10 tech podcasts with something for everyone
Updated on October 16, 2024
·Originally published on September 27, 2021
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I took one of those corporate astrology tests recently that put me in a category with the likes of Steve Jobs — and, yeah, I guess that tracks.
I am nothing if not a creature of habit. I function best when I adopt a routine that frees my brain from decision fatigue. I start my day the same way, slipping into one of the virtually indistinguishable all-black business casual looks, dialing in to get the perfect grind for my latest single-origin bean (brew method subject to change), and hitting “play” on my podcast queue before walking to the office. What can I say? Peak millennial cringe is my vibe of late.
As a former consultant, and current human working in tech, I know how quickly shiny object syndrome can hit. Technology podcasts are one of the tools I have in my proverbial belt to stay informed despite the rapid innovation we see in this sector. I appreciate the lean-back consumption experience; the hosts gather the information and insights, leaving me free to riff on an idea, or continue the conversation with colleagues.
Luckily, there’s a group of us at Contentful with similar listening tastes and we take turns posting episodes in Slack for further discussion. Seeing contributions that span a variety of perspectives is a delight, and tech podcasts are often the most fascinating offerings.
To that end, I was asked to compile a list of non-developer-friendly tech podcasts that have sparked conversations here at Contentful. We're not all developers or tech experts, so when I talk about "best tech podcasts" I mean shows that not only have a low barrier of entry to the tech world, but that offer something for everyone, not least entertainment. Enjoy.
1. Tech News Briefing
How they describe it: “Tech News Briefing is your guide to what people in tech are talking about. Every weekday, we’ll bring you breaking tech news and scoops from the pros at the Wall Street Journal, insight into new innovations and policy debates, tips from our personal tech team, and exclusive interviews with movers and shakers in the industry.”
Why you should listen: I am a big fan of bite-sized content that is always fresh. Since I start my day by catching up on tech podcasts, the WSJ Tech News Briefing dailies ensure my content queue never runs dry. Other dailies in the mix are The Journal, Today Explained, The Daily, Up First, Techmeme Ride Home, and Bloomberg Technology Podcast.
Episode of note: Literally start anywhere. The WSJ daily podcasts aren’t meant to have a long shelf life and focus on current events from around the tech world.
Visit: Tech News Briefing by the Wall Street Journal
2. Pivot
How they describe it: “Every Tuesday and Friday, tech journalist Kara Swisher and NYU Professor Scott Galloway offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. They make bold predictions, pick winners and losers, and bicker and banter like no one else. After all, with great power comes great scrutiny.”
Why you should listen: I’m hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t listen to Pivot, which probably puts it amongst the best tech podcasts by default. So, listen for the FOMO? While it's a tech podcast, and focused on important tech news, the discussion frequently intersects with other issues. Host Kara Swisher is engagingly pragmatic with commentary like “turns out it was capitalism all along” while her counterpart Scott Galloway recently described himself as “data and d*ck jokes” which is apt.
Episode of note: Start with Secrets to Successful Professional Relationships. If you like Pivot’s hosts, acclaimed psychotherapist Esther Perel interviews Scott and Kara for her podcast Where Should We Begin?, and we learn a ton about the dynamic between them. The interview gave me a greater appreciation for the duo and added to my future listening experience.
Visit: Pivot by New York Magazine
3. Hard Fork
How they describe it: “Hard Fork is a show about the future that’s already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.”
Why you should listen: The podcast covers a wide range of tech industry subjects, from the rise of AI to the future of social media, always providing insightful analysis and thought-provoking perspectives. Like Pivot, it's one of the top tech podcasts, and is a good way to stay informed about the latest tech trends and dive deeper into their implications. Translation, it’s generic but I still listen.
Episode of note: I’m going to be honest here… a lot of Hard Fork episodes blend together for me and there isn’t a clear winner. As a tech podcast, the focus is typically on current events and the latest trends so the episodes have a short shelf life. Consider starting at the most recent and avoid digging too much into the archive.
Visit: Hard Fork by the New York Times
4. The Vergecast
How they describe it: “The Vergecast is the flagship podcast from The Verge about small gadgets, Big Tech, and everything in between. Every Friday, hosts Nilay Patel, David Pierce, and Alex Cranz hang out and make sense of the week’s most important tech news. And every Tuesday, David leads a selection of The Verge’s expert staffers in an exploration of how gadgets and software are affecting our lives — and which ones you should bring into yours.”
Why you should listen: The Vergecast is a mix of news analysis, industry insights, and reviews of products and the latest gadgets, and it serves to help listeners build a comprehensive understanding of the tech landscape. The podcast offers a well-rounded perspective with nuanced discussions.
Episode of note: Same deal as Hard Fork. The Vergecast is a relatively big technology podcast which offers consistent quality across episodes, a short shelf life, and no pressing need to go back into the episode archive to find your feet.
Visit: The Vergecast by The Verge
5. Better Offline
How they describe it: “Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence on and manipulation of society, while interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech elites want to build.”
Why you should listen: My toxic trait is getting giddy when an Englishman monologues about how AI is BS (or at least overrated). That’s why I listen, but if that’s not your bag, stick around for the broader criticism of all things tech. What can sometimes be perceived as pessimism in this podcast, I would argue is closer to true critique. A few other podcasts that offer alternatives to tech optimism are Tech Won’t Save Us, Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000, and to a lesser extent Never Post. I’ll add the non-tech If Books Could Kill because the Lean In episode lives rent-free in my mind.
Episode of note: The most recent Better Offline episode that I’ve experienced good discourse around has been Pop Culture — a review and response to Goldman Sachs “Gen AI: Too Much Spend, Too Little Benefit?” report.
Visit: Better Offline
6. Search Engine
How they describe it: “No question too big, no question too small. On Search Engine, host PJ Vogt answers the kinds of questions you might ask the internet when you can't sleep. If you find the world bewildering, but also sometimes enjoy being bewildered by it, we're here for you.”
Why you should listen: With lessons learned since his last show, host PJ Vogt offers up a different kind of tech podcast experience — one driven by the curiosity of listeners. Search Engine can be thrilling, the storytelling is masterful, and Vogt does a good job engaging the audience while also serving as its surrogate.
Episode of note: The “correct” answer would be to start at the beginning with Welcome to Crypto Island, but nah. My vote is the two-part Berghain arc. Mostly because it will set expectations for the shorter-form structure that this tech podcast usually takes, but also because I’m 100% going to send the Berghain simulator around before our next all-company meeting in the Berlin office.
Visit: Search Engine
7. Darknet Diaries
How they describe it: “Explore true stories of the dark side of the internet with host Jack Rhysider as he takes you on a journey through the chilling world of hacking, data breaches, and cyber crime.”
Why you should listen: I’m a true crime girlie at heart and this podcast definitely scratches that itch by delving into the shadier side of tech life and culture. On that same note, I’ve enjoyed other longer-form tech docuseries, including The Lazarus Heist, Exit Scam, and Shell Game. Also, not crime-related, but perhaps a cult-adjacent recommendation would be WeCrashed.
Episode of note: So many good ones. This is another tech podcast I would recommend going back to the beginning for, although a good recent episode that comes to mind is Dubsnatch.
Visit: Darknet Diaries
8. Click Here
How they describe it: “The podcast that tells true stories about the people making and breaking our digital world. We take listeners into the world of cyber and intelligence without all the techie jargon.”
Why you should listen: A tech podcast hosted by a former NPR investigations correspondent. Enough said.
Episode of note: Since I just mentioned Darknet Diaries, my vote goes to Something Different, an episode about what comes after a hacker gets caught.
Visit: Click Here
9. Power User
How they describe it: “Power User explores how technology and the internet are upending our lives and the world around us. Each week, tech journalist Taylor Lorenz explores everything from online fame to emerging platforms, viral phenomena to the creator economy, and much more. Tune in on Thursdays for the most influential stories that Silicon Valley often ignores.”
Why you should listen: We’ve seen quite a few acquired-taste recommendations so far but this is a fun one. As a tech podcast, Power User doesn’t take itself too seriously and consuming it isn’t as taxing as some of the others.
Episode of note: The episode Why is Instagram Reels so unhinged? was, for sure, written for me. Way too relatable.
Visit: Power User by Vox Media
10. Business Wars
How they describe it: “Netflix vs. HBO. Nike vs. Adidas. Business is war. Sometimes the prize is your wallet or your attention. Sometimes, it’s just the fun of beating the other guy. The outcome of these battles shapes what we buy and how we live. Business Wars gives you the unauthorized, real story of what drives these companies and their leaders, inventors, investors, and executives to new heights — or to ruin. Hosted by David Brown, former anchor of Marketplace.”
Why you should listen: As you may be able to tell, I don’t exclusively listen to technology podcasts and I’m closing out the list with one that isn’t capital ‘T’ tech-centric. This series follows businesses of all kinds (including “Big Tech”) and conversations often center around business innovations or industry disruption. What is technology if not business? Adjacent podcasts that also tickle that part of my brain are Land of The Giants, The Pitch, Crucible Moments, Acquired, Founders, and My First Million.
Episode of note: As of writing, there are already 95 “Wars” so knowing where to start is certainly a challenge. There are plenty of clashes between tech giants to choose from but I particularly enjoyed the Ebay vs. PayPal and Xbox vs. Playstation story arcs.
Visit: Business Wars by Wondery
The first step of your tech podcast journey
So, there you have it, my (by no means exhaustive) list of the best tech podcasts. While some might appeal to experts, all are ideal for a casual tech enthusiast (or even a beginner) looking for insight into tech-related topics, or just a way to kill time.
And who knows? If you're inspired by these suggestions, you might even feel motivated to check out the Contentful team’s recent guest appearances on The CPG Guys podcast, where you can hear us talk about the challenges CPG brands experience with content today plus how to develop personalized content for engaging customer experiences.
Notable mentions
There are many more podcasts I could mention, but didn’t because they’ve dropped off my weekly rotation for one reason or another. Here’s a super-drop for those simply not satiated with a mere ten.
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