A Podcast. What was once thought to be an old wooden ship, has now become mainstream digital media. According to Edison Research, about 46 million Americans ages 12 and up have listened to at least one podcast in the last month. Serial, a podcast investigating the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, an 18-year-old high school student in Baltimore, Maryland was downloaded more than 68 million times, according to CBS News. A second season was announced and will debut sometime later in 2015.
Serial is not the only podcast out there. There are podcasts that cover a wide variety of topics and interests. One podcast that recently peaked my interest was StartUp.
StartUp (season one) is hosted by Alex Blumberg (and later joined by co-host Lisa Chow), who is no stranger to Podcasts. Blumberg co-hosted a popular NPR business podcast, Planet Money, as well as produced for This American Life. In StartUp, Blumberg tells his story of starting a "premier media company focused on narrative podcasts", with no prior experience starting a business. I admit that I am late to the StartUp party, as the show is currently in it's second season, focusing on a new startup, however, I have really enjoyed the first season. As someone that has always been interested in entrepreneurship and startups, I have found this podcast educational, interesting, entertaining and most of all -- honest (oftentimes bordering on uncomfortably honest). Below are four things I have learned listening to the podcast.
1. You have to put the "Start" in Startup.
It may seem like a ridiculous statement, but the early episodes really highlight the problem that many aspiring entrepreneurs face (including myself) -- getting started. You may have what you think is the next big thing, but unless you take action, all you are left with is what could be the next big thing. The first few episodes of StartUp showcase Blumberg's attempts at securing investments from billionaire investors, honing in on his business model, and bringing on a business partner. It's not until Episode 5 where we find out what the name of the startup is.
I relate to Blumberg. On StartUp, at times (especially early on), Blumberg seemed very unsure of himself and the decisions he was making with respect to his business. After hearing some not-so optimistic feedback from investors, family, and friends, it could have been easy to decide to stop moving forward on his venture. Blumberg navigated this "noise" particularly well by listening to others and making adjustments, all while never losing focus of his vision for Gimlet Media.
In deciding whether to pursue a business idea or even starting this blog, it was easy to find reasons not to start. I realize now that instead of asking why I shouldn't start something, it's better to ask why I should start -- and then start.
2. Having a support system is critical.
With startups, I find myself in awe of the actual product or service, that I sometimes forget that the founders of these companies have lives of their own outside of their venture. Not only do they have to find balance between work time and family time, their families have to adjust to this new balance. As StartUp demonstrates, it takes the support (which often comes in the form of sacrifice) from others to make a startup successful. Throughout the series, in particular, the early episodes, we get to hear Blumberg's wife, Nazanin's, take on how things are going with the business (including the decision to bring on Matt Lieber as a partner and the name of the business) and in the Blumberg household. Throughout the show you are really left with the sense that without Blumberg's support system, Gimlet Media may not have been able to take off.
3. Let your passion be your guide.
As I am sure you can at least infer from this post, starting a business is not easy. For those that have only aspired to start a business, without actually starting one, StartUp highlights the many bumps in the road of starting a business. From finding the right formula to use to pitch investors, deciding how to "split the pie" with a new partner, navigating through a social media storm following a mistake made on a new show, and preventing employees from burning out, we hear of many of the issues that businesses face everyday. However, in addressing these issues, one common thread that guided Gimlet Media through resolving these issues was their passion to produce the best podcasts possible.
4. I miss Satchel's.
This may feel like a cop out for some of you, but, as a University of Florida alum, I feel compelled to mention that Blumberg interviews Satchel Raye, THE Satchel of Satchel's Pizza on Episode 10 of StartUp (Season 1). For those that have enjoyed the deliciousness that is Satchel's, you will enjoy this very enlightening interview, where Satchel provides insights on how he got started in the pizza business and his desire to find balance between being an artist and running a business. He also shares his thoughts on Blumberg's startup journey through Episode 9 and provides words of wisdom going forward.
StartUp is a must listen for anyone interested in hearing an honest and entertaining behind the scenes account of starting a business.
Hear This Thing:
StartUp Podcast
Subscribe via ITunes or your favorite "podcatcher" by using this link, or head over to Gimlet Media to listen right on the site.
