This. The stories are easy to follow and you don’t need any business background to enjoy them.

Which business podcast is best for startup founders?

Founders, for lessons from history’s great builders, and Lenny’s Podcast if you’re building a tech product.

Are long podcast episodes worth it?

For Acquired, yes. The research is the point. Try one episode at 1.25x speed and see if you’re hooked.

Do I need to read the paired book before listening?

No. Listening first is a good way to find out whether the book is worth your time. If the episode grabs you, the book usually goes deeper.