My Podcast Recommendations (Part 2)
Selected Topics
This is the topics-based list of podcast recommendations. Some pet topics have extensive lists, so I have tried to keep each section within 10 podcasts. If you are looking for my personal favourites, that’s in another post. Please get in touch directly.
This list reflects my interests and preference for academic and in-depth conversations. A note that many great podcasts aren’t on this list because they’re already found in popular lists (such as tech or startup ones) and also because I can’t engage with certain types of hosting styles and voices. I use podcasts to discover new perspectives and voices on topics, places, and peoples I don’t know much about and hopefully you discover some that resonate for you here!
This Post Includes:
- Professional: Tech, Design, Management, Startup
- Women: On Various Topics
- Current Events, Policy, Social Commentary
- LGBTQ & Queer Asian
- Race, POC Politics, Asian American Voices
- China Perspectives
- Books, Movies, Anime, Games
- Academic & Miscellaneous
Not included on this list: the full list of LGBTQ, queer Asian, Asian content, Chinese language podcasts, Japanese language podcasts.
Professional: Tech, Design, Management, Startup
Personally, my choice medium for professional learning is text, so most of the popular tech, professional, and business podcasts didn’t get my attention. Generally, it’s the ones that are more interview and story-based that kept my interest. Again, my focus is on the businesses not talked as much about, such as local ones in Japan (Disrupting Japan), successful small businesses (The Distance), the very meta podcast diary of Alex setting up Gimlet Media (Startup), and a queer, black VC woman’s journey into raising money for Backstage Capital (The Boostrapped VC).
These are the more industry-based podcasts from design, to marketing, management, and tech. There are others, but maybe I’ll leave it for another day.
Women: On Various Topics
This section repeats many places from some other sections as well, but when you gather the list, it’s quite an eclectic mix of topics that’s fine to go through! It ranges from profession-related ones such as Boss Barista and Backstage Capital as a black female VC to Girl Geeks and the experiences of women from different backgrounds, such as the South Asian (Desi) community and feminism in China.
Current Events, Policy, Social Commentary
Journalism & News Reporting
In-Depth Journalism & News Analysis
LGBTQ & Queer Asian
The full list is long. These are sample highlights from various LGBTQ and Asian communities for you to get started. Asian does mean more than just Chinese, Japanese, Korean, to include for example the desi and Arab communities. Even Nancy, which I think would fall into general category, has an Asian host.
If you want to connect to Chinese communities in Asia, I made a list for:
Race, POC Politics, Asian American Voices
Again, when I compiled this list, it became so (encouragingly!) long that I will just keep a few highlights. I want to make a special note that the content from the UK is worth trying because it is so different from the American style. I much prefer the UK podcasts addressing race because they’re much less about labels and much more about describing experiences. Having said that, I listen to both sides of the Atlantic because the two approaches, I think, are complimentary. I should probably elaborate on this in another post, but anyway, just try!
From the UK
General US
South Asian / Desi Community
East Asian / Chinese American
China Perspectives
This list is not about tech or business in China. That feels like work to me. I am much more interested in perspectives in China especially places beyond Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen. With the exception of the F Word, these podcasts on China are in English.
Books, Movies, Anime, Games
Podcasts are such a great way to get recommendations about books and listen to what others have to say about our favourite things. Enjoy!
Books
Anime & Geek Culture
Academic & Miscellaneous
Hats off to the podcast that finally got me into podcasting — New Books in East Asia. I doubt talking about random niche topics on East Asia is of interest to most people, but for me it is like getting an amazing, personal, upfront lecture every single time. The same goes for other New Books Network podcasts, where you can subscribe to any academic book series you like, from classical one such as Economics, less traditional-seeming ones like Food.
