Podcasts are one of the best methods for learning something passively. Whether you’re commuting to work, traveling, passing time, or working out, podcasts provide a comfortable way to use your free time more effectively. And one of the most popular topics in 2024 is business development.
With the rise of side hustles and passive income strategies turning to full-fledged businesses, stay-at-home parents, young adults, and many others are looking for ways to learn the ropes and get some practical advice from successful business founders.
But with so many choices, you may find yourself scrolling through huge lists of podcasts. To help you narrow down your search, we’re here with a list of top 10 business podcasts.
10 Business Podcasts for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Most people don’t have the time to look for resources to help them improve their business or develop their ideas. Podcasts fit perfectly into even the most hectic schedules because we can enjoy them pretty much anywhere. Here’s our list of the top podcasts for entrepreneurs you should add to your list of favorites!
1. Masters of Scale
First on our best entrepreneur podcasts list is Masters of Scale. It’s hosted by LinkedIn’s co-founder Reid Hoffman, and it’s a must-listen podcast for aspiring entrepreneurs as it offers valuable insights from industry leaders on how to grow a startup.
Every episode features interviews with founders, CEOs, and innovators who share their experiences in scaling businesses. Perhaps a key aspect of this podcast is that often guests emphasize specific challenges they’ve encountered and more importantly, how they dealt with them, sharing valuable actionable advice.
The podcast often welcomes guests like Richard Branson (Virgin), Phil Knight (Nike), Susan Wojcicki (YouTube), and other big names. Talking about how businesses scale is not the only thing MoS covers. The guests share stories and strategies that helped them turn startups into international household names.
Some of the most notable episodes include “Airbnb’s Brian Chesky: Handcraft the Core Experience”, and “Mark Zuckerberg: How to Build the Future”, where the famous Facebook founder shares his perspective on long-term vision and navigating challenges.
2. Entrepreneurs on Fire
There’s no way to talk about podcasts for entrepreneurs without mentioning Entrepreneurs on Fire. The podcast is hosted by John Lee Dumas and is one of the most popular interview-based podcasts at the moment, with over 85 million downloads.
The interviews often feature strategies and inspiration to help entrepreneurs move toward their goals. Entrepreneurs on Fire has been around for a decade and featured over 2,000 guests, including Seth Godin, Neil Patel, Barbara Corcoran, and others.
The key topics that are covered in this podcast include mindset, marketing strategies, and overcoming obstacles. If it’s your first time hearing about Entrepreneurs on Fire, you can start with “True Underdog Podcast with Jayson Waller”. In this episode, Jayson Waller tells his story of becoming founding CEO of POWERHOME Solar. Another good starting episode is “The Path to 7-Figures in Sales” with Amy Porterfield, offering tips on scaling digital marketing efforts.
3. How I Built This
Hosted by Guy Raz from NPR, How I Built This is one of the most exciting and insightful podcasts for entrepreneurs of all time. HIBT takes the listeners through the ins and outs of the most famous companies. More importantly, the podcast offers valuable insight into which strategies work and which don’t.
With guests like Jack Conte, Steve Ells, Elisa Villanueva, and many other founders, How I Built This focuses on instilling the entrepreneurial spirit and concepts into its audience. Each episode talks about different challenges, breakthroughs, and lessons learned in building brands.
Some of the most famous episodes include “Sara Blakely: Spanx”, where Blakely shares how she turned a simple idea into a billion-dollar business. Or you can watch the “Howard Schultz: Starbucks” episode, which highlights Schultz’s vision of transforming a small coffee shop into a global powerhouse.
4. The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferris is a true “serial entrepreneur” and the author of incredibly influential books, including The 4-Hour Workweek, Tribe of Mentors, and Tools of Titans. The Tim Ferriss Show offers equally valuable insights into things that can help you succeed as an entrepreneur.
Furthermore, the show features interviews with world-class entrepreneurs, actors, scientists, and athletes. As a result, it’s full of useful business strategies, lifestyle hacks, recommendations, and tips.
Some of the guests include Vince Vaughn, LeBron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Sharapova, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and many more. Ferriss makes sure to extract valuable lessons from every guest, making this podcast a must-see for small business owners.
The famous “Ray Dalio: How to Build a Company Where the Best Ideas Win“ episode invites Dalio to discuss his principles for leadership and decision-making. Another great episode called “Jocko Willink: Discipline Equals Freedom” offers powerful lessons on leadership and accountability.
5. Smart Passive Income
If you’re into developing passive income streams, you’ve probably heard of Pat Flynn and the Smart Passive Income blog and podcast. You’ll find online business strategies, marketing tips, and income sources to keep you ahead of the curve, especially if you’re interested in building a remote business.
Pat Flynn has been able to support his family with different online businesses since 2008. More importantly, he’s been selflessly sharing his ups and downs with his followers. The Smart Passive Income podcast offers a great combination of interviews and special guests worth listening to.
SPI is a great starting point for anyone who wants to learn about passive income. In his podcast, Flynn shares his own experiences along with interviews featuring successful entrepreneurs.
Key episodes include “How to Build a Six-Figure Online Course” with Amy Porterfield, which looks into creating and selling digital courses with details about the ins and outs of the online business model, while “The Power of Podcasting to Grow Your Business” episode is where Flynn breaks down how podcasting became a major income stream for his own business.
6. Business Wars
Business Wars is definitely one of the best entrepreneur podcasts, that’s hosted by David Brown and produced by Wondery. This podcast approaches businesses from a more gripping perspective, exploring active rivalries between some of the world’s biggest companies.
All episodes are accompanied by narrative storytelling and delve deep into business strategies, innovations, and competitive tactics that define every business battle and rivalry. Active competition might not be part of your business goals, but learning about how other companies compete can provide you with invaluable advice.
Must-listen episodes include the “Netflix vs. Blockbuster” series, which talks about how Netflix’s innovation completely changed the movie rental industry. Or, there’s another great episode “Nike vs. Adidas”, which highlights the fierce competition that shaped the global sportswear market.
7. My First Million
My First Million is a highly liked and top-rated podcast hosted by Sam Parr and Shaan Puri. It’s a lively and insightful podcast where hosts brainstorm new business ideas, share success stories, and discuss unique strategies to generate income for anyone, including college students.
My First Million is an entertaining and engaging show that explores unconventional thinking with practical advice for any entrepreneur. So, if you’re looking for something more upbeat, this podcast may be the one for you.
Some of the most liked episodes include “How the Morning Brew Found Product-Market Fit”, where Alex Lieberman shares the journey of growing a media empire, and “The Rise of MrBeast”, which breaks down the strategies behind the sensational success of YouTube.
8. Side Hustle School
Side hustle seekers, this podcast is for you. Side Hustle School is hosted by Chris Guillebeau, a New York Times bestselling author. And here’s where Chris takes a unique twist, his podcast focuses on emphasizing the best tactics for starting a side hustle without quitting your job.
While most episodes are quite short compared to other shows, Side Hustle School broadcasts daily episodes that talk about real stories of people who have successfully established their side hustle ideas and turned them into profitable ventures. Guillebeau explains how these entrepreneurs started small, overcame challenges, and scaled their businesses.
If you’re interested in learning more, you can listen to “How a Teacher Earned $100,000 from Printables”, which talks about how to build a creative and scalable side income, or “How to Start a Podcast That Earns Money” – this episode gives step-by-step advice on podcasting as a business.
9. The School of Greatness
Most of the podcasts we talked about thus far focus on real-life experiences and tactics, but if you’d like to hear more about how to level up personally and professionally, you could try The School of Greatness.
This podcast is hosted by Lewis Howes, who makes sure to emphasize just how important the right mindset and motivation are to any starting entrepreneur. In his episodes, Howes organizes in-depth interviews with top performers across various fields, including business, sports, and entertainment.
Major topics range from success strategies to mindset shifts, and personal growth tips. The “Kobe Bryant: Mamba Mentality and the Mindset of a Champion” episode is a great motivational example, where the late basketball legend shares his approach to discipline and greatness. Or there’s “Tony Robbins: How to Master the Money Game” which provides powerful insights on financial success.
10. HBR IdeaCast
Last but definitely not the least on our list, we have HBR IdeaCast, produced by Harvard Business Review. While all other podcasts we mentioned in this article are mostly run by individuals or small companies, HBR IdeaCast is backed by Harvard and produces thought-provoking podcasts for entrepreneurs and business leaders.
If you watch any of their episodes, you’ll find that every episode shows interviews with industry experts, thought leaders, and successful entrepreneurs. These leaders typically share their perspectives and experiences dealing with pressing business challenges.
While the episodes produced by HBR IdeaCast may seem a bit deep, covering topics like leadership, management, and organizational behavior, they offer amazing industry knowledge. You can get started with “How to Lead During a Crisis”, where experts discuss effective strategies for navigating uncertain times in business development, and “The Future of Work: What Will It Look Like?”. This episode explores emerging trends in the workplace.
Every Journey Starts With the First Step
Over the years, podcasts have developed into one of the most effective and efficient ways to gain knowledge. All it takes is a single click, and you can get invaluable information from the world’s greatest entrepreneurs!
Oh, and while you listen to a podcast on your way to work or on that running track, try downloading Pawns.app to share your internet for extra money. It’s a great passive income source, so you’ll literally be making money while you’re listening to podcasts!
