Acquired
"Acquired" is an American podcast that focuses monthly on the history and strategic developments within companies. The format of this podcast differs somewhat from that of most podcasts. The podcast often runs for as long as 3 hours. However, this length shouldn’t deter you, as the information is presented in a lighthearted yet in-depth manner. While hosts Ben and David used to focus primarily on American tech companies, they now increasingly cover European companies. LVMH, Porsche, Novo Nordisk, Hermès, and IKEA have already been featured. The podcast focuses on the founders behind these companies and the unique obstacles they had to overcome to achieve their current success. Meanwhile, the podcast has already developed such a large listener base that CEOs from Nvidia, TSMC, Spotify, and Microsoft have set aside time to share their stories with Acquired.
Business Breakdowns
The second podcast recommendation also focuses on the underlying companies, but the format is quite different. The Business Breakdowns podcast focuses more on the investment case behind the companies and how they operate. It also delves less deeply into the founders, making the podcast easier to listen to when you’re short on time. On average, episodes last between 40 minutes and 1 hour and 20 minutes. Furthermore, each episode features a fund manager who is invited to explain the company and the industry. This variety ensures a diverse range of companies are highlighted in the podcast. In addition to the better-known names—which are also discussed extensively in *Acquired*—the podcast also covers companies that provide services to other businesses. For example, there are episodes about the back-end travel software used by airports, companies that supply uniforms, companies that facilitate payments between businesses, companies that negotiate insurance for enterprises, as well as caterers. None of these are sectors that currently receive much attention from the markets, nor are they sectors where retail investors are even aware that these companies exist. Still, it’s worth it for general investors to brush up on their knowledge of these specific sectors through one-hour podcasts.
