The Wolf Den

Hollywood meets podcasting with guest Franklin Leonard, founder and CEO of The Black List, and host of the Wolfpop show, The Black List Table Reads. Franklin tells Adam Sachs how The Black List began as an informal survey he did just looking for good scripts to read, quickly becoming an annual list of the best unproduced screenplays. In 2012 The Black List launched as a online script database letting screenwriters upload their work to be shared with and evaluated by industry professionals, and Franklin explains how the company’s business is driven by a core mission of finding great stories and helping them get told. Then he tells the story of how the idea for the Table Reads podcast was born, and recalls the day he pitched it to Adam and Wolfpop network curator Paul Scheer. They discuss how the show has evolved over the course of three, four-episode “earmovies,” and Franklin details his goals for it.

One of the podcasting industry's leading observers, Nick Quah, is Adam’s guest on this edition of The Wolf Den. Nick is the editor of Hot Pod email newsletter, which, in less than nine months, has turned into the de facto industry journal for podcasting, becoming a must-read for just about everyone working in the industry. Nick tells Adam how listening to podcasts helped him get through a tough time, and explains what then motivated him to go from being a voracious podcast consumer to publishing his newsletter. Adam asks him about his approach to writing Hot Pod, which leads to a discussion of a situation where Nick got a hot scoop about a much-anticipated new show, and then had to wrestle with the implications and possible outcomes of breaking that news before the official announcement. Nick also shares his hopes for the medium, his predictions for what is to come, and his advice for new podcasters.This episode is sponsored by QuickBooks Self-Employed. Try QuickBooks Self-Employed and receive 50% off at www.tryselfemployed.com/wolfden

Loud Speakers Network co-founder and CEO Chris Morrow joins Adam for an interview that is a must-listen for anyone who has wanted to know how a successful podcast network finds talent and develops shows. Loud Speakers is a hip-hop and urban focused network that started with the Combat Jack Show, hosted by Combat Jack (a/k/a Reggie Osse) who is regarded as the "Charlie Rose of Hip-Hop." Chris tells Adam the kind of shows and talent that Loud Speakers is looking for, holding up the hosts of The Read, Crissle and Kid Fury, as examples of fresh, honest, and authentic voices who have attracted a large and loyal audience. Adam asks Chris about his network's process for developing new shows, which prompts a discussion about both the hard work required and the satisfaction of seeing them come to fruition. This leads to them talking about the constant struggle of balancing a strong brand identity with the flexibility to take on new subjects. Finally, Chris shares his hard-won advice for podcasters looking to launch new shows or start their own networks.

Adam’s guest is Kristoffer Triumf, host and producer of one of the most popular podcasts in Sweden, Värvet. This long-form celebrity interview show has been in production since 2012. Kristoffer talks about what influenced him to get into podcasting. Chief amongst those influences was Marc Maron’s WTF, particularly because of the fact that long-form celebrity interviews were uncommon in Swedish media. He then tells the story of how he started Värvet, and how he got Marc to be one of his first interviews. Kristoffer also discusses the growing Swedish podcast scene, how that scene compares to US podcasting, and why he launched the English-language version of his own podcast, Värvet International. Finally, he shares his hopes and predictions for the future of podcasting.

Veteran podcaster Dan Carlin has been hosting the perennially popular Common Sense podcast since 2005, and in 2014 iTunes named his Hardcore History podcast the best classic podcast of the year. He’s Adam’s guest for this episode of the Wolf Den, detailing the evolution of his chart-topping podcasts over the course of a decade. His Hardcore History show, in particular, is known for having episodes that last as much as several hours, with an irregular release schedule. Dan discusses how this came to be, why he thinks it works for him, and what it takes to pull off what are essentially long, but highly engaging, monologues. He tells Adam how the shows are monetized, and shares his perspective on offering free and paid content. Finally, Dan explains why iTunes made it possible for independent podcasts to succeed alongside ones from established media players, and what the future may hold for his productions.

Public radio veteran Alex Blumberg returns to The Wolf Den, nearly a year after he told then-host Jeff Ullrich about his plans for a new podcasting company. Now Alex is the co-founder and CEO of Gimlet Media, which produces the popular StartUp and ReplyAll podcasts. He documented the founding and the process of raising $1.5 million in capital on the first season of StartUp. Alex tells Adam that the events of the last year have been “shocking,” and recounts the ways in which things turned out how he expected, and the outcomes that surprised him. He and Adam discuss how the breakout podcasts “Serial” and “Invisibilia” have raised the bar for the medium, and why rapid audience growth really qualifies podcast companies as true start ups. Alex also explains the choice to be so personally revealing on StartUp, and the point at which he knew the show and the company was succeeding. He also reveals some teasers about what to expect in the second season of StartUp, which debuts April 23.

Comedian, television host, author, filmmaker and podcaster Adam Carolla joins Adam Sachs on The Wolf Den to discuss the business side of his many endeavors.  Carolla recalls that the idea to podcast was born from the fact that his morning show on terrestrial radio was number two online. So, when that gig ended in 2009 he knew where there was a ready audience. He explains how that fit his overall business strategy, which is “somewhere between proactive and reactive,” seizing opportunities and then going with what makes sense along the way. Then Carolla describes the origin of his new motivational “Take a Knee” podcast as part of the subscription-based Adam Carolla Show Archive. Finally, he offers up advice for budding podcasters.

Adam's guest is Micah Rosenbloom, who joins for a lively discussion about the role of podcasting in entrepreneurship and venture capital. Micah is Managing Partner of the Founder Collective, an early stage venture capital firm that funded companies like Buzzfeed, Uber and Maker Bot. Podcast listeners may know him from his appearance on Gimlet Media’s StartUp podcast, in which he advised Gimlet founder Alex Blumberg to find a co-founder (he did). Micah talks about his first job out of college, working at the Endeavor talent agency, and how Hollywood does, and does not, resemble the venture capital world. He tells Adam how many people told him “I heard you on StartUp,” and then they discuss how podcasting can help entrepreneurs build their online persona and market themselves. Finally, Micah reveals his plans for a new podcast project with Midroll.

Cracked Editor-in-Chief Jack O’Brien joins Adam for a repeat Wolf Den appearance. On his first time guesting (episode #32 in 2011) Jack met Jeff Ullrich for the first time, and didn’t even have a podcast yet. Now he hosts the Cracked Podcast, a successful Earwolf show.  Jack explains how he became Cracked’s Editor-in-Chief and then the host of that podcast. He also reveals the user-focused strategy behind Cracked’s addictive and shareable articles and how that style gets translated to popular video and podcasts. They wrap up by discussing the similarities between podcast ads and branded content, and why honesty is an important factor for both.

Semil Shah shares a valuable investor’s perspective on the business of podcasting for episode 73 of The Wolf Den. Semil is a venture capital advisor and investor, an active blogger and columnist, and was part of the team that developed and marketed the Swell podcast discovery and listening app that was acquired by Apple last year. Semil gives Adam his recommendations on the ideal podcast episode length, along with some tips on organizing and structuring a podcast, all of which come from listening data. He also takes on the divide between iOS and Android when it comes to support for podcasting, and what that means for the future of Apple’s CarPlay and mobile listening in the car. Finally, Semil provides some advice for entrepreneurs looking to fund podcasting startups.