Podcasts / resources to build business intuition & industry awareness

Great list! A few thoughts from a coach's perspective.

From your list, Acquired is the standout - each episode is basically a live business case. BCG So What and Bain Dry Powder are also underrated because they show you how consultants actually structure thinking, not just conclusions.

I'd add Cold Call (HBR) and How I Built This - both are great for business model intuition.

But the bigger point is how you listen. Passive listening barely helps. Three habits that actually work:

• Pause when the host sets up a problem and form your own view before they give the answer
• After each episode, write one sentence summarizing the core business logic
• Map what you heard to a case type - market entry, profitability, M&A, etc.

The goal isn't to memorize content. It's to build pattern recognition so you already have a mental scaffold when a case topic comes up.

hey there :)

your list is already very strong, especially Acquired, FT News Briefing, and Economist podcasts, those give the best mix of depth and relevance. the key is not adding more, but using them actively.

don’t listen passively. after each episode, quickly ask yourself: what was the business model, what drove success or failure, and what would I have recommended? even 2–3 minutes of reflection makes a big difference.

also try to connect insights to cases, for example linking something you heard to a profitability or market entry framework. that’s how intuition builds.

best,
Alessa :)