Walk a mile in someone else's shoes👟
Nuance in conversation, heart wrenching story, & perspectives +Coming Soon, Just Added, and Weekly Charts
Hey Poddy People,
No gifs this week. We got work to do (see analytics section). Is there anything that frustrates you on the website? I need to know. Email me at hello@greatpods.co and give me the details.
Startup News: We joined Y Combinator’s Startup School's 4-week sprint to push towards our goals. The community is great there to keep us accountable.
Awards News: The Ambies Awards from The Podcast Academy released the nominations for their upcoming Awards show. Just like the iHeart Podcast Awards picks, I’ll be doing something similar for the Ambies in the newsletter in future editions. Check out the nominations here.
Pod Friend Anniversary: Pod friend Arielle’s newsletter, Earbuds Podcast Collective turns 5 this week! That is a certified great milestone, and it isn’t easy. Show some love on her Twitter and sign up for the newsletter too. All of us bring something unique in the field and in her newsletter, guests recommend a particular theme of podcasts each week.
Acquisitions: If you are into Podcast Analytics, two players in the field got snatched up by Spotify. Read about it here.
Website Update: Some updates from Chris made the website go faster by adding static site generators and tweaks to 3rd party resource loading. Faster load times = better for Google! I have no idea what the tech means here.
Analytics Update: If we had a normal month, we would most likely hit the 10-20% growth goal on the site. Unfortunately, from current projections, it looks like we will hit the same number as January. It doesn’t mean we are giving up! There’s a bit of fire now to prove February data projections wrong.
Foreign Language Adds: The #1 Trojan Horse Affair had reviews in Spanish and Dutch. That was a fun surprise to add.
On to my picks this week…
Podcast: Sorry About The Kid
Genre: Personal
Publisher: CBC
I was recommended this podcast in some circles, so I looked up Critic reviews before I listened. Found it and dropped it in my queue. You will need to take this 4-part podcast in doses. The first episode retelling is just so heart-wrenching and heavy. Host Alex McKinnon is able to piece things together with his family & friends, while they relive it, is just amazing and gutsy. Wow.
Joanna Fox - Elle Magazine
“Sorry About the Kid is a gut-wrenching story of unimaginable pain, but it’s also a poignant journey of compassion, love, life and, most importantly, discovery.”
Podcast: Proud Stutter
Genre: Educational, Self-Improvement
Publisher: Maya Chupkov (Indie)
Maya dropped into my inbox with her podcast and links to articles about her podcast. Out for a jog, I added it to my queue. Learning more about the stuttering community, the struggles that include job interviews (Episode with Pro Publica’s Mariam Elba) was great to step into their shoes.
John Loeppky - Accessibility.com
“...can help shift the discussion about the disability and offer more opportunities for discussion and change.”
Podcast: The Death of Nuance
Genre: Society
Publisher: BBC (Only available on the BBC Sounds app or BBC website)
This podcast wouldn’t have come into my view without the Critic review I was adding. Journalist Oliver Burkeman navigates why society today is missing nuance in interpretations with expert interviews. Often for clickbait, but also lack comprehension. Take a beat and listen. 15-minute episodes, this series is a breeze to finish one sitting. However, try to remember to digest it.
James Marriot - The Times UK - Feb 4, 2022
“thoughtfulness, an instinct for the bigger picture and, unsurprisingly, nuance. Unmissable stuff, I thought.”
Coming soon
About: Korean hip hop star Tablo was at the height of his career when a rumor started spreading on the internet that he was a liar. As a trivial accusation explodes into an international obsession, host Dexter Thomas Jr follows a bizarre conspiracy that asks one fundamental question: are we who we say we are?
About: Two Youtubers promise their followers the secret of true love. But as some of their believers cross the line from love to obsession, they must decide how far they are willing to go to find The One. Hosted by Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Encanto).
Just Added:
Fake Psychic - BBC
Marvel’s Wastelanders: Black Widow - Sirius XM, Marvel
The Socially Distant Sports Bar - Nata Media
H3 Podcast - Ethan Klein
Chameleon: Wild Boys - Campside Media
Great Pods Weekly Top 5
1. Trojan Horse Affair - Serial 🔥
2. Always Sunny Pod - The Sunny Podcast ⬆️
3. Ghostwriter - C13Features
4. Last Known Position - QCODE media
5. Bad Women - Pushkin
Stay safe, wear a mask, get vaxxed, and be kind!
XOXO
Captain Ron
Great Pods is a website that uses podcast critic reviews and ratings to help you find & decide your next podcast listen.