A quarterly snapshot of my media diet of podcasts and RSS feeds, as of Winter 2017.
I consume podcasts like oxygen—on my daily commute, as a mental break at work, during chores around the house, etc. If there's a gap or a drop in mental stimulation during my day, I usually drop into a podcast as a quick stimulant or a productive distraction. To tame my podcast feed, I organize them topically (see below 👇).
Also, I can't talk about podcasts without talking about podcasts app that I use to devour them:
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I currently use: Overcast. Minimal podcast app (iOS, web app) with smart features, e.g. "smart speed" which shortens moments of pause in a dialogue.
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I have previously tried:
- Apple Podcasts. I really wanted to love this. I buy into the Apple ecosystem so I'll always give the Apple apps the first shot before moving to others. Updated visual design to be more consistent with iOS 11 design language. Native app support for iOS (iPhone, iPad) and macOS (via iTunes). The syncing across platforms is currently too unreliable; I'd transition from my iPhone to my MacBook Pro and podcasts would be marked as unplayed or out of sync by 10-15 minutes. I suspect Apple's podcast cloud services are the culprit.
- Instacast. RIP. I started on this app about 5 years ago when podcasting was just taking off. Incredibly visual design for its time. Native apps for mobile and desktop. Mutli-device syncing. Bookmarks!!!! It had it all. Developer couldn't continue to support it over time and it folded (remember to support indie devs; buy software!).
A few final notes:
- If you wanted to easily import this curated podcast list into your podcaster of choice, snatch my OPML.
- I've marked podcasts I've recently starting listening to with a
*.
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Podcasts that focus on broader societal issues including news, race and identity.
- Another Round
- Code Switch
- Intelligence Square U.S. Debates
- The Nod
- Pod Save America
- Radio Atlantic
- Note to Self *
- The New Washington *
- FiveThirtyEight Politics *
- Strong Opinions Loosely Held *
- NYT Daily. Great podcast although for mental health's sake, I don't think I can consume subscribe to the daily news cycle.
/ / / /
Self-explanatory. Podcast cover a range of sub-disciplines in design focusing on information design (data vis) and digital product design. Side note, I've cycled through a ton of design podcasts and the SNR feels too low for me. Podcasts that dig deep through someone's body of work is . Those that focus a ton of casual chit-chat are hit-or-miss for me based on the interviewer style and the personality of the interviewee.
/ / / /
Podcasts that get into the weeds of specific tech. Note, I struggle with this category of podcasts. Given how code-oriented the content for this category can be, I'm not sure the medium (audio) does it much favors. Video podcasts may be a better choice. Here's the starter list that I'm working with.
- Changelog *
- CodeNewbie *
- CodePen Radio *
- Developer Tea *
- O'Reilly Data *
- O'Reilly Programming *
- ShopTalk *
- Software Engineering Daily *
- None so far.
/ / / /
A group of podcasts that focus on current economic issues, long-form interviews with entrepreneurs and broader topics in management/leadership.
/ / / /
Podcasts covering (pop) culture analysis in the US and around the world.
- 99% Invisible
- Imaginary Worlds
- Japan 2.0
- Mogul: The Life and Death of Chris Lighty
- Pop Culture Happy Hour
- NYT Popcast
- Revisionist History
- Twenty Thousand Hertz
- A Piece of Work *
- Design and Architecture *
- Two Crude Mandudes *
- None so far.
/ / / /
Self-explanatory. I don't enjoy much "hot take"-oriented sports shows so I try to curate those that do deeper analysis (often with statistics) or ones that presents novel POVs.
Set of podcasts that cover technology from a conceptual level.
- None so far.
I have a long history with RSS feeds. I've hemmed and hawed for years on the optimal use and setup of my RSS feeds to maximize insight/enjoyment with minimum noise or irrelevant comment (I'm talking to you Twitter!). My current POV on RSS feeds is this—no más. The short of it is this:
- Feeds were a primary way for me to stay updated on particular topics areas over time.
- Feeds are inherently a "push" interaction versus a "pull" interaction (I receive content based on the cadence of the publisher versus just-in-time in response to my needs).
- Culling through feeds and Instapaper to read to completion was a time-intensive task.
- All things consider, I couldn't continue to justify this investment relative to other approaches to consuming this info and relative to enjoyment of other activities.
So as of today, I'm putting my RSS habit on pause.