Last Update: 2.24.19
Here is a list of my go-to Podcasts. I broke them down by category and what I listen to every week/when I’m interested in the guest/topic.
I can say with full confidence that podcasts have been one of the most positive things to enter my life in the last five years. If you’re hungry for knowledge, a curious person, or want to be informed and entertained, all of these will make your life better.
I listen to podcasts through the Apple Podcast app, but you can also use Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and others. I don’t think any provider has nailed the interface, so I’ve stuck with Apple.
Lastly, the most frequent response I get from people who are not into podcasts yet is something along the lines of: “I just don’t know when I would listen to them.”
I listen to them everyday, just as much as I listen to music, if not more. When I’m riding my bike, exercising at the gym, cooking, walking, driving, etc. Once you start introducing them into your routine, it’ll become just like music.
Subscriptions
I listen to every episode of the below
- WTF with Marc Maron
- Interviews with artists, comedians and lots of philosophy
- Common Sense with Dan Carlin
- Interesting perspective on current events when added
- The Daily
- NYT daily recap of news and deep dives into current events. Generally around 20-30 minutes
- Freakonomics Radio
- Explore the hidden side of everything
- Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast
- You’re essentially listening to a crazy comedian ramble. The best episodes are when his wife Nia joins
- Serial
- Season 1 is the ultimate murder/mystery investigation. Season 3 blew my mind.
- Up First
- NPR’s daily recap of the news cycle, less than 15 minutes of your day
- Making Sense with Sam Harris
- Philosophy. Interesting discussions between top academics in their fields
- Radiolab
- Objectively, this is probably the best produced podcast out there, mixing stories and science into mini audio documentaries
Weeklies
I listen to these based around the guests, topic, the insanity of the news cycle, and/or new seasons.
- And the Writer Is…
- Music discussions with songwriters and producers
- Bret Easton Ellis Podcast
- American Psycho author discusses movies, books, and culture. Definitely not for everybody.
- Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
- Conan interviews his “friends.” Nothing super serious, always funny.
- Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
- Long-form historical analysis
- Embedded (News)
- Deep dives from NPR
- Found My Fitness with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (Health)
- Fresh Air with Terry Gross
- Interviews with everyone from Aretha Franklin to John McCain
- Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin
- Interviews with artists and interesting professionals from all walks of life
- Hidden Brain (Science)
- Science behind human motives
- How I Built This (Business)
- Invisibilia (Science)
- Note to Self
- Technology and your life
- Pod Save America
- Politics & Current events from former Obama staff members with a liberal viewpoint
- The Paleo Solution Podcast with Robb Wolf (Health)
- The Ben Shapiro Show
- Conservative daily recap of the news plus a long-form interview every Sunday. I enjoy the one-on-one interviews more than his “hot takes” show. I listen to get a conservative viewpoint on current events and philosophy. It’s important to listen to people you disagree with.
- The Bill Simmons Podcast
- Sports & Pop Culture interviews
- The Joe Rogan Experience
- The most interesting podcast out there because Joe gets the most interesting guests
- The Moment with Brian Koppelman
- Brian is the creator of the movie Rounders and most recently Billions on Showtime. He speaks with creatives about ‘the moment’ when they knew they couldn’t do anything else besides focus on their creativity
- The Peter Attia Drive (Health)
- The Rubin Report
- News & Politics about free speech and different ideas.
- The Teacher’s Pet
- Murder/mystery out of Australia
- This American Life
- A different story each week
- Under the Skin
- Russell Brand interviews thinkers, celebrities, and more for surprisingly deep conversations
- Up & Vanished
- Murder/mystery investigation