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Our focus for this list of podcasts is on real stories about people from all walks of life that will get you thinking differently - which is the core of innovative thinking. You can easily Google search tech, theory, business models, and new methodologies, but it’s the real stories of people taking action where we learn the most.
You’ll find podcasts here that are specifically about innovation and entrepreneurship as an expertise, and also about how people are thinking and approaching problems differently in a wide variety of fields. From jeans that change your behaviour and how hydration became big business to the roles of referees in everyday life and what needs to be done to revive a dead brand. We’ve got your morning run covered with stories that will get your mind jogging too.
1. Monocle24: The Entrepreneurs
Media powerhouse, Monocle, presents The Entrepreneurs – weekly chats with the most interesting founders from startups to major corporations and their ideas for global business. You’ll hear about a synthetic diamond startup in Antwerp in one week and how Brian Chesky came up with the idea of Airbnb in another.
An episode we think you’ll like:
2. Against the Rules
Journalist and author Michael Lewis, whose book Moneyball was turned into a blockbuster hit starring Brad Pitt, peers into the roles people play that shape our world and how we go about it. Each of the three seasons tackles one theme at a time: Referees – who makes the rules and who enforces them?; Coaches – the people who guide us through the maze of life; Trust – experts in all fields and why it’s hard to judge who the real ones are. Expect to question everything you think you know.
An episode we think you’ll like:
3. Undiscovered
Science, as structured and methodical as it is, is also often down to luck. Sometimes it's the simple act of trying something within a construct that could lead to a breakthrough and that’s exactly what this podcast uncovers. From a strange device that keeps patients alive to how empathy for robots is highlighting the path for AI. This will inspire you to try even when you aren’t sure of what to do.
An episode we think you’ll like:
4. Sporkful
A podcast obsessed with food to learn more about people. How we engage with each other, behave in social situations, and find meaning in connection is often centred around a meal. Hear from restauranteurs, home cooks, top chefs, interior designers, and even economists who delve further into what eating means beyond filling our bellies.
An episode we think you’ll like:
5. The Pitch
Imagine being a fly on the wall whilst startup founders pitch their shiny idea in search of funding. How do they present their value prop? How much money are they asking for and how do they even ask that at all? This podcast literally puts a microphone in the room so you can learn from reality. This is not Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank which, let’s be frank, is about viewer entertainment.
“Real entrepreneurs pitch to real investors—for real money.”
An episode we think you’ll like:
6. What’s your problem?
How do you teach a car to think? How do you turn biological cells into tiny factories? Conversations about our world’s future with entrepreneurs, engineers, and other super-smart people – the problems they face and most importantly the journey to solutions. Expect your brow to be furrowed from curiosity in every episode.
An episode we think you’ll like:
7. How I Built This
A classic that’s included in everyone’s list of top podcasts for a reason: Guy Raz is the best interviewer in the world. He chats to founders of companies you’ve known your entire life and gets the story you’ve never heard to inspire your entrepreneurial efforts. The recurring insight: none of them knew what they were doing, they simply just did it and figured things out along the way.
An episode we think you’ll like:
8. Invisibilia
Are you in control of your decision-making? Quite an odd question to ask because everyone will immediately say “of course”. You probably know where we’re heading with this one. There are invisible forces that shape and guide our behaviour, from deciding to get a dessert at a restaurant to how the colour of your jeans affects your confidence to speak up. And all of this is based on scientific and peer-reviewed research. This podcast gets you to see more of your world through gripping storytelling.
An episode we think you’ll like:
9. Without Fail
Even though innovation and entrepreneurship are rooted in the successes borne from failure, it doesn’t mean that it’s an easy pill to swallow. Keeping with the theme of this list, it’s stories of real people doing hard things, hitting speed bumps and walls, and figuring out why it happened the way it did. You’ll hear from the likes of Lance Armstrong’s whistleblower, the first internet influencer, and someone whose job it is to bring dead brands back to life.
An episode we think you’ll like:
10. Wireframe
UX (user experience) is a whole lot more than where to place a button on an app. It’s essentially rooted in deep human needs and our mental adaptability to change. This podcast uncovers the stories about UX design and how it assists tech to fit into our lives. You’ll hear stories about whether an app can improve your sleep quality, and why people forget to unmute themselves on Zoom.
An episode we think you’ll like:
11. Over the air
Born from a collaboration between Very, a smart product development company and Fame, a B2B podcast services provider, comes Over the Air. What makes it great? It features entrepreneurs, executives and other expert guests having unfiltered conversations about overcoming everyday challenges and lessons learned throughout their journey. A great source for bold predictions and inspiring stories you won’t likely hear anywhere else.
An episode we think you’ll like:
If you listen to any other podcasts and think other corporate entrepreneurs need to get in on it too, let us know and we’ll add it to the list.
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Are you a corporate innovator looking for new ways to accelerate growth and create new revenue streams in 2022? We can help you define unique value spaces within your industry and find new revenue models within them.
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