This is an editorial pick, not a submission — Talmyn’s own research into a show we think does something genuinely distinct, published as part of our ongoing Best Podcast coverage.
Acquired is hosted by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, who met working together at Madrona Venture Group and started the show in 2015 with a simple original premise: tell the story of a company acquisition that turned out to matter. The first episode covered Pixar. Over time, the format expanded well past acquisitions specifically into full business histories of major companies, told as long-form narrative rather than a news roundup or interview format.
Why this made the list
The thing that stands out about Acquired isn’t the subject matter — plenty of shows cover business and technology. It’s the format choice: episodes commonly run three to four hours, built more like a researched audiobook than a typical podcast conversation, with the hosts working through a company’s full history rather than reacting to a single news cycle. That’s a genuinely unusual bet in a medium that has mostly rewarded shorter, more frequent episodes, and it’s paid off — the show has been reported as the top technology podcast on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify, with individual episodes reaching well over a million listeners.
What makes the format work is the depth of preparation behind it: each episode is built from primary sources and original research rather than a loose conversation, which is a harder and slower way to make a podcast, but is exactly the reason the show holds up on a rewatch in a way most weekly interview shows don’t.
Talmyn’s Best Podcast coverage looks for shows doing something format-distinct, not just consistent output. Acquired’s commitment to long-form, heavily researched storytelling is a clear example.
