When it comes to valuable podcasts for IT leaders, a number of durable options continue to deliver great audio content. We’ll assume you’ve probably been listening to some standbys like TED Talks Technology, HBR Ideacast, CXOTalk, and Marketplace Tech.
With this list (in no particular order), we’re highlighting podcasts covering newer or niche subject areas that will be particularly important to CIOs in the year ahead, from machine learning and blockchain to mindful leadership and customer-centricity.
Let's get ready to learn:
1. Outside In
Given the focus on increased customer-centricity at the heart of digital transformation, this marketing and brand interview series led by brand consultancy CEO Charles Trevail is a must-listen for CIOs. Trevail talks to leaders from business, media, and academia about the evolving customer experience, creating customer-first strategies and cultures, and the secrets of today’s most customer-focused brands. Recent interviewees include Columbia Business School’s Rita Gunther McGrath on strategy, Hasbro’s global brand leader on staying close to customers, and Adobe’s chief product officer on the “messy middle” of new product development and delivery.
2. Unchained
It’s all about blockchain in this frequent Laura Shin production, which investigates how the technology could transform “every trust-based interaction” of our lives. The well-regarded crypto-journalist talks to early adopters in financial services, technology, healthcare, government, and other industries about how blockchain and cryptocurrency could open up new opportunities for both incumbent companies and startups and everyday people.
[ Also read: Blockchain in 2019: 4 trends to watch. ]
3. Beyond the To-Do List
This aptly named podcast is a fount of the latest thinking on productivity, balance, and meaning. Host Erik Fisher invites guests to share their own personal struggles in these areas, along with how they overcame them. Recent guests include James Clear on breaking bad habits and building new ones, Dan Schawbel on using technology to create connections, and Julie Morgenstern on staying present at home at work.
4. Data Skeptic
Data Skeptic offers two options: a full-hour podcast and a number of bite-sized mini-episodes. Kyle Polich and Linh Da Tran cover everything data – statistics, machine learning, big data, artificial intelligence, and data science – with a scientific mindset. Listeners recently heard from experts on data ethics, sign language recognition, automated fact-checking, and every CIO’s Holy Grail: the single source of data truth.
5. The Twenty Minute VC
Every IT leader keeps tabs on startups and funding in the technology space. This efficient podcast – with a running time that's less than the average commute – offers a deeper look into the venture capital space. VC insiders share their analyses and tech predictions, along with their favorite books and most recent investments.
