StartUp Podcast

Welcome to the first episode of Season 3! 

This season, we’re doing something new. Instead of following one company over many episodes, we’ll be telling the stories of a bunch of different companies. This season, you’ll meet entrepreneurs from different parts of the world, in all sorts of businesses. We’ll follow prisoners, tailors, smugglers, and tech geeks. And these founders all actually have something in common: their companies are stuck, and they know they need to make a big change. But they have no idea what to change, or whether it will bring the end or a whole new beginning. 

We’re kicking off this season with a story about a group of friends that moves across the country to launch an unlikely website that they think could replace television. The media loves them. They just need to figure out how to get their users to feel the same way. 

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Season 3 launches Thursday, April 14th

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As we wrap up this mini-season, Lisa Chow comes back from maternity leave and notices some big changes at Gimlet. And these changes... they aren't all for the better. Lisa talks to Gimlet employees about concerns over power, accountability, and control - things that crop up when you go from startup, to regular company. And she takes those concerns to the bosses. 

Music for the episode from the band Hot Mom's Dot Gov. Our theme song was composed and performed by Mark Phillips. Ad music from the band Build Buildings.

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If you were to walk into Gimlet HQ, there are a few things you’d probably notice right off the bat. First, it’s crowded - like a grungy dorm room. Second, the lighting… it’s not great. Not many windows. Third, it’s white. Really white. 24 of Gimlet’s 27 employees are white. In this episode, we look at diversity (or lack thereof) at Gimlet. And we try to figure out what diversity should mean for the company going forward. 

The Facts:

Our theme song was written and performed by Mark Phillips.

John Kimbrough composed music for this episode.

More music written and performed by John Delore along with his band mates, Jordan Scanella, Sam Merrick and Isamu McGregor.

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Gimlet is growing fast. We have four shows on the air, and several others in pre-production. If we want to grow faster, though, we could use some more cash. Matt and Alex head back into the world of venture capital, deciding whether or not to raise another round of financing, this time, much bigger.

Our theme song was written and performed by Mark Phillips.

John Kimbrough composed music for this episode.

More music written and performed by John Delore along with his band mates, Jordan Scanella, Sam Merrickand Isamu McGregor.

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Gimlet is starting a new line of business, and it’s a complicated one: Branded content. Branded content is a piece of media (a video, a story, a podcast, etc.) paid for by a company that then has editorial control over the product. Lots of companies have been asking Gimlet to make podcasts for them. But, as we see in this episode, there are some very real anxieties about how to do this right. 

As part of this episode, we’ve put together Gimlet Media’s Advertising Guidelines. You can find them on our website.

Our theme song was written and performed by Mark Phillips.

John Kimbrough composed music for this episode.

More music written and performed by John Delore along with his band mates, Jordan Scanella, Sam Merrick and Isamu McGregor.

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Gimlet is making a big, expensive bet. The kind of bet that could make or break the company. And it’s a bet that comes down to one factor: What is Gimlet’s competitive advantage? As the company launches its fourth new show, “Surprisingly Awesome,” we take a deep dive in to how the show was made. From the kernel of an idea to the final product. And, along the way, we look at what we believe is Gimlet’s secret formula for making podcasts.

The Facts:

Our theme song was written and performed by Mark Phillips.

John Kimbrough composed music for this episode.

More music written and performed by John Delore along with his band mates, Jordan Scanella, Sam Merrickand Isamu McGregor.

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We return to the offices of Gimlet for the start of a new mini-season. It's been a year since the company launched and things are changing... fast. In this episode, Alex and his wife, Nazanin, wrestle with a huge decision that has implications for both the company and their family.

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A Gimlet update and a special announcement

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Lessons learned in business and love 

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