4 Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should be Listening To "Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots" sure sounds intriguing. How about tuning in during your next commute?
By Thomas Smale Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
How do you spend the time it takes you to get from one place to another? Whether you're walking to lunch, commuting to work or traveling across the globe, you and other entrepreneurs should be thinking about how to make the most of these windows of time in your schedule.
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How to fill those windows? Listening to podcasts is a great way to stimulate the mind, learn from others, remain current with changes in your industry and stay inspired while you're going from place to place. Learning from the successes of others helps you get your creative juices flowing, and encourages you to look at things in a new light. It can also help you make productive use of the time that might otherwise be lost.
Tuning-in to listen to podcasts that cover subjects that might not ordinarily be organically involved in your day-to-day life can also inspire you to think more creatively. And that's good: Creativity can lead to innovation, and innovation to breakthroughs.
So, what podcasts should you subscribe and tune in to? Here are four suggestions.
1. For the software developer in you: "Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots"
Hosted by thoughtbot CEO Chad Pytel, the uniquely named Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots is a podcast that delves into various aspects of software development.
The tech world is constantly changing. As such, all entrepreneurs should be striving to keep up with it. Software can change overnight the way businesses are run. Even business ideas that can't be realized today could come to fruition as soon as technology enables more entrepreneurs to move forward with their plans. Additionally, what might be cumbersome and inefficient today could quickly become possible and even efficient tomorrow.
On this podcast, you'll hear from developers, designers and entrepreneurs in the software space. You'll learn about the latest developments in software that could enhance your business. With 250 episodes produced to-date, there is no shortage of content to sink your teeth into.
2. For the independent thinker in you: "Indie Hackers"
Courtland Allen hosts Indie Hackers, a podcast that features interviews with the founders of profitable businesses. So far, he has interviewed the likes of Nathan Barry of ConvertKit, Laura Roeder of MeetEdgar, Mike Perham of Sidekiq and Wade Foster of Zapier, to name a few.
"Indie hacker" is simply a term used to describe someone who earns money independent of an employer. Are you hacking your way toward independence? Then you'll appreciate hearing from successful entrepreneurs who had a vision for something great, and put the hard work in to build it.
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Whether you see yourself as unemployable, or you've always dreamed of earning your keep on your own terms, if the entrepreneurial spirit lives in you, Indie Hackers is a podcast that will offer a regular dose of inspiration as you travel the path to achievement.
No matter what you're looking to accomplish in your career, there are always challenges on the journey. Learning from the stories of others can help you remain on course, even when things become difficult and don't go according to plan.
3. For the creative thinker in you: "TED Talks Daily"
As you may already know, TED and TEDx conferences are held around the globe, and feature some of today's brightest and most forward-thinking minds in a variety of industries and fields. Whether you want to learn about what machines can learn from a school of fish, the secret lives of giant clams or how video games can help us build better cities, TED Talks Daily will deliver content that stimulates your creative mind and gets you thinking about problems differently.
Although it can be beneficial to listen to the success stories of entrepreneurs -- and you should -- that may not always be the best way to help you think outside the box. Creativity and innovation can change the way you do business, which can lead to more success. If you haven't been feeling inspired lately, TED Talks Daily can help you tap into different ways of thinking and, in the process, learn things you didn't know anything about.
TED Talks Daily episodes are generally five to 20 minutes long, making each episode easy to get through, and perfect for that walk to and from lunch.
For the Thought Leader in You: "HBR IdeaCast"
As of today, Harvard Business Review's HBR IdeaCast already totals nearly 600 episodes, chock full of insights and ideas that can help you make progress in your business. En route, the show has covered subjects like: finding your happy place at work, how the U.S. Navy is responding to climate change and how AI is changing business. The podcast also features interviews with the likes of Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook, author and professor Adam Grant, Satya Nadella of Microsoft and many others.
Much more than just another interview podcast, IdeaCast episodes provide context for the subject matter and tell a story, which makes them particularly engaging to listen to.
Many entrepreneurs out there are trying to build their personal brand and are working hard to become thought leaders in their space. Listening to IdeaCast should provide you a steady stream of new ideas, stories and examples to incorporate into your content, which can stimulate more engagement and interest in your efforts to establish yourself in a specific industry.
Become a thought leader in your own right by studying and pulling together examples from many industries and sources.
Final thoughts
Podcasts are convenient and engaging. We may go weeks without the time or patience to sit down and read an article or watch a video, but it's easy to put on a podcast while you're driving or just out running.This simple act can help you keep your mind sharp and help you learn about the latest developments in any field of your choosing.
Listening to podcasts is also an excellent way to stay up-to-date with your industry and uncover information that can help you take your business to the next level.
Related: 25 Top Podcasts That Will Spark Your Entrepreneurial Vision
Study is an important part of an entrepreneur's life. We should all aim to be lifelong learners, and never assume we know everything there is to know. Keep growing.
