This American Life.<p>I've learned so much about how other people lives through years of listening to this podcast / radio show. I've literally been in tears during a few episodes, or busting out in laughter at others. One episode about kids who've lost their parents at a young age really helped me connect to my partner.<p>(Edit: My partner lost her father at a young age. This isn't a topic that most people feel comfortable discussing, even with someone close. The episode came on during a road trip and she broke into tears and turned off the radio because it was bringing back so much emotion. Later I asked her about if her experiences matched that of the people on the show, and she said yes.<p>So I went back and listened to it on my own and I felt like I learned a lot about her from listening to others share their experience.)<p>Plus, I think it taught me what it means to be a good, compelling story teller.
The GiantBombcast.<p>It's a video game show, and I doubt anyone else will list it here. With respect to #SelfImprovement or #Productivity, it hasn't helped me at all.<p>But every week, GiantBomb offers me more than enough audio and video content on the latest video games. I don't get to play as much anymore because of life, but GiantBomb's general vibe reminds me of reading EGM and GamePro back in the 90s. And keeping up with their content makes me feel like I did when I wanted to read every magazine and GameFAQs page I could to keep up with the latest news.<p>And the cast is a group of generally great people. Who over time, feel like friends in a conversation you're just not able to speak up and participate in.
EconTalk.<p>Early in my career, I was a regular listener to three tech podcasts: Java Posse, StackOverflow podcast, and Software Engineering Radio. All three were valuable to my career in different ways, but EconTalk has most affected the way I think.<p>For those who aren't familiar, the host of EconTalk is a professor of economics, so many of his conversations revolve around the world of economics, but since economics touches a lot of things, he ends up talking to a diverse group of people. He is very good at admitting his own bias on the one hand, and then argue against it on the other hand.<p>Also, I found History of Rome valuable - it's an interesting story, but it also helps cure the chronological snobbery of assuming that our times are vastly different from others.
<a href="https://samharris.org/podcast/" rel="nofollow">https://samharris.org/podcast/</a><p>Sam's podcast.<p>The goal of finding the _best_ answer, not _your_ answer changes the conversation completely.<p>If you want to see clear thinking in practice, this is where you should spend your time.
I can't say I've listened to many podcasts that have been influential in the sense of improving my career or productivity, but I've listened to a few that I enjoyed a whole lot.<p><i>Startup</i> by Gimlet Media is quite good. I <i>really</i> enjoyed the first season.<p><i>Dan Carlin's Hardcore History</i> is a fun dramatic reading of all sorts of history. I've heard it called "pop history" as a jibe, but I think that's a pretty good description for it. History as action novel makes a little more sense than history as staid recollection.<p><i>Cocaine and Rhinestones</i> is a personal favorite right now. I love country and folk music, and it's all about the formation of modern country music, and the people and influences that shaped it.
Software Engineering Daily was the first software podcast which, for me, sparked my interest and delved into technicals but also explained the simple things. At the time I was feeling rather like a novice even though I had a BS in Computer Science, but this podcast really got me excited and made me feel like I was learning what was out there; what was possible to explore. While I still don't understand everything, the broad sweeping topics are great for sparking certain ideas or improving overall understanding of software engineering topics.
Joe Rogan definately. Not even a competition. The long format with interesting people is hard to beat. I love how he doesn't try and smear people when he does the interviews. Of course, I don't listen to every episode but he releases them so often so there is always something interesting to hear about.<p>Joe Rogan is how journalists should be like.
In no particular order:<p>The Fundamentalists (Two roommates in LA, a philosopher and a comedian.) Why? A little bit of Freudian outlook on life is super useful. Especially good if you too have Religion Issues.<p>The Ezra Klein Show (His recent one with Kate Manne was stellar.) Why? Several feel like they've really changed how I think about things.<p>Pete Holmes' You Made it Weird (You'll need to pick and choose. Try the recent Conner Habib one, or Penn Jillette. Or anyone you're interested in.) Why? On his podcast, Pete's schtick is that he dives right in and asks people about God, and beliefs, etc. It's enlightening to hear people's experiences and journeys.<p>Just for fun:<p>The Adventure Zone (start from the beginning, and give them a couple of episodes to stop being juvenile idiots). Why? It's inspiring to see people going all-in on creativity and have it pay off, and their family dynamic is so kind yet hilarious.<p>Eaten by a Grue (just kidding, but you should listen to it :-)
Radiolab, specifically "The Rhino Hunter" (<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/rhino-hunter" rel="nofollow">https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/rhino-hunter</a>)<p>Made me realise that I'm not qualified to hold an opinion on... well, almost anything. This completely changed the way I think.
My Brother, My Brother, and Me.<p>No other podcast has helped shape my humor and general positive outlook on life. I know that a lot of the fans of the podcasts fall into the trap of just repeating the jokes and phrases from the podcast over and over, but if you avoid doing that you'll hopefully find you humor being more cheery and light-hearted than it was before. The brothers all seem like genuinely good dudes who try their best to be as good as they can be. Their related podcasts are good too. The Adventure Zone is a great (comedy) DnD podcast (now on other TTRPGs) that they play with their dad. Despite the controversy around the other host, Cool Games Inc. was a surrealist humor podcasts about riffing on game ideas submitted by listeners. There are many more, and most of them are solid.
- The Dave Ramsey Show: Dave is not for everyone, for one he is an absolutist and is very religious and politically conservative, but his advice is very simple when it comes to personal finance and provided a solid base for me to learn more about the fundamentals of personal finance. Plus his callers are a great deterrent from doing stupid things with money.<p>- Marketplace w/ Kai Rysdall: Pound for pound the best economics podcast out there, does a really good job with balancing micro and macro economic trends.<p>- The Weeds by Vox: Fantastic job of getting into policy details, the hosts are pretty liberal (especially Matt Yglesias) but if you can stomach it you'll learn a lot about the details of policy, especially healthcare.
The a16z podcast tends to provide a ludicrous amount of information and insight on many topics. While many podcasts have interesting hosts, a16z is the least produced, and the most information-dense. They ask the right questions, as you'd expect from those at a solid VC.<p>For example, the latest episode with Novartis' CEO was an hour of really detailed info on the future of medicine, and the hosts (as always) did a great job of tying technology into the conversation.<p>It usually makes my head hurt after like 20 minutes, but in the best possible way. :)
No Agenda. I was looking for something different after starting to get burned out from Tech news stuff a few years back. I enjoy the deconstruction of media coverage and events that they do especially when its stuff that the media isn't covering because they are too busy with "Trump did/said today" sensationalism that has taken over the media as of late.
EconTalk.<p>It covers everything. It has helped me sharpen my decision making.<p>It exposed me to Paul Graham, which eventually led me here [0].<p>It is a collection of conversations, the quality of which is unmatched by anything else I’ve come across.<p>[0] <a href="http://www.econtalk.org/graham-on-start-ups-innovation-and-creativity/" rel="nofollow">http://www.econtalk.org/graham-on-start-ups-innovation-and-c...</a>
Easily the How I Built This podcast. Entrepreneurial without the Silicon Valley kool-aid or being too mainstream. Guy is an excellent interviewer and a very entertaining host. And I love how it focuses on a variety of different startups, from Cisco to Starbucks. You definitely have to catch one of his live shows.<p>Runner-ups: radiolab, TIA, a16z, recode, knowledge project.
This year definitely jockopodcast. Really helps to put a lot of stuff in perspective.<p>If you are interested in rock climbing and enjoy british/ Irish humour jamcrack podcast is entertaining.<p>Also desert islands discs, not a podcast but episodes going back decades with everyone who's anyone on the BBC website
Cortex and Hello Internet: cortex has very much shaped the way I physically operate (work ethic/process etc.), HI has shaped the way I mentally operate (although that mostly came from a select few episodes, most of them were just entertainment).
I mostly listen to podcasts just for fun, but weirdly enough, Mac Power Users. It's a long running podcast about using Apple products and their native software productively.<p>I like that it's run by non-engineers - seeing people that don't program be more productive than me using just apps and their own smarts is very cool. I've learned a lot of tips and found very good native software through it.<p>Of course, if you're not invested in the Apple ecosystem, it's probably not for you. Same with The Talk Show, Accidental Tech, Connected, and AppStories.
The Weeds, by Vox, and Why is This Happening, by MSNBC. Both of them take an hour to explore one topic, usually related to politics or a cultural moment. But it's not just a summary of recent news; they go back into history and provide context from different sides of an issue.<p>They're staffed by people who are well read and bring much needed nuance to a lot of discussions. I learn something fascinating every time
<i>The Enormocast.</i> interview format with the who’s who of rock climbing.<p>the craig demartino “and then i amputated my leg” episode is harrowing, the two-part hayden kennedy episode about cerro torre and the kompressor route is amazing, the lynn hill interview is wonderful, and he got honnold too.<p><i>On Being</i> is hit or miss but the interviews with rep john louis, bishop tutu, eugene peterson, nadia bolz-weber have all stuck with me.
I really enjoy Sam Harris's 'Making Sense' (formerly 'Waking Up' podcast).<p>He invites experts on various topics and has informative conversations with them. Some are about scientific topics such as climate change and others are more about personal stories and explorations of thoughts such as recently with Stephen Fry.<p>Sam's business model is also very exemplary: no ads and the podcasts are free. He has the luxury of having many supporters who donate so that he can keep doing what he is doing and some side businesses like meditation app. What this means is that he doesn't need to shy away from difficult topics and can have more honest conversations on those without some advertiser getting cold feet.
Akimbo, by Seth Godin (<a href="https://www.akimbo.me/" rel="nofollow">https://www.akimbo.me/</a>)<p>What I find amazing about this podcast is how it makes you think culture as a fundamental piece of bringing the change to the world.
I have three to recommend:<p>1. Filkcast. A relatively new podcast by a friend of mine, diving into the world of "filk" music. As a filk musician myself, I think it's wonderful, and it's introduced me to a lot of new music. If you already know/love filk, it's terrific. If you don't know it but like science fiction/fantasy and folk music, you might find something new to love!<p>2. Hardcore History. Long-form history studies (4-5 hour episodes, with multi-episode series often stretching over 20 hours). The one-off "Celtic Holocaust", about Ceasar's invasion of Gaul, is a good start to get a feel for how it works. The epic "Blueprint for Armageddon", about WWI, is my favorite (and the most bleak). Very much enjoying the current series, "Supernova in the East" (the rise of Imperial Japan, culminating in WWII).<p>3. Philosophize This! Hour-ish long episodes of the history of philosophy, each episode centered on a particular philosopher or related school of them (sometimes a few episodes for particularly important figures). Starts with the earliest ancient Greeks, and builds forward to almost the present day (recent episodes have covered recent concepts like semiotics, and thinkers like Jean Baudrillard and Michel Foucault.
I was a (somewhat) early adopter of listening by way of this American life.<p>I love a bunch posted here already.<p>Around 2 years ago I subscribed to the audio edition of the economist. Now, I have no time for podcasts but absolutely LOVE the economist and cannot recommend it enough.
History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps by Peter Adamson. Told chronologically for the layperson, with consistent tone and running jokes about Buster Keaton. An ambitious project, valuable resource, relaxing, illuminatung, and logical.
Build & Analyze with Marco Arment & Dan Benjamin<p>Not because it was insightful and entertaining (though it was) but because it was the first tech-related podcast I listened to and inspired me to create my first iPhone app which got me a job.
This is a hard question to answer because there are two possible interpretations to this question. The first is that is asking only for podcasts that have made a significant impact on your life. The second is to simply go through your podcasts and pick the one that has impacted your life the most, however small.<p>I'll answer according to the latter.<p>--Astonishing Legends has stretched my mind with the unexplained and opened me to the possibility of greater realities beyond what I immediately see.<p>--The Lawfare podcast (and Renato Mariotti's On Topic) has given me a (mostly) level headed and legal on-going discussion of the Trump/Russia affair. It has educated me a lot about our legal system and the value of the norms we keep in government.<p>--Hardcore History's series (basically audiobook length) on World War I has given me a sense about the tragedies and sufferings a previous generation experienced en mass that nobody has experienced today. Gives some perspective on life.<p>--Hello Internet is a podcast of pure fun that has expanded my hobbies and interests.<p>--Brain Software has help give me a better understanding of human psychology in the context of hypnosis and NLP.
Late Night Live, Phillip Adams. The smartest people in the world, all of them, 3 a night, 4 nights a week for 20 years, with humour. This is the most remarkable lifetime achievement in radio anywhere - better than Studs Terkel.
Choose FI. Being exposed to the concept of financial independence, retiring early and providing a framework and mindset for achieving them has completely transformed my life from aimless working for money to working for a goal.
No Dumb Questions - Destin (From SmarterEveryDay) and his friend just talk about different topics. I find they have challenged me to be a better person and father.<p>Criminal - A show about those who broke the law
Cortex.
Introduced me to GTD methodology, and omnifocus. Helped me get my email under control. Made me think about investing in what I'm good at, not trying to improve at what I'm bad at.
Nerdist / ID10T, Conan needs a friend, Here's the thing with Alec Baldwin...<p>Mostly because I do a lot of UX work, and good interviewing skills are essential for understanding what someone is trying to say.
Making Sense (formerly Waking Up) by Sam Harris and Joe Rogan podcast have been most influential but Mindscape by Sean Carrol has risen to very top of my current favourites.
Despite the backlash it received I found S-Town to be absolutely amazing. It really blew me away and I still think about it a lot.<p>Radiolab is also very good. Some really memorable episodes.
So I'm a bit late to the party, but I do habe some recomendations.<p>The podcast that recently has been important to me is: Conversations with Tyler.
Some people may have issues with hjs background, being a libertarian.
But he has the best interview style I have ever heard.
He asks the most thoughtful questions on so many different topics.
I always come away learning something new.<p>One that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is The Moth.
It's very liberal, but helps with keeping me compassionate.
The way people tell their stories often makes me emotional.<p>Hello internet is fun, for some reason.
Somebody else said. It's like hanging out with friends.
With all of the in jokes, it might take a whike to get into.<p>Radiolab's More Perfect.
The first teo seasons are fantastic.
It's all about the US supreme court. I don't live in the US but it still grips me.<p>The Ezra Klein show.
Some times hit or miss.
But still worth for some of his guests with which Ezra manages to gell with.<p>The numberphile podcast.
A more slow interviewing style, mostly about the personalities behind the world of mathematics.
Sam Harris's - Waking Up. I have gotten the most amazing book recommendations from his guests!<p>Joe Rogan - he generates a lot of content I do not care about but his interviews like Billy Corgan, Elon Musk, Sam Harris, etc are some of the best on the internet. (Bonus - you can watch them on youtube also)<p>I dont like Ezra Klein's podcast (I think he comes off as a pretentious know-it-all), but I do like that he asks every guest for 3 book recommendations, so I almost always skip to the end to write those down too.