Not all podcasts are created the same. But can there be an objective list? Probably not. But here’s our list of podcasts we love.
Podcasting is having its big moment. It’s like Joe Rogan opened a Pandora’s box that empowered people to be out there, have fun with their friends while making money, and for experts to have conversations with other experts.
It is entertaining and a para-social experience- and if properly produced, almost cinematic. For some reason, people love to listen to others talk – podcasts are the natural evolution of a talk show. However, with less corporate oversight, or at least that was the idea. There are still corporate podcasts that lack the color to be successful.
However, businesses do find niche listeners, and that should never be disregarded; no matter the idea, it should be tried.
No idea, if done with clarity, will fail. And to prove that, here are some podcasting examples that will help you find inspiration, knowledge, and some of what they did to succeed.
There won’t be a boring intro for this one. We won’t be going into what a podcast is, what rules you need to follow to create the best podcast, or how to market it (we’ve already covered that in our podcast marketing strategy piece!).
So here’s the list of the best podcast examples. It’s not ranked and is subjective.
Top Podcasts for Businesses and Business Leaders: Ciente’s Picks
We’ll give you a list of the best podcasts. And you can take these as podcast examples for inspiration, listening, and growing.
TechTalk by Ciente
This is our show, hosted by Ciente’s CMO Suruchi Bhargava. It is one of the best podcasts for business leaders to be on and listen to.
It’s literally a window into how these leaders work on the ground, something that is missing from podcasts in general. While many podcasts bring in guests, and it’s fantastic, they speak about their industries like a myth. And yes, podcasts are for storytelling, but what about information dissemination?
This is what we have tackled: bringing you insights directly from experts, dealing with similar problems to yours in real-time. It’s a treasure trove for people in marketing, tech, and sales- for tech vendors, this is what your buyers are dealing with, and for tech buyers, this is what your peers are dealing with.
We have an intuitive way of marketing our podcast (there’s more on our blog post on strategies). Essentially, we run simultaneous campaigns and understand that our listeners are people, and since the podcast is very social, we treat it as a piece of human communication, not just another content asset.
Slidebean
Slidebean’s YouTube channel is one of the best business podcasts/shows. It’s not a traditional podcast in the sense that two people are talking, but it has the host talking and storytelling aspect. The production quality is top-notch, and the information is relevant.
The show isn’t just for leaders but everyone in SaaS – the videos are short and yet compress so much information, and CEO Jose “Caya” Cayasso is the perfect host- distilling the insights with such an engaging charm.
And the core focus of their channel is the most relevant topic: What is really going on with AI?
They tackle this topic across various domains and perspectives, and it’s perfect for people strapped for time- the videos are no longer than 25 minutes.
The Knowledge Project Podcast
Shane Parrish has a wild story- he was a cybersecurity expert at an intelligence firm in Canada. He wrote about strategies, deep thinking, and learning on his blog – turns out his readers were from Wall Street.
And if you’ve read content on Farnam Street, his website, you know the information freely available on his website is worth millions of dollars, not that he monetizes it.
But that’s half the story- the knowledge podcast is where the real money is at. He has in-depth conversations with industry experts and stories about them, stories that the public at large is unaware of, like the billionaire who sold blueberries or the deconstruction of Andy Grove, the CEO of Intel.
He shares these lessons of resilience and the value of learning that affects decisions and people on a global scale. While the concept may seem abstract at first, these are tools that transform thinking and shape leaders.
And it is a disservice that it’s only at 333K subscribers on YouTube; it deserves far more. Look at Reed Hastings‘ interview with him and make your own judgment call.
AI in Context by 80,000 hours.
Okay, hands down one of the best videos on AI we have ever seen. The host, Aric, is charismatic, and the product is on another level. And while it does seem like it is similar to Slidebean’s channel, it is less a podcast and more a docuseries, like Johnny Harris (fair). We’d like to argue that this is a podcast between you and the host.
The information is presented in interview formats with various experts, but the focal point is the storytelling aspect that the viewer and the channel form together. There aren’t many videos, but chances are you have seen the thumbnail of a war room with the words 2027 written on it.
It’s beautiful.
It’s produced by ‘80,000 hours’, a non-profit organization that empowers people to find stability and their life’s calling.
And while you may think, “What does science fiction and speculation have to do with business?” Let’s just stop and consider the effects of AI on our economy- mass lay-offs and techno-oligarchies are already here.
And 80,000 hours has its own podcast, which is quite fascinating if you want to check that out, too. But it’s broader- the topics are varied and can range from biology to geopolitics- and that’s something effective leaders are paying attention to.
This will help you look beyond SaaS.
The Exit Five CMO Podcast (Hosted by Dave Gerhardt)
For a marketing leader, Dave Gerhardt’s podcast is a dream. He has this way of asking the right questions- knowing what is culturally relevant and what is popular in marketing, mixed with timeless principles.
But that’s all technical jargon; Dave’s magnetism as a host lies in his relatable storytelling. Like you imagine industry leaders to be, these corporate giants who speak in an alien tongue, but with Dave, each episode is like two friends having a conversation, and they’re just sharing wisdom over a cup of coffee.
And the crux of the matter is this storytelling. Gerhardt, and basically, Exit 5 is this community for marketers to grow. He transforms marketing from this not-so-accessible field into an approachable subject.
The crucial question marketing leaders have is: what works and why? And Dave has an answer in his podcast.
Scott Galloway’s Prof G Podcast
Scott Galloway. About time the list hits someone “controversial.” And that’s Professor G.
But he isn’t Jordan Peterson, controversial; he’s just that “Hey, no bullshit here” type of person, and that reflects heavily in his podcast. And it is eye-opening for entrepreneurs and young people.
He offers this sage advice that might not always be politically correct by anyone’s standards, but he does have it and won’t shy away from saying it. Again, he does it without being offensive. That’s the NYU professor’s skills at work- he is a teacher through and through.
He has been an entrepreneur himself and has written a lot of books on making money and surviving economic crises- a perfect remedy for today’s times. However, some of his information can seem incomplete; you have to really dig into what he means. He has these Q&As that might answer your question, but with Scott, you don’t know whether you’re getting a thesis or an answer that may not satisfy you until you dig deeper- Scott values brevity.
Lenny’s Podcast
This is for all the product managers, start-up founders, designers, product marketers, and CEOs. Lenny had his beginnings with his newsletter, which became wildly popular.
And the podcast offers deeper dives into the philosophy of product creation and management- he has this intuitive approach to hosting. He breaks down the principles product people use and dissects these principles to understand his guest’s approach.
And when you listen to him, you’ll understand just how abstract PM is. The podcast transforms all the top-level abstract insights of product management into understandable concepts and actionable pointers that leaders and managers can use to transform their product development cycle.
Why These Podcast Marketing Examples Actually Work
Podcasting isn’t some polished content machine, or rather, it shouldn’t be. It’s raw, alive, and dangerously simple.
People talking, or one person thinking out loud, and suddenly you’ve got an audience leaning in like they’re part of the room. That’s the power.
It isn’t the mic, or the editing, or some secret growth hack.
The best podcasts aren’t afraid of being messy. They don’t hide behind jargon or play safe; they cut through and connect. That’s why they work. Business leaders, founders, or marketers, one thing’s clear: with podcasts, you don’t need perfection. You need clarity, honesty, and the nerve to show up as you are.
