Podcasts, Books, & Docs
(Updated December 2019)
Podcasts I’m diggin
Acquired by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal.
Probably my favorite podcast right now, I've been binge-watching episodes left and right, especially on night jogs. It started as a podcast about grading acquisitions & IPO's, but morphed into a How I Built This-esque history-based storytelling podcast about an eclectic range of companies from EA Sports to ESPN to Pinterest to Blue Bottle and most recently Sequoia Capital. I MIGHT even go as far as saying I think David is a better storyteller than the legend himself, Guy Raz.
Why Food by Vallery Lomas & Ethan Frisch, Heritage Radio
Finally. A podcast about non-food humans who transitioned from whatever field (music, banking, real estate, writing) into the food industry. It has helped me a lot (an provided some much needed reassurance) in the early stages of my entrepreneurial food journey. I would recommend starting with Episode 35: Jeremy Lyman from NYC favorite Birch Coffee, Episode 23: Hannah Cheng from Mimi Cheng, Episode 59: Amber Jacobsen from Toby’s Estate, or Episode 49: Kerry Brodie from Non-profit restaurant Emma’s Torch
Inside Trader Joe’s by Trader Joes
I’ve always been enamored about secret cult that is Trader Joe’s, then they released their secrets, producing a podcast about the inner working of Trader Joe’s. There are some great gems like “Why is Everyone So Nice” and “Sustainability.”
Books I’m reading
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (just finished October 2019)
Category: Entrepreneurship Autobiography
The down to earth story about the birth & growth of Nike (formerly Blue Ribbon). I’m on track to finish Shoe Dog for the second time in as many years. I don’t think I’ve ever consumed a book (a) so fast and (b) learned so much. It’s an excellent read for an entrepreneur and non-entrepreneur alike, and I might even say the best single account of a companies origin I’ve ever consumed.
The Hard about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
Category: Entrepreneurship Autobiography
Ben founded venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz & tech unicorn Opsware. Like Shoe Dog, it’s a good tale about all the hardships in starting a company, from potentially going broke to demoting friends, and how you should approach the some of big problems you might face along the journey.
Inconspicuous Consumption by Tatiana Schlossberg
Category: Climate Change
A great statistically loaded book about the effects of climate change. I found the early statistical references about the environmental impact of the internet quite interesting, something I’ve never even thought about considering until now. She gets it down to the environmental impact of a single damn search on google.
Fictional Bonus: Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisen.
Category: Science Fiction / Fantasy
It's a hybrid between a realistic supernatural Lord of The Rings & the faction systems of the Divergent Trilogy. If you need a reason as to why this trilogy is worth reading, looking no further than the fact that all three books won the Hugo Award for best novel three consecutive years, the first time ever went back to back to back. FYI the Hugo Award is like the Oscars for best science fiction/fantasy stories.
Documentaries
I’m a huge docs guy. Huge docs guy. Here’s my favorite Docs & Docu-series of 2019
For Sama by Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts (PBS)
Category: War
In my life, I don’t believe watched a film that has changed my view on war like For Sama. It’s a first-person documentary shot and narrated by an incredibly brave human, Waad al-Kateab, the wife of the last remaining hospital’s doctor, visualizing the disgusting violence of Russian & Syrian Government forces during the Syrian War, particularly the targeting of hospitals and children. WATCH HERE
Inside Bills Mind (3 Part Series) - Netflix
Also if you’re serious about documentaries, visit this news site for documentaries. Their slogan is quite literally “Serious About Documentaries”
All Time Favorite
My all time favorite doc is Meru, essentially Jimmy Chins & Chai’s prequel to the Free Solo phenomenon.