A startup podcast is a great source of knowledge, tips, tricks, and hacks for anyone who is planning on starting their own company, or has already done so.
Let’s face it, life today is pretty busy. To-do lists have become a permanent fixture for most of us in the internet age. There’s always a million things to do, and there never seems to be quite enough time to get them done.
Enter the business startup podcast. They’ve become super-popular over the past few years, perhaps because they’re so easy to consume whilst completing other tasks.
You don’t have to have 4 college degrees or thirty years of experience in business for a startup to work out, but it is really important to look for advice where you can.
In this post, we’ll take a look at the 56 best podcasts for startups. We’ll break down why each one is great in its own way and who it’s great for, so you’ll be able to find the perfect startup business podcast for you in no time.
Table of Contents
What can you learn from a great startup podcast?
Rather than making simple mistakes that are easy to avoid, it makes sense to listen to experts and the people who’ve done it before.
Each startup podcast on this list is great for different reasons. And choosing which one to invest your time in is a matter of finding the one that speaks to you.
Lady Startup Stories, for example, focuses on female entrepreneurs and how they can meet the challenges that women face in business.
Masters of Scale is a popular startup podcast that features interviews with founders of massive companies like Facebook and PayPal that began as startups.
Business Wars is a business startup podcast that focuses on the stories behind some of the biggest rivalries in big business throughout the decades. Pretty handy if you’ve got any competitors!
Each entry on the list offers a different take on this topic, but all of them feature at least some of the following:
- Interviews
- Thought leadership
- Coaching
- Pitfalls to avoid
- Tips on everything from marketing to company structure
There’s enough combined knowledge on this list to answer pretty much any question you could think of about the world of business and startups.
The Best Startup Podcast List
Without further ado, here’s Klint Marketing’s list of the 56 best podcasts for startups.
They’re arranged in alphabetical order rather than ranked from best to worst… the podcast that is best for you depends on what sort of business you’re in or what format you enjoy best!
Acquired
Best For: Tech and software
- Available on: Apple | Google
- Hosted by: Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal
Acquired is a business startup podcast that focuses on stories around tech and software acquisitions. The podcast has a monthly listener base of 100,000, and boasts over 3 million downloads.
If your startup focuses on technology, software, or applications, Acquired is pretty much essential listening. It features analysis and interviews about some of the largest success stories and worst failures of all time in the tech startup space.
Featured guests include the founders/CEOs of companies like:
- Eventbrite
- Electronic Arts
Podcast Type: Thought Leadership/Interviews
No. of Episodes: 130
B2B Startup Sales
Best for: Sales Departments
- Available on: Google | Apple.
- Hosted by: Manuel Hartmann/Various
If you’re interested in a startup podcast that focuses primarily on sales, B2B Startup Sales is a great choice. Featuring weekly interviews with a variety of experts, the show presents tactics and advice for improving sales in the B2B market.
B2B Startup Sales is produced by SalesPlaybook, a Swiss based sales consultancy founded by Manuel Hartmann, who sometimes hosts the podcast.
Some of the episodes of B2B Startup Sales focus on:
- Sales funnels
- Cold calling
- The value of customer feedback
Podcast Type: Guest Interviews
No. of Episodes: 44, weekly
Bootstrapped Web
Best for: SaaS, E-Commerce, and web based startups
- Available on: Direct | Apple.
- Hosted by: Brian Casel & Jordan Gal
Bootstrapped Web is a weekly business startup podcast series by Brian Casel and Jordan Gal that focuses on how to build a profitable company online. The show features conversations between the two entrepreneurs, as they discuss the trials and tribulations of creating something out of nothing.
Running a bootstrapped startup that has no external funding is extremely challenging, but Bootstrapped Web offers some fantastic ways to succeed.
There’s only 25 episodes available on Apple Podcasts, but the series has been running since 2013. The full collection can be found on the duo’s website.
Bootstrapped Web offers a variety of insightful content, with episodes focusing on:
- The importance of positivity when building a business
- How to develop a launch strategy
- How companies can use their social media profiles for marketing
- Whether to focus on bugs or customers when building an Saas startup
Podcast Type: Conversations
No. of Episodes: 25 on Apple store, weekly
Breaking into Startups
Best for: Tech
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Soundcloud.
- Hosted by: Ruben Harris, Timur Meyster & Artur Meyster
Breaking into Startups focuses on implementable advice on how to change career or develop your skillset. It predominantly looks at the tech industry, and features interviewees such as Gary Vaynerchuck, Dan Rosensweig, and even a congresswoman (Barbara Lee).
The show’s website handily breaks up their content into the sections like Design, Founders, and Customer Success. As there’s 126 episodes, this is a thoughtful tool if you have a particular area of interest.
Breaking into Startups has reached over 3 million people on social media, and regularly features interviewees from non-traditional backgrounds who broke into the tech world.
If you’re interested in this sector, Breaking into Startups is a must-listen. Episode highlights include:
- Episode 114, which features the CEO of Promise discussing how to take control of your career.
- Episode 107 with Rich Smith, a college dropout who became a Senior Engineer at Netflix
Podcast Type: Interviews
No. of Episodes: 126
Brighton Startup
Best for: UK-based entrepreneurs, stories of highs and lows.
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Kristina Pereckaite
A relatively new startup podcast that’s only been broadcasting since 2019, Brighton Startup is nonetheless a fascinating listen that focuses on stories from the startup capital of the UK, Brighton.
Featuring interviews with a wide range of guests, host Kristina Pereckaite discusses the highs and lows of developing your own business with the people who’ve been there and done it.
Brighton is sometimes referred to as “silicon valley by the sea”, and the series does feature many tech and online businesses. However, there are a plethora of different startups represented and the topics discussed are broad.
Episode highlights include:
- Refsix, Waiting for the Perfect Storm
- Fitta Mamma: Creating the single best resource for pregnancy fitness
Podcast Type: Interviews
No. of Episodes: 28
Business Wars
Best for: Business rivalries, how to beat competitors
- Available on: Direct | Google | Spotify.
- Hosted by: David Brown
The excellently named Business Wars is a business startup podcast produced by Wondery that examines the biggest rivalries in business and extracts the lessons that can be learnt from these stories.
Business Wars is one of the most popular podcasts around, with over 15 million downloads by the end of 2018.
The podcast takes the form of narration and interviews, and in some ways is similar to a short audiobook.
Each rivalry is broken up into multiple episodes and focuses on some of the titans of the business world, such as Netflix, Uber, and Facebook.
Startups will not experience exactly the same problems and issues as companies like McDonalds and Burger King. But the stories of how these household names clawed their way to the top can certainly provide insight that is equally applicable to smaller businesses.
Pretty much every startup will have competition, so Business Wars is definitely not to be missed.
Episode best picks:
- Netflix vs Blockbuster
- Uber vs Lyft
- Sony vs Nintendo
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 150+
Creator Lab
Best for: Eclectic advice
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Bilal Zaidi
Creator Lab is a startup business podcast that features interviewees from a really broad range of industries. Educators, artists, and performers appear on the series, along with business leaders and tech founders.
Along with tips that relate to business, Creator Lab takes a fairly humanistic approach to its content, with some episodes focusing on mental health and holistic entrepreneurship.
Hosted by Bilal Zaidi, the series is great for startups who are after more general advice, and advice that isn’t solely limited to business.
Guests include:
- Sam Parr, from The Hustle
- Jane Lu, from Showpo
- Get Out actress Erika Alexander
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 68
Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders
Best for: A really wide range of topics
Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders, or ETL for short, is a long running business podcast series from Stanford University that covers a really broad range of topics.
Each of the 390 episodes and clips features a different guest speaker.
Some episodes are more focused on research, while others emphasize different ideas and concepts within the world of business.
Many of the podcasts are recorded clips of Stanford guest speakers appearing at the university, and the series lacks a regular host for this reason.
The information and talks that appear in ETL are highly insightful, and this series is a great option if you’re looking for a broad range of advice that’s backed by research.
Episode highlights include:
- David Rogier of MasterClass
- Vlad Tenev of Robinhood
- Raj Kapoor of Lyft
Podcast Type: Guest speakers & thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 390
Expert Dojo’s Art of Startup War
Best for: Investment advice
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Soundcloud.
- Hosted by: Brian Mac Mahon
Produced by Santa Monica-based startup accelerator Expert Dojo, The Art of Startup War is a startup podcast show that’s hosted by the company’s founder Brian Mac Mahon.
As you would expect from a startup accelerator, the podcast features highly practical and insightful advice on how young companies can go about getting investment.
The Art of Startup War is released weekly on multiple platforms. Some of the back catalogue focuses on general advice, while more recent episodes include startup founders showcasing their work.
Episode highlights include:
- How to find corporations that will invest in your startup
- Whether you should begin your startup solo or with a partner
- How to scale your startup
Podcast Type: Guest interviews, discussions
No. of Episodes: 184
Founders and Friends Podcast
Best for: Tax and Finance tips
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Soundcloud.
- Hosted by: Scott Orn
Founders and Friends is a weekly startup business podcast hosted by Scott Orn, the Chief Operating Officer of Kruze Consulting. Kruze is a consultancy that specializes in startups, providing advice on accountancy, finance, tax and HR.
Orn, and the series in general, is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the areas in which the company works. However, it also features practical tips on other areas of startup building.
Each episode features a different guest interviewee, from startup founders to venture capitalists and advisors.
Featured guests also include:
- Technology recruiters
- Real estate professionals
- Attorneys
Podcast Type: Guest interviews, discussions
No. of Episodes: 191, weekly
Founders Talk
Best for: Software and app startups
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Adam Stacoviak
Founders Talk is a weekly startup podcast hosted by Changelog founder Adam Stacoviak. Changelog is a member-supported blog, newsletter, and podcast producer that exists to “enrich the lives of developers”.
With a strong tech focus and championing open source, Changelog produce a variety of podcasts that concentrate on different aspects within this field.
Founders Talk is a selection of interviews with tech startup founders.
If you’re thinking about setting up a business in software or apps, Founders Talk is an excellent resource of advice and knowledge.
Episode highlights include:
- Mastering the art of quitting
- Leading data driven software teams and products
- From dropout to CEO of Sentry
Podcast Type: Guest interviews, discussions
No. of Episodes: 82
How I Built It
Best for: Practical advice
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Google.
- Hosted by: Joe Casabona
How I Built It involves chats with startup founders about how they built their tech businesses, products, and services.
The startup podcast provides listeners with insights into pitfalls to avoid and top tips to utilize. There’s also actionable advice on how you can use tech to your advantage to promote and improve your business.
Host Joe Casabona has a background in freelance web development and a masters degree in computer science, so is well versed in the concepts around the industry.
Episode highlights include:
- Why Your Business Needs Financial PLanning to Survive
- Making Your Website Accessible
- Trending on LinkedIn
Podcast Type: Guest interviews, discussions
No. of Episodes: 215
How I Built This
Best for: Big name interviewees, the human story behind businesses
How I Built This is a hugely popular startup business podcast, with monthly downloads averaging 19.2 million.
Guy Raz, a journalist who’s been described as “one of the most popular podcasters in history”, hosts the weekly show that interviews a different business leader each week. It’s proved so popular that it’s even inspired a spin-off book.
The series is renowned for its down-to-earth and accessible approach to business, creating content that is packed with information and presenting it in an easily digestible manner.
Produced by National Public Radio, How I Built This focuses on the human side of business. The world’s most successful business leaders impart their business acumen at the same time as describing their high points and low points.
Episode highlights include:
- Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales
- Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, of Ben & Jerry’s
- AirBNB’s Joe Gebbia
Podcast Type: Guest interviews, discussions
No. of Episodes: 323, weekly
How To Be an Entrepreneur, Startup Radio
Best for: E-commerce and online businesses
- Available on: Apple | Blog Talk Radio.
- Hosted by: Scott Fox
How To Be an Entrepreneur is a startup podcast that crams heaps of info in. Hosted and produced by Scott Fox, an entrepreneur, angel investor, best-selling author, and business coach, the series features a plethora of advice and guidance specifically tailored to startups.
The podcast focuses primarily on the world of e-commerce and online marketing, and it features guests and Q & A sessions with callers.
How to Be an Entrepreneur is a recorded version of a live show, and complements Fox’s wide range of online services aimed at educating and assisting startup founders.
Episode highlights include:
- SEO: Your Questions Answered
- Outsourcing Success Secrets
Podcast Type: Guest interviews, coaching
No. of Episodes: 117
Idea to Startup
Best for: Early stage startups
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Ben Scordato
Idea to Startup is the perfect startup podcast for those who’ve come up with a great idea, but aren’t too sure what to do next.
The series is produced by Tacklebox, an accelerator that specializes in providing guidance for individuals who would love to found a startup but are currently working in a different job.
The extremely well-reviewed episodes are fairly short and manageable – usually 15-25 minutes – and cover a really broad range of topics, alternating between interviews and solo episodes dissecting tactics.
Episode highlights include:
- How to get your first 1000 customers
- How to choose the right customer
- Is your startup good?
Podcast Type: Guest interviews, coaching, thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 64
Indie Hackers
Best for: Being part of a network
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Cortland Allen
Indie Hackers the podcast is produced by Indie Hackers the website, a page dedicated to creating a community of independent businesses and the self-employed. The site sets out to provide networking opportunities to those who don’t work for an employer, and the podcast reinforces this.
The startup podcast features weekly interviews with those who have set up their own businesses or turned side projects into their main revenue stream. Each interviewee shares their story and offers advice to those in a similar position.
The website also acts as a resource platform for entrepreneurs who are looking for partners, help brainstorming, or just general advice.
Episode highlights:
- Persisting through failures to find a winning trend
- The right way to talk to people about your business
- Quitting it all to find your passion
Podcast Type: Interviews and discussions
No. of Episodes: 205
Inside Intercom Podcast
Best for: SaaS, tech, marketing
Produced by fast-growing software startup Intercom, the Inside Intercom Podcast features interviews with SaaS founders, marketers and project managers.
If you’re not aware of Intercom, they produce a conversational relationship platform that allows businesses to personalize their customer interactions.
This startup podcast is full of pragmatic, absorbing content that focuses on design, marketing, and project management in tech companies.
If your startup operates within these industries, Inside Intercom is a treasure trove of knowledge that will help you to push your business forward.
Episode highlights include:
- How customer feedback informs what we ship
- Everything we’ve learned about scaling sales
- Slack’s Ceci Stallsmith on marketing your product platform
Podcast Type: Interviews and discussions
No. of Episodes: 279, weekly
Lady Startup Stories
Best for: Female entrepreneurs
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Georgia Love
Lady Startup Stories is a startup business podcast produced by Australian media organization MammaMia. As the name suggests, the series features interviews and discussions with female entrepreneurs who’ve started their own businesses.
Guests come from a diverse range of industries, and detail how they overcame some of the challenges that face small business owners.
Creating a startup can be difficult for anyone, but it’s made more difficult for women due to societal pressures. Producer Mamma Mia aims to “make the world a better place for women and girls”, and Lady Startup Stories certainly aids in that cause.
Episode highlights include:
- What happens when Madonna buys your candles?
- The 5 best and (1) worst reasons to start a business
- How to quit your dream job
Podcast Type: Interviews and discussions
No. of Episodes: 92
Masters of Scale
Best for: Big name guests
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Reid Hoffman
The guestlist of Masters of Scale reads like a list of the most famous startups and brands around – Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Netflix founder Reed Hastings. Presenter Reid Hoffman is himself a startup founder, launching LinkedIn with four friends back in 2002.
Unsurprisingly, Masters of Scale is an extremely popular startup podcast that features fascinating insight from some of the world’s most successful business men and women. It’s also committed to a 50/50 gender balance for guests.
The series covers themes like leadership, strategy, and management, all essential aspects of business to master for a successful startup.
Episode highlights:
- Mark Cuban: What investors really look for
- Tyra Banks: Personal brand power
- Be a painkiller AND a vitamin, with Clara Shih.
Podcast Type: Interviews and discussions
No. of Episodes: 179
Mixergy Startup Stories
Best for: Hidden gems
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Google.
- Hosted by: Andrew Warner
Mixergy is an online learning platform for entrepreneurs that’s run by Andrew Warner, who founded a multi-million dollar company with his brother in the early 2000’s.
Mixergy provides resources for entrepreneurs and startup founders in the form of interviews and paid courses, featuring big name guests from companies like Wikipedia, LinkedIn, and Groupon.
The Startup Stories Podcast is a selection of some of the interviewees that feature on this course, and focuses specifically on lessons that apply to startups.
It’s definitely worth checking out the Mixergy website as well, as there’s access to over 2000 video interviews related to business.
The series has a fair few hidden gems in its back catalogue. There’s an episode with the AirBnB founders circa 2010, before the company became really huge.
Also released in 2010 is an episode featuring Steve Huffman, one of the founders of Reddit, who at the time was lamenting his decision to sell the internet giant to Conde Nast. Huffman is now CEO.
Podcast Type: Interviews and discussions
No. of Episodes: 50
Optimal Startup Daily
Best for: Regular bitesize episodes
- Available on Direct | Google | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Dan Weinberg
The Optimal Startup Daily podcast is produced by Optimal Living Daily, a niche podcast producer.
Essentially, they create an audio recording of the best blogs and posts on the web, with author permission and attribution of course. In this way, they’re able to produce episodes every day for 6 different series.
Optimal Living Daily is a really clever idea. Rather than focussing on original content, which is obviously time consuming and expensive to produce, the team record short (approx. 10 minute) daily episodes on a variety of topics – using 3rd party content.
Optimal Startup Daily is the group’s series that focuses exclusively on content that relates to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
If you prefer listening to reading on your morning commute, Optimal Startup Daily is the place to go.
Episode highlights include:
- How to turn journal ramblings into viral articles
- How to steal and get rich
- 10 more reasons you need to quit your job right now
Podcast Type: Narration/Readings
No. of Episodes: 205
Powderkeg – Igniting Startups
Best for: Tech, talent search
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Soundcloud.
- Hosted by: Matt Hunckler
Powderkeg is a networking and job search platform catered to tech based startups in the States. Their eponymous Powderkeg startup podcast features a variety of guests speaking about their experiences within the tech and software world.
The series features tips and advice for those starting their own business, as well as information for job searchers who are looking for a fresh challenge.
As such, the Powderkeg podcast is a great shout for startups within the tech industry who are looking to expand and hire their first employees.
The podcast is hosted by Powderkeg CEO, Matt Hunckler.
Episode highlights include:
- How to build your dream network from home
- Attracting the greatest talent
- How to build an unstoppable company culture
Podcast Type: Interviews/Discussions
No. of Episodes: 161
The Product Startup Podcast
Best for: Inventors and startups producing physical products
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Kevin Mako
The Product Startup Podcast is the best place to go if your new business is developing a physical product rather than a website or service, and it’s the development industry’s most popular podcast.
The series is hosted and produced by Kevin Mako, founder of Mako Design + Invent, who specialize in turning an idea or invention into something you can find on a store shelf.
Each week, Mako interviews someone connected to this field, be it an inventor, designer, mechanical engineer, investor or patent attorney.
The Product Startup Podcast aims to shed light on what can be a complicated process, providing advice on manufacturing, marketing, selling, scaling, and more.
Episode highlights include:
- Tips from the world’s biggest crowdfunding agency
- How to pitch your product to retail stores
- Launching a product with $500 and no industry knowledge
Podcast Type: Interviews/Discussions
No. of Episodes: 74
Rocketship.fm
Best for: A broad range of topics
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Google
- Hosted by: Michael Sacca, Mike Belsito
Rockeship.fm is a popular business startup podcast that achieves around 20,000+ downloads a month.
Described as “essential listening for entrepreneurs, product managers, and anyone working in tech today”, the podcast is split into different seasons that focus on different topics.
These range from Product Journeys to Workplace Confessions.
There’s a broad range of concepts covered, from product management and funding to culture and sales, and the series has been featured and sponsored by Inc., Forbes, and The Huffington Post.
Episode highlights include:
- We F*cked Up: Stories About Product Mistakes
- Building Products People Want
- Workplace Confessions: I Don’t Know What I’m Doing
Podcast Type: Thought leadership/ Discussions
No. of Episodes: 490
Rogue Startups
Best for: Bootstrapped startups
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Dave Rodenbaugh & Craig Hewitt
With so many businesses coming up with new ways to grow their product and cut costs, it can be hard to keep up.
Whether you are a startup, part of a big company, or just trying to start your own venture, there are new ways of growing your company every day.
Rogue Startups is a business startup podcast where experts in the fields of sales, marketing, and product development share their methods on how they’ve grown their business.
Rather than weekly interviewees, hosts Craig Hewitt and Dave Rodenbaugh discuss their own startups and speak about lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid.
Both Hewitt & Rodenbaugh run bootstrapped startups, so if you’re in a similar position, this series is a good shout.
Episode highlights include:
- A few rants and some business
- Mastering marketing attribution
Podcast Type: Thought leadership/interviews
No. of Episodes: 201
SaaS Startup Stories
Best for: SaaS
- Available on Direct | Apple.
- Hosted by: Scott Dudley
Saas Startup Stories interviews the CEO’s of software companies, asking them questions to give Saas startup founders insight into what to expect from running their own company.
The series is hosted and produced by Scott Dudley, an Australia-based entrepreneur who helps companies break into the US market through qualified outbound sales appointments.
Throughout the interviews, Dudley endeavours to help entrepreneurs start and scale a SaaS business.
If you’re looking to start your own SaaS business, this business startup tpodcast is a great source of information.
Episode highlights include:
- Measuring and improving search engine visibility
- How to identify gaps in your customer journey
- Everything you need to know about getting your Saas business valued
Podcast Type: Interviews and discussions
No. of Episodes: 26
Savvy Startup Podcast
Best for: Female startup founders
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Listennotes
- Hosted by: Irene Moore
The Savvy Startup Podcast is hosted by Irene Moore, a UK-based marketing expert and serial entrepreneur who’s worked with brands like L’Oreal, Dior, and LVMH. The podcast is produced by her mentorship programme for female entrepreneurs, The Savvy Startup Club.
The Savvy Startup Podcast is conducted as a series of interviews with female startup founders and industry leaders, with a strong emphasis on diversity and providing a platform for female and minority voices.
Moore’s expertise in marketing, PR, and sales generation is apparent throughout the series, but it also features fascinating discussions with interesting guests.
The show is geared towards a female target audience and is a highly useful resource for women considering starting their own business, but there’s also plenty of useful information that’s just as applicable to men.
Episode highlights include:
- How to ‘Gram Like a Boss with Maggie Colette
- Launching a Winning Website with Cassandra Ewert
- Crowdfunding for Black Female Founders with DamiLola Soyoye
Podcast Type: Interviews, discussions, thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 39
She Did it Her Way
Best for: Female entrepreneurs
- Available on Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Amanda Boleyn
In the weekly She Did It Her Way startup podcast, host Amanda Boleyn delivers fresh content on productivity hacks and different business strategies, and offers advice on how to confidently transition out of the 9-5 and become a full-time business owner.
The series covers the ins and outs of starting a business and what to expect when taking the leap into entrepreneurship, and combines this with a holistic approach.
It features interviews with guests like podcast producer Amy Porterfield, marketing entrepreneur Jenna Kutchner, and author Lori Harder.
She Did It Her Way has been downloaded millions of times and has been featured in publications like Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur.
Episode highlights include:
- How to Build Your Online Presence
- Becoming Your Own Superwoman with Nicole Lapin
- Why It Pays to Be Brave with Angie Lee
Podcast Type: Interviews, thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 461
Slow & Steady
Best for: Bootstrapped startups
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Brain Rhea & Benedikt Deicke
Slow & Steady is a weekly business startup podcast series produced and hosted by Brian Rhea and Benedikt Deicke, and it features the two sharing their respective journeys developing their own bootstrapped startups.
Deicke describes working on SaaS business Userlist with two other co-founders, and Rhea relates his experiences running solo on a product to combat loneliness on remote teams.
Creating a startup requires a lot of work, creativity, time, and effort. As the hosts say: “Slow and steady wins the race”.
This is a podcast startup businesses will find extremely informative.
Slow and Steady stresses the importance of time and research in creating a successful startup, and is a valuable source of information for those considering setting up their own business.
Episode highlights include:
- Quality of Life
- What to Focus On?
- Launch Failure
Podcast Type: Discussions, thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 89
Startup Diary
Best for: Bootstrapped startups
- Available on: Acast | Apple
- Hosted by: Adam Callow & Harrison Mudge
The Startup Diary is produced and hosted by two entrepreneurs in Birmingham in the UK. Adam Callow and the excellently named Harrison Mudge are both senior figures at the startup that Callow founded, Expert Trades.
Expert Trades provides website and software solutions for trades people, and this startup business podcast covers the trials and tribulations of starting a business from day one.
Both of the hosts are likeable and affable individuals, and the conversational interview format of the pod allows this to shine through.
Episode highlights include:
- An Extension of the CEO
- Business Politics
- Being a task monkey instead of a CEO
Podcast Type: Discussions, interviews
No. of Episodes: 448
Startup for Startup
Best for: SaaS
- Available on Spotify | Direct
- Hosted by: Various, Eran Zinman, Lior Krengel
Startup for Startup is a platform for startups to share insights, experience and knowledge, and the Startup for Startup podcast is an extension of this.
The platform and the podcast are both produced by Israeli productivity software giant monday.com. Each weekly episode discusses a different challenge that the producers faced when building their startup.
It’s hosted by a selection of monday.com staff, including founders Roy Mann and Eran Zinman, and while some episodes are only available in Hebrew, there is also a large English catalogue.
This is a great startup podcast to listen to if you’re building a SaaS business and you’re looking to learn from entrepreneurs who’ve been hugely successful in this field. That said, there’s also large chunks of information that are equally applicable to all startups.
Episode highlights include:
- How to bounce back from losing a massive deal
- Leveraging company values to create channel alignment
- How to define KPIs for CSi teams
Podcast Type: Interviews, thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 106
Startup Grind
Best for: Advice for every industry
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Chris Joannou
Startup Grind is the largest community of founders, entrepreneurs and innovators in the world. Collectively, their content reaches over 3.5 million people around the world, and the platform offers networking events, conferences, and talks in multiple cities around the globe.
The goal of Startup Grind is to provide resources and education for startup founders to build, grow, and scale their businesses, and the Startup Grind Podcast serves to further this aim.
The series takes the form of a series of interviews with CEOs, founders, and thought leaders, who convey valuable lessons and insights for the benefit of listeners.
The Startup Grind community is an invaluable resource for budding entrepreneurs, and the podcast is well worth a listen regardless of which industry you’re trying to break into.
Episode highlights include:
- How to Build Trust in the Era of Fake News
- Breaking out of a Niche to Break into New Markets
- How to Break a Monopoly
Podcast Type: Interviews, thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 164
Startup Health Now
Best for: Health and Wellness Industry
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Steven Krein & Unity Stoakes
The essential podcast for health and wellness startups. Startup Health is an investor and accelerator for startups in the health sector, and Startup Health Now features a ton of super useful information for those looking to break into this field.
The series is hosted by the founders of Startup Health, Steven Krein & Unity Stoakes, and each week they interview a founder within the industry, who describes their product and the challenges they’ve overcome in creating it and selling it.
Startup Health has a thoroughly commendable mission: “to invest in a global army of entrepreneurs to solve 11 health moonshots”. These moonshots include improving Access to Care, Mental Health and Happiness, and Women’s Health.
Episode highlights include:
- The Surprising Secret to Doctor.com’s Success
- David Feinburg of Google Health
- How Top Athletes are Investing in the Future of Health
Podcast Type: Interviews
No. of Episodes: 300
Startup Hustle
Best for: A broad range of topics
- Available on Direct | Apple | Stitcher
- Hosted by: Matt Decoursey & Matt Watson
When a startup is born it’s often met with a lot of excitement. The founders have big ideas and are ready to implement them.
The problem is, most startups don’t last long enough to see the fruits of their labour. This happens for a multitude of reasons; from lacklustre advice and planning, to just plain bad luck.
Startup Hustle is a hugely popular startup podcast that aims to change this. With over 1.5 million downloads, the series takes the form of interviews and discussions around different topics within the startup world.
It’s hosted by Matt Decoursey and Matt Watson, the co-founders of software development startup Full Scale, and with over 500 episodes there’s a really wide range of topics covered.
Episode highlights include:
- How to Land Big Clients
- Gen Z Marketing
- Taking Initiative
Podcast Type: Interviews & Discussions
No. of Episodes: 588
Startup Life Show with Ande Lyons
Best for: Coaching
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Podimo
- Hosted by: Ande Lyons
Startup Life brings you real stories from startup founders and the folks who fund them and help them.
Host Ande Lyons explores strategies and solutions, insights and inspiration through conversations with business owners who fought their way through the high level of uncertainty and often insurmountable challenges of a startup.
Lyons is a serial startup founder and offers useful advice and training to her listeners. The series takes the form of recordings from Lyons’ online live show, and her infectious enthusiasm certainly makes for powerful content.
Episode highlights include:
- When to Raise Money for your Startup
- The Unexpected Entrepreneur
- Don’t Be Caged by your Age
Podcast Type: Interviews & Coaching
No. of Episodes: 116
Startup Microdose
Best for: Expert knowledge
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Ed Stephens & Oliver Jones
Startup Microdose is a thought-provoking startup podcast on entrepreneurship that seeks to democratize knowledge from business leaders.
The UK based pod is hosted and produced by Ed Stephens and Oliver Jones, who met whilst working at the Angel Investment Network. Through their work, they regularly spoke with investors and startup founders, and wanted to provide access to this rich vein of experience for everyone.
Startup Microdose is in an interview format, with guests from businesses like Huel, depop, and SpareRoom. Both hosts have their own quirks and an easy-going manner, which is one of the things that makes this podcast so interesting.
Episode highlights include:
- Scott Omelianuk – Editor in Chief at Inc. Magazine
- Julien Callede, MADE.com – How to Break It to Make It
- Andy Shovel & Pete Sharman – The Beginning of the End for Meat?
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 49
Startup Nightmares
Best for: Horror stories to learn from
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Tal Shmueli
Startup Nightmares is a podcast created to inspire people who work in the startup innovation ecosystem to do their best work and avoid the pitfalls that others have made.
There are always going to be ups and downs with startups, and it’s important to learn from the downs. One of the best ways to do that is to listen to the mistakes that others have made and avoid them.
The podcast is filled with mistakes that startup founders and entrepreneurs have made in the past, and is compelling listening. The pod captures the human fascination of “things that go wrong”, and packages it into a format that allows founders of startups to take lessons from it.
Episode highlights include:
- Generosity: A Business Model
- Building a Time Machine
- Demystifying Innovation
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 42
Startup of the Year
Best for: Global trends
- Available on: Direct | Apple | TuneIn
- Hosted by: Frank Gruber
The Startup of the Year Podcast is one of the most comprehensive podcasts about startups, and it aims to create a global dialogue for those who want to learn more about startups and other topics related to entrepreneurship.
In the show, startup founders and entrepreneurs are interviewed about their business, providing listeners with an inside look into their lives and how they built their companies.
The podcast is produced by Startup of the Year, a “global competition a network established to elevate and support startup founders”. It also highlights newsworthy stories and global trends affecting startups.
Episode highlights include:
- Ideas That Change the World
- Funding Strategies
- Startup Insight and Pointers
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 53
Startup Selling: Talking Sales
Best for: Sales strategies
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Podtail
- Hosted by: Scott Sambucci
As a startup, there are a lot of questions you need to ask yourself in order to become successful. One of the most important is how to engage customers.
Author and host Scott Sambucci shares his experiences and insights on how startups can develop a successful sales process and strategy. Startup Selling is one of the few podcasts around to focus primarily on sales for early-stage B2B startups.
Scambucci also provides valuable advice on customer development, building relationships, and team building, and couples this with interviews with industry experts.
The series is produced by Salesqualia, a platform that aims to “help startups grow through the free exchange of ideas”.
Episode highlights include:
- Listening for Sales
- The Selling Formula
- You are not alone – why we do this
Podcast Type: Interviews & coaching
No. of Episodes: 122
Startup Survival
Best for: Research-backed advice
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Listen Notes
- Hosted by: Peter Harrington
Startup Survival is produced and hosted by Peter Harrington, who also produces the Business Hitchhiker blog. Harrington has over 30+ years of experience with startups and achieving growth.
Throughout the series, experts take you through every step of the process of starting your own company in a rapidly changing economy, and an emphasis is placed on providing research-backed advice.
The interviewees share their personal experiences and advice on how to achieve success with a small business, and this engaging and fact-filled production is inspiring and imaginative in equal measure.
The Business Hitchhiker blog is also a valuable resource for budding entrepreneurs.
Episode highlights include:
- What Startup Success Really Means
- Building Trust
- Effective Communications
Podcast Type: Interviews & coaching
No. of Episodes: 21
Startup Therapy
Best for: Candid advice
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Wil Schroter & Ryan Rutan
In Startup Therapy, hosts Wil Schroter & Ryan Rutan talk about the intense struggles startup founders face both personally and professionally as they try to turn their idea into something that will change the world.
The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with struggles, but it’s important to remember that even if your idea is met with challenges, it is never too late to find success.
The series is produced by Schroter & Rutan’s company startups.com, an educational and resource platform for founders that helps startups launch.
Startup Therapy takes the form of discussions between the two hosts, who analyse and expand upon the lessons they’ve learnt whilst building startups and offering advice to others.
Episode highlights include:
- Never Tell People How Much Money You Have
- Treat Departing Employees Like Future Employees
- What To Expect in the First Year
Podcast Type: Discussions and thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 104
Startup to Last
Best for: Software businesses
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Podtail
- Hosted by: Rick Lindquist & Tyler King
In the world of software, change is a constant. You need to be able to quickly adapt to new trends in order to survive.
If you want to keep your business going for a long time, you need to make sure that it is constantly adapting and improving.
Startup to Last is the perfect guide for how to build software businesses that are meant to last.
Hosted and produced by two software startup founders, the series takes the format of discussions between the two rather than interviews.
This allows Startup to Last to use a more structured format than would perhaps be possible when speaking with interviewees.
Episode highlights include:
- Is Building an Audience Worth It?
- The First 100 Customers for a B2C company
- How to Know When a Product is Minimally Viable
Podcast Type: Discussions and thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 96
Startup Rad.io
Best for: Startups in Germany
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: Joern “Joe” Menninger
With so many sources of news and advice for the startup world, it can be difficult to stay up to date on what is happening and who is in the spotlight.
Startup Rad.io is an English language podcast that provides you with information on what is happening in the German startup scene.
It includes the most important news, who is speaking about what, and what is going on in the world of startups. You’ll also get an idea of what is coming next for startups in Germany.
This series is pretty much essential listening for those building a business in Germany, or those who want to expand into the European powerhouse.
There’s a broad range of topics covered, and whilst the emphasis of the pod is on Germany, many of the issues discussed are applicable worldwide.
Episode highlights include:
- How to Headhunt Tech Talent
- Pythia Forecasts the Next Trend in Consumer Products
- How a 125-year-old Company Turned Itself Into a Digital Platform
Podcast Type: Interviews & thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 255
Startups for the Rest of Us
Best for: A comprehensive look at SaaS startups
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Rob Walling
Startups for the Rest of Us is a great option for those who want pretty much every topic in the world of startups covered. Host Rob Walling has impressively produced an episode of the pod every week for the last 10 years.
With a background in SaaS startups, Walling is extremely knowledgeable about this area, and the huge back catalogue of episodes (many featuring former co-host Mike Taber) covers pretty much every angle of the sector.
Unsurprisingly, Startups for the Rest Us is one of, if not the, longest running SaaS startup podcast series in the world, and is a great option for bootstrapped or mostly bootstrapped founders searching for insightful content.
Episode highlights include:
- How to Launch A Product into a Mature Market
- Calculating Lifetime Value
- The Absolute Bare Minimum you should Know About Segmenting your Email List
Podcast Type: Interviews, founder stories, thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 549
The Growth Show
Best for: Actionable advice in a friendly format
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Meghan Keaney Anderson
Produced by marketing and sales software giant Hubspot, The Growth Show is a startup business podcast that explores the inspiring stories behind how entrepreneurs have grown their businesses and developed their ideas.
The series features interviewees discussing how they have grown their companies, and each episode features actionable tips and a sensible structure.
Meghan Keaney Anderson, host and Hubspot’s Vice President of Marketing, creates a light hearted and friendly atmosphere for the pod that makes for easy listening, and it’s easy to see why it’s generated such a strong following.
Episode highlights include:
- Your Next Insurance Agent is a Bot
- MoonPie’s Social Eclipse of the Heart
- Stop Looking Up To Workaholics Who Look Down On You
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 208
The Reboot Podcast
Best for: The human stories behind businesses
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Jerry Colonna
Reboot focuses on the human stories behind businesses. Life as a founder or CEO can be pretty lonely at times.
The series does a great job of not only providing business tips, but also encouraging interviewees to describe their state of mind and how ups and downs made them feel.
Listeners get a sneak peak into the lives of startup founders as they work to turn their spark of an idea into a profitable business.
The pod has achieved rave reviews from the likes of Forbes and Andrew Warner of Mixergy, and is capably hosted by Jerry Colonna, an author, professional coach, and venture capitalist.
Episode highlights include:
- We’re All Carrying Something
- Investing in Trust
- Chasing Purpose
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 160
The Startup Junkies
Best for: Comprehensive strategies
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Jeff Amerine
The Startup Junkies podcast interviews business owners, entrepreneurs, and experts to create a show that helps the audience to overcome the obstacles to growing a successful business.
The series is produced by Startup Junkies – who provide mentorship, one-on-one consulting, capital, and talent at no cost to entrepreneurs.
It covers topics like getting started, planning, growing a business, proving a concept, leadership, marketing, exit strategies, and more.
Startup Junkies provides a comprehensive deep-dive into the issues that new entrepreneurs can really struggle with, and as such it’s a worthwhile listen for those exploring the possibility of running their own business.
Episode highlights include:
- Preparing Founders for a Successful Launch
- Sales and Marketing Go Together Like PB & J
- Who Wants to Clean their Own Trash Cans?
Podcast Type: Interviews & thought leadership
No. of Episodes: 246
The Startup Operator
Best for: English language startups in India
- Available on: Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Roshan Cariappa
The Startup Operator is essential listening for businesses who are looking to set-up, expand, or create links with the Indian market.
Whilst the show covers topics that are relevant to all entrepreneurs, it features many Indian entrepreneurs discussing news and advice specific to the country.
The series is an opportunity to get the best advice from founders, operators, and investors on what they do best and what they see as important.
Numerous strategies are discussed, and it’s a great way to gain some perspective on your own startup – whether it’s based in India or not.
Episode highlights include:
- Investing in Enterprise Tech
- From Founder to Investor
- Common Business Mistakes
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 90
The Startup Playbook Podcast
Best for: Insightful interviews
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Rohit Bhargava
The Startup Playbook Podcast features weekly interviews with entrepreneurs and investors within the startup world.
The series’ objective is to provide listeners with “insight, practical steps and a “playbook” to give [founders] the best chance to succeed in [their] own business”.
The Startup Playbook Podcast is a valuable tool for entrepreneurs who are attempting to start or grow a business, or even achieve investment.
A wide range of guests appear on the show, including Paul Naphtali of Rapmersand Venture Capital Fund, Justin Dry of Vinimofo, and angel investor Shelli Trung.
Episode highlights include:
- Alex Ziccaria on viral growth
- David Shein on legendary customer service
- Mina Radhakrishnan on frameworks for decision making
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 158
The Startup Story
Best for: Fascinating interviews
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify.
- Hosted by: James McKinney
The Startup Story is a podcast startup founders will love. A weekly series that features interviews with some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.
With over 85,000 monthly listeners worldwide, host James McKinney aims to give listeners the courage to take their first step into the world of startups.
Each interviewee discusses their early beginnings in business, and McKinney’s impactful interview style extracts valuable insights and content from these business leaders.
McKinney has a history of working with startup accelerators, having been a Chapter Master for Startup Grind, who also feature on this list.
Episode highlights include:
- Kara Goldin, founder of Hint
- Adam Robinson, founder of GetEmails
- Michael Coles, founder of Great American Cookie Company
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 126
The Startup to Scale Up Gameplan
Best for: Software and SaaS scaling
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Gary Reeman
The Startup to Scale Up Gameplan provides insights from successful entrepreneurs and VCs, creating a step-by-step game plan for scaling innovative technology ventures.
It is important to learn from the successes of others and apply them to your own business. Whether you are an entrepreneur venture capitalist, this podcast is filled with good information that can help you find success.
The series is hosted by Gary Reeman, the UK-based Managing Director of SaaS recruitment agency AlpinaSearch.
Episode highlights include:
- Tech scaleups: Making a difference to society & the environment
- Creating a revolutionary new product category
- How to raise $20m for your blockchain startup
Podcast Type: Interviews & discussions
No. of Episodes: 74
The Sweaty Startup
Best for: Those without a “groundbreaking” idea
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Nick Huber
The Sweaty Startup is an entrepreneurial toolkit for startups that includes a step-by-step guide for success.
The podcast is designed to provide startup founders with the resources they need to take their business from concept to reality.
It’s filled with the principles, strategies, and methods used to grow successful companies.
The series is hosted and produced by Nick Huber, a self-made millionaire who “believes the Shark Tank and Tech Crunch culture is ruining the real spirit of low-risk entrepreneurship.”
Huber thinks that it’s completely possible to found a successful business without coming up with a completely new idea, and made his fortune with a pickup and delivery storage company for students.
The Sweaty Startup is a really good option for those who want to set up their own business but don’t have the “next greatest idea”.
Episode highlights include:
- Are you working hard or working smart?
- Businesses I hate
- How Twitter supercharged my career in 30 days
Podcast Type: Thought leadership/ interviews
No. of Episodes: 239
The Tim Ferriss Show
Best for: Big name guests
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Tim Ferriss
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the first business/interview podcasts to surpass 100 million downloads (it now has over 600 million). The series is extremely wide ranging, and it’s a podcast startup founders and CEO’s find equally useful.
In each episode, Ferriss interviews world class performers from a variety of areas, including business, sport, the arts, and investing. Previous guests have included Peter Thiel, Hugh Jackman, and Maria Sharapova.
The interviews are open, relaxed, and have minimal editing. This provides listeners with raw and insightful discussions, and there are certainly important business lessons that can be learned from such successful interviewees.
Episode highlights include:
- Tony Robbins on Achievement versus Fulfillment
- Arnold Schwarzenegger on Psychological Warfare
- Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify – Habits, Systems and Mental Models for Top Performance
Podcast Type: Thought leadership/ interviews
No. of Episodes: 517
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital
Best for: Funding advice
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Harry Stebbings
In today’s world, there are many business ideas and concepts that can benefit a lot of people. But, how do you know what will be the next big thing?
The answer lies in finding out what the most prominent investors are looking for in startups.
The Twenty Minute VC is a business startup podcast that gives valuable information on the current market and provides easily actionable steps on how to increase your chances of getting funded.
The series is the world’s largest independent venture capital podcast with over 100,000 listeners, and host Harry Stebbings is the founder of UK-based seed stage fund Strike.
If you’re looking for funding or are just interested in the way the venture capital industry works, The Twenty Minute VC is the perfect choice.
Episode highlights include:
- Robinhood Founder Vlad Tenev
- Etsy CEO Josh Silverman
- The Future of Subscription Media
Podcast Type: Interviews
No. of Episodes: 768
This Week in Startups
Best for: The tech industry
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Spotify
- Hosted by: Jason Calacanis
This Week In Startups is a weekly roundup of the best, worst, most ridiculous and most fascinating stories from the world of entrepreneurship.
The series features a rotating panel of guests that join angel investor and host Jason Calacanis in assessing the week’s news, and particular emphasis is placed on the tech industry.
Calacanis adds a straightforward and amusing slant to the content, and there are some decent strategies for expanding your business, plus vital tips for startups large and small.
Episode highlights include:
- Robinhood Founder Vlad Tenev
- Etsy CEO Josh Silverman
- The Future of Subscription Media
Podcast Type: Interviews, discussions, news
No. of Episodes: 300
Zen Founder: Startup. Family. Life
Best for: Mental health when running a startup
- Available on: Direct | Apple | Listen Notes
- Hosted by: Shelley Walling, Rob Walling
Zen Founder is a podcast and community that seeks to help entrepreneurs thrive and improve their mental wellbeing.
The platform was set up by Shelley Walling, a licensed clinical psychologist. She’s sometimes partnered in the hosting chair by her husband Rob Walling, a serial entrepreneur and investor.
Walling dispenses with advice not just on how to run a business effectively, but how to run a business happily. She has many years experience helping founders and entrepreneurs who are suffering from burnout.
If you’re running your own business and it’s all getting a bit too much, check out this podcast.
Startup founders sometimes find that running a business can be a lonely position, and this series seeks to help them through the low points that can occur.
Episode highlights include:
- Speaking Your Truth to Heal and Grow
- The Case for Hope
- Happy Startups with Carlos and Laurence
Podcast Type: Interviews, discussions
No. of Episodes: 278
Conclusion
Setting up and running a successful business is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding professional accomplishments there is.
Whilst it’s therefore important to listen to advice, you should always be selective about the advice you choose. At the end of the day, no-one knows your business better than you.
Finding a broad range of advice from a variety of sources, be it through your connections in the world of entrepreneurship, through books, or through a business startup podcast, is key.
It wouldn’t be possible to listen to every single startup podcast that’s been mentioned here. But by checking out a few and sticking with a couple that you like, you’re improving your chances of making better decisions in the future. You’re also reducing your chances of making mistakes that you later regret.
Founding a startup is an exciting journey, and one which can be extremely fulfilling. If you’re considering taking the plunge, or have already done so, get listening to a startup podcast on this list to find out how to make the most out of your new adventure!
Whether you’re an e-commerce entrepreneur and you’re not too sure how to create the best ads, or a software startup that’s stuck on SEO, Klint Marketing can help.
We know all about the struggles of being a startup…because we are one! Drop us a message today to see how we can help revolutionize your marketing strategy.
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