Alex Blumberg began his entrepreneurial journey as a broadcast journalist. From there he was a producer for This American Life, and he co founded Planet Money. However, he left these professions behind to create Gimlet media and produce Startup Podcast. Startup Podcast is a “candid documentation of his journey from journalist to entrepreneur.”
The way that Blumberg has achieved success is very interesting. He has created a podcast that tells his story that has become extremely popular. Therefore, you would think that he would constantly be giving advice on how to achieve success on his podcast because it is the story of his life as an entrepreneur. However, Blumberg does not like to give advice on how to be successful as an entrepreneur. In fact, he says he feels “ridiculous trying to give advice.” This was very striking to me because people still learn valuable information about being an entrepreneur from Blumberg’s podcasts, even tho he refuses to give any direct advice.
I think that Blumberg uses his podcasts in a very interesting and new way. For example, he has reinvented podcast advertising. Instead of airing an ad, he airs the conversation with a company and asks them why they wanted to advertise on a podcast. Blumberg believes that you need to try new things. When you have found an new idea that appeals to people and the masses, then you are onto something.
Blumberg is also very adamant when he says that “money isn’t his only priority.” He wants to focus first on the mission of the company and if it ends up making money for him, then that is a bonus. I think that we can learn a lot from this view point. The most successful companies are the ones that stay true to their mission and are not just in it for the money.
I think that you can learn a lot from Blumberg’s Startup podcast. He teaches that it is important to be different and to try new things, because those are the things that are going to succeed. In addition, he makes sure to let his audience know to stay true to the mission and the values of the company. These are very important to maintain because they are what holds the company together. Your driving motivation should not be money because that is not a sustainable motivation. You have to believe in your mission.
https://theearlyhour.com/2018/03/26/creator-of-startup-podcast-on-being-an-entrepreneur/
I love how Mr. Bloomberg interviews companies and tells his audiences that they should be looking to try new things. It is so direct and blunt (and it reminds me of me when I’m trying to get my parents to go try new things). I know so many people that I look up to who are afraid to give advice out of fear of sounding or feeling silly- and so many others who freely give unhelpful advice. I wish that more people who were experts in their fields would be open about their life’s journey and open to passing on tidbits of information.
I think that Mr. Bloomberg had a very good idea, and has a pretty compelling podcast for many people. Encouraging other people to do new things is something that we should all do and it is good to get out of our comfort zone, especially in business and entrepreneurship. Nice article.
-Asher
Its cool to see how a simple ideas of a podcast can turn into a successful and profitable business.