In partnership with
Image from Midjourney
Learn AI in 5 minutes a day
This is the easiest way for a busy person wanting to learn AI in as little time as possible:
Sign up for The Rundown AI newsletter
They send you 5-minute email updates on the latest AI news and how to use it
You learn how to become 2x more productive by leveraging AI
The Details
We have three great podcasts to choose from in this article, including one of the best financial podcasts in the first half of 2025.
👩💼 Diary of a CEO with Steven Bertlett and Cathie Wood, CEO of Ark Invest.
👽 The Joe Rogan Experience and Jesse Michaels, host of American Alchemy.
🎮 Lex Frideman and Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic Games & Unreal Engine.
Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett
👩💼 Cathie Wood, CEO and CIO of ARK Invest: A Leading Voice in Global Investment.
🏦 Cathie Wood, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of ARK Invest, is widely recognized as a preeminent authority in the investment landscape. Wood shares her expert insights on investment strategies and offers a forward-looking perspective on preparing your career and financial future.
Key Highlights and Notables:
As the steward of approximately $30 billion in assets, Cathie Wood has earned the moniker "Queen of Investing." Cathie provides an in-depth exploration of her investment philosophy and strategic forecasts, identifying optimal sectors for your money.
Cathy and Steven dive deep into her investment strategies, future innovations, AI, Blockchain, and even autonomous robots, to be on the right side of the coming changes. This is a free class on how to invest in the future, and Cathy Wood even gives her top ten companies to invest in.
Who is it for?
This one is pretty much for everyone. Cathie is an investor at heart, and this 1:41-minute podcast is filled with career and financial advice. This one comes in at the highest level of our recommendations. She even gives her top 10 companies to invest in and why.
I would give this one a five-star rating, if I did star ratings…
Industry News
Marc Maron’s ‘WTF’ Podcast to End After 16 Years
WTF with Marc Maron will conclude this fall after nearly 16 years and over 1,600 episodes. The show, which redefined podcasting with its in-depth celebrity interviews, including notable guests like Barack Obama and Robin Williams, has been a cornerstone of the industry.Spotify Lays Off 5% of Podcast Division Staff
Spotify cut approximately 5% of its podcast division, including staff from The Ringer and its podcast studios, as it shifts focus toward video podcasting. The layoffs, reported on June 5, 2025, do not involve canceling any shows but reflect a strategic pivot to bolster video content.Spotify Reverses Public Play Count Display After Backlash
Spotify initially announced it would publicly display podcast play counts but reversed the decision following podcaster backlash. The chief concern was that low play counts could deter listeners, with some podcasters preferring private analytics. As of May 16, 2025, Spotify adjusted its policy to show play counts only after reaching milestones like 50,000 plays.YouTube Introduces Weekly Podcast Chart, Joe Rogan Tops It
YouTube launched a new chart ranking the top 100 podcasts in the US weekly, with Joe Rogan’s podcast leading the list. Announced on May 15, 2025, this move underscores YouTube’s growing dominance as a podcast platform.Podcast Industry Revenue and Growth Projections Soar
The podcast industry’s 2024 revenue was estimated at over $7 billion, with projections for 2025 indicating a market size of $38.36 billion, driven by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR). This growth is fueled by increasing listenership (70% of US adults have listened to a podcast) and the integration of generative AI in content creation and marketing.
The Joe Rogan Experience
😉 Joe Rogan Experience #2331: Jesse Michels, Host of American Alchemy
👽 Jesse Michels, host of American Alchemy, engages in discussions exploring unconventional and contrarian perspectives across diverse subjects.
Key Highlights and Notables:
Michels demonstrates an extensive knowledge of historical figures, dates, and scientific experiments. In this episode, he and Joe Rogan examine topics including Area 51, purported structures on Mars, Bob Lazar, G. Gordon Liddy, classified government initiatives, Thomas Townsend Brown’s anti-gravity experiments, and governmental secrecy.
Who is it for?
Jesse and Joe cover a wild array of topics, and the conversation never gets boring or strays too far off topic. A very entertaining discussion, and Jesse unleashes his vault of information.
If you are looking for lively conversation and interesting topics, then this one is for you.
Lex Fridman
🤵 Lex Fridman Podcast #467: Tim Sweeney, Creator of Fortnite and Unreal Engine
🕹 Tim Sweeney, the visionary behind Fortnite and Unreal Engine, joins Lex Fridman for an in-depth discussion on the evolution of video game development and programming.
Key Highlights and Notables:
Sweeney reflects on the early influences of Wolfenstein and Doom, which shaped his journey toward founding Epic Games and developing Unreal Engine. He addresses current challenges in the gaming industry, the current state of the industry and why it sucks, and explores the future role of AI in gaming.
Sweeney also discusses his battle with Apple and critiques their controls over development and content creation. Tim also highlights the psychology of gaming and player engagement.
Who is it for?
Let's start by saying Tim Sweeney is an amazing technological visionary and the creator of Unreal Engine, along with numerous games people love to play. But if you are not interested in the world of coding, video games, or computer graphics, then this one might not be for you. If, however, you are, then this one is a must-listen. It is a little on the longer side, you could break it up into segments.
Created in Midjourney