These guys rock! Wow! So well researched and presented. I find myself getting sucked into every episode even on topics I wouldn’t expect to be interested in. I’m so glad I found this pod - now I’m binge listening to old episodes.
This episode is not only informative but also highly engaging, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the history of fashion, luxury branding, or the art of craftsmanship. Ben and David's ability to connect historical facts with contemporary insights makes this episode a compelling narrative that enriches the listener's understanding of Hermès' lasting legacy in the world of luxury. You guys knocked it out of the park with this one. The family drama is flawlessly presented. Do Versace next!
Walmart is declining in China but Sam’s club is growing and becoming unexpectedly successful in recent years. Apparently they locate their store well in the cities with merging middle classes. They are currently changing their strategies and focus in China now apparently. Surprisingly Sam’s club do have a brand power these days in China. Chinese consumers are seriously looking for products labelled as Sam’s club substitutes or from the same suppliers online and in other stores.
This is my favorite podcast. Ben and David have created an incredible network of knowledge. A must check for anyone wanting to learn about business and strategy.
Just discovered your podcasts. Entertaining and enlightening! Feels like we are sitting in the corner of an executive floor conference room eavesdropping.
Hi guys!
I absolutely love your podcast. A newbie to investing, Acquired teaches me how to do a deep dive and analyze a company. I’ve learned so much!
Your Novo Nordisk and Charlie Munger (Berkshire) episodes were particularly interesting to me because these were some of my very first stock investments when I began my investment journey a few years ago. Had I known about the podcast sooner, I probably would not have been so quick to sell my stock in Visa! I picked up PayPal in its place. Oh well, you win some and lose some.
I’m hoping you would consider an episode on Catherine Wood, CEO of Ark Invest. I’m fascinated by her ability to stay the course after so much investing controversy. And yes, I own a few of her Ark ETF stocks.
As a very small-time investor, your episodes make picking a company and it’s stock much more intelligent than when I did my own research.
Again, thanks for such an inspiring podcast.
Latonya
I am a little late to the game but I just listened to the Taylor Swift episode and it was fascinating! I feel like we need an update with info from the Eras Tour!
These guys take as much time to summarize a book as it takes me to read the book. I’m only exaggerating a little. You can reliably skip the first 5-10 minutes of every episode, which is total fluff. Furthermore, skip ahead by 15 seconds every time one of these guys says “Totalllly”, or any of a thousand other fluffy interjections. TOOOOTALLY annoying. Aside from that, it’s fine, if you don’t want to read whatever book they’re cribbing from.
Just listened to my first episode of the acquired pod with Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and I’m hooked. I have been covering the rideshare industry for 10 years and this was one of the best interviews of Dara I’ve heard (maybe better than the ones I’ve done lol). Ben and David ask great questions and the wine doesn’t hurt either! I actually did a reaction episode to their interview on my ‘Rideshare Guy podcast’ Look forward to future interviews :)
As a strategy leader, I love listening to Acquired. They go into the level of depth for each company that is unparalleled. Entertaining, informative and thought provoking. Highly recommended.
Hey guys. Love the show. New and making my way through the backlog. Loved Lockheed. I’m 5 stars on the SHOW. 2 - 3 stars on the episode. I’m into the Analysis section and there is a key person missing. Tiger ? Any reason he isn’t ?
I came to this podcast to hear the Porsche story but couldn’t get through it due to all of the bad information. The hosts clearly didn’t do thorough research and if they actually read Excellence Was Expected they certainly didn’t retain the facts from it. I got as far as their incorrect claim that Porsche designed the 924 as a cheaper 911 alternative, which is completely wrong. They designed it under contract for VW and only made it a Porsche when VW backed out.
Ben and David have a great rapport with each other. I love the depth, the structure, the sidebars, the laughing. They somehow make 3 hours of talking about companies incredibly entertaining and enthralling. I think Nvidia was my fav so far.
They’ve been compounding and iterating on the format for years - I went back and soaked in the entire back catalog. What I can say is that right now these guys are in the prime of this show. The formula was good originally, but is just absolutely phenomenal now. The depth and quality they have driven towards demonstrates all the experience they’ve put into it, and every new episode is just absolutely top notch.
Yes, I went all the way back to the first episode after listening to many of the mega awesome multi hour episodes. Great to see the very start of what is a pinned show in my Overcast app. Ben and David are awesome. Keep up the greatness boys.
This is the podcast I didn’t know I wanted! I have listened to about 8 episodes now and love the stories they tell from a lot of different sources. And how they go in depth! I learn a lot and it gives me some fun Information to take with me into discussions with my husband who owns his own company.
Amazing content. Well researched etc. One of the presenter speaks in a normal voice. The other one use that ultra annoying fake radio voice and always laughs at his own jokes ruining the entire show.
I love these shows. They have awesome story telling and in-depth analysis from a perspective that truly understands the dynamics at play. No fluff, entertaining and I honestly can’t wait for each new episode.
I really appreciate what you all do, thank you!
Get to the point. You’re appealing to intelligent listeners that operate at high frequencies. Match their frequencies. You’re too slow at telling stories.
Unbelievable well researched and narrated sagas of some of the best businesses in the world. Don’t understanding how they get to tell these stories with so much detail as if they were there. I work in the industry and learn so much every time.
Both narrators are great and they should ignore comments about their laughs. They are both genuine, curious and spectacular storytellers.
This podcast is both educational, entertaining, and a must for anyone who likes to analyze business.
As an analytical person, I like to dig into the details of both the company and individuals who build interesting companies. David & Ben are well researched and do a fantastic job presenting both a well rounded and non-biased view.
Highly recommend to anyone with an insatiable desire to learn.
This is one of the best business podcasts out there. The hosts really dig in and present the tale of growth and acquisitions (and IPOs and fundraising) in both an entertaining and insightful way.
If you are into: history, business, business strategy, hero journeys, nerdy hosts that unapologetically LOVE their topic then you won’t be disappointed.
I’ve been listening to this podcast since Season 1 and told many people about it - hundreds of hours in and these guys keep producing quality content that gets incrementally better with almost zero production value other than great Sony mics and cameras which they tell us all about in the latest season on Sony.
This podcast has taught me more about business than most of the biz books I’ve read, introduced me to great software for my startup, brought advisors and investor contacts into my life from the Slack, and challenged many of my assumptions about how business works.
Don’t sleep on this.
Acquired's combination of history, story telling, and business analysis hit an incredibly sweet spot that make it my favorite podcast. Ben and David have been continuously improving the show since its inception, and the episodes are consistently incredible. Thanks, guys, and keep up the awesome work.
Some additional feedback:
• Discovered the show a couple years ago through Software Engineering Daily.
• Really love the long, multi-part episodes.
• Also a huge fan of your crossovers with other podcasts, like TWIST.
• I’ve also found the carve-outs section to be a treasure trove.
Ben and David consistently produce excellent content that is comprehensive yet witty, engaging listeners and making multi-hour episodes fly by. Acquired is hands down my favorite podcast and I recommend it to many folks in my industry (investment management).
If it didn’t take such a massive time to research, I would ask for these daily. Acquired is the first podcast I’ve listened to where the hosts just assume you’re smart - they go in depth into the complexities of various aspects of the tech industry and adjacent industries. Plus the [slack] community is top notch 👏