Without a doubt, we’re living in the golden era of podcasting. Whether you like to listen on your daily commute, downtime over the weekend or in between meetings at your desk at work, there’s a growing stream of offerings uploaded daily from just about anyone with access to audio tools and a phonebook. The great thing is that the production values and quality of content are pretty high and just about every possible topic or subject of interest catered for. The tricky thing is choosing the right one to make your companion. It can be daunting – one download could send you reeling. So, whether you’re looking to expand your library or to subscribe to your first show, here are some of the best of the year so far that had me checking my phone, asking: “When is the next one coming?” I trust you’ll like them too..
The Dropout
Genre: True Crime (ABC News)
Duration: 7 episodes
If you love deep investigative inquiry, excellent reporting and superb storytelling, this is binge-worthy listening. This classic “rise and fall of” story is made even more compelling by the polished producers from ABC News who took a good three years of research and countless interviews to make it. It plays like a hot mini-series and I particularly enjoyed the unravelling of the episodes, as I wasn’t familiar with the story of Elizabeth Holmes – one of the most infamous entrepreneurs to come out of Silicon Valley. She was the prodigy behind a multi-million-dollar company in Theranos which, along with her radical blood-testing invention, was set to disrupt the medical industry forever. That is, if her invention worked…
The Hang With Gregory Porter
Genre: Music
Duration: 9 episodes
I’ve been following this exciting podcast since August this year and, as its title suggests, it’s an easy listen from multi-award-winning jazz musician Gregory Porter. I’m a lover of good music and great conversation, which is essentially what Gregory offers when he invites old friends to hang out, talk and even sing about various interesting conversations covering music, art, food, family, celebrity and sometimes politics. Actors, directors, producers and friends talk about life, as they (and we) know it.
Eat Sleep Work Repeat
Genre: Business
Duration: Weekly
Work. Work. Work. This is like a dose of inspiration, strategy and therapy for the daily grind. Whatever your connection to the workspace, small or big, you’ll find new ideas and thought-provoking topics, insightful guests and practical advice. A truly refreshing way to learn about finding happiness in the workplace culture and happiness in the workplace.
How I Built This
Genre: Business
Duration: Weeklky
As the title suggests, Guy Raz has crafted an amazing offering of narratives about the journeys of innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists (and the movements and companies they’ve built). It’s a long-form platform of in-depth interviews with top-notch guests – a business masterclass that makes compelling listenin
Exponential View With Azeem Azhar
Genre: Business
Duration: Weekly
Azeem’s brilliance in this podcast lies in intellectual discourse. “Exponentially insightful.” “Thought-provoking.” “Essential listening.” These are some of the superlatives listeners and subscribers have use to describe it. It deservedly scored top marks and, for me, was definitely a “Where have I been!?” experience when I stumbled upon it in August this year. One of the very few podcasts whose past episodes I enjoy repeatedly.