TMBA341: Alex Blumberg on the Power of Podcasting

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Last week we teased about a very special guest that would be appearing on this week’s show. Today, Dan and Ian are pleased to reveal that guest is Alex Blumberg, the CEO of Gimlet Media and the host of one of our very favorite podcasts, Startup.

As entrepreneurs, many of us have grown up listening to Alex’s work on shows like This American Life and Planet Money. But, with the creation of Gimlet Media which, he hopes, will become the ‘home for narrative audio for decades to come’, he’s having a huge impact on the world of podcast production more widely.

In the episode Alex talks about his vision for the company, what he’s learnt along the way and why he thinks audio is an ‘inherently more empathetic medium than TV’.

Transcript

Listen to this week’s show and learn:

How Alex felt about our audio response to the first season of Startup. (5:44)
What kinds of risks Alex was taking when he decided to leave public radio. (7:59)
How Alex’s partner Matt was able to craft a sales narrative for podcast advertising. (13:02)
Why Alex believes in the power of an audio medium. (15:15)
One of the biggest issues that Gimlet Media faces moving forward. (25:08)

Mentioned in the episode:

The Gimlet Media Studios with Brittany Luse and Chris Neary working on Sampler. (Photo Rose Reid)

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Cheers,

Dan & Ian

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