Lex Friedman, Midroll’s EVP of Sales and Development, joins Adam to pull the curtain back on this fun “inside Midroll Media” episode of The Wolf Den. Lex tells the story of how he got started selling podcast ads—despite not having a sales background–and then met Earwolf and Midroll founder Jeff Ullrich who brought Lex and his ad company on board as part of an acquihire. Adam and Lex also talk about how Midroll Media compares to your typical startup and the crazy growth the company has seen in the last eighteen months. Finally, Lex discusses how podcasting is maturing as a medium, and how advertisers are starting to book their spots up front, like in television. This is an entertaining deep dive into the business of podcasting that must not be missed. 

Noah Shanok is Adam’s guest for this edition of The Wolf Den. He is the co-founder and former CEO of Stitcher, the popular on-demand podcast and Internet radio service. Stitcher was an early innovator in podcasting, coming on the scene when Blackberrys were the predominant mobile device, and most people still had to sync their iPods in order to listen on the go. Noah lays out the company’s history and evolution from an iTunes plug-in, to a web app, and then to a true mobile platform.  He shares his experience with venture capital funding, weighing some of its advantages and disadvantages, along with details about Stitcher’s recent acquisition by the Deezer streaming music service. Stitcher is also an early innovator in the automotive space, so Noah tells the story of how the service came to be integrated in the first generation of the Ford Sync smart dashboard platform, leading to integration with other major brands like GM, Subaru, and Jaguar.  Finally, he tells Adam his predictions for when on-demand audio will take over the car, and what lies ahead for the future of audience metrics. 

Adam’s guest for this episode is the world’s best known astrophysicist–and an amazingly talented podcast host–Neil deGrasse Tyson. In this don’t-miss episode Neil discusses how hosting the StarTalk Radio podcast serves his mission to educate the public about science in a way that is accessible, fun, and—most importantly—informative. He explains that part of podcasting’s strength comes from the fact that “the versatility of pure audio is without equal.” Neil answers Adam’s questions about  what he enjoys most and least about doing StarTalk, and if he receives any criticism or push-back from the scientific community for being so engaged with popular culture. Finally, in honor of it being Adam’s birthday on the day they recorded, Neil gives him a special science fact about his time on Earth. 

Nerdist Industries President Adam Rymer is the guest for this episode of The Wolf Den, discussing how the Nerdist brand went from being Chris Hardwick’s website and podcast to becoming an agile and fast-growing digital media company, now part of Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind successful movies like Batman Begins, 300 and Interstellar. Adam talks about how Nerdist is both like a modern cable network and a multi-channel network (MCN), but is also different. That’s because Nerdist works with a smaller cadre of carefully chosen talent, but creating content that works on different platforms. He also explains how podcasting fits into the company’s high level strategy, and how the medium is still integral to Nerdist along with being a meaningful part of the bottom line. Finally, Adam lays out some of his vision for the future of Nerdist, which could include feature films or music.

Earwolf and Midroll Media just launched a new podcast network: Wolfpop. Curator Paul Scheer and Podcast Developer Matt Gourley join Adam for this conversation recorded six hours after Wolfpop went live (and an all-nighter for Adam). They talk about how the idea for a pop culture focused network came together, and their strategy for building a slate of shows. Paul and Matt discuss how the focus was first on finding passionate hosts, then helping them develop formats that work best. Then they share some of the process of recruiting the Wolfpop talent–like cold-calling film critic Leonard Maltin, host of Maltin on Movies–and how Paul helped bring people on board by sharing his own experience hosting a podcast within an already busy schedule. Finally, they tackle the reasons for launching with a line-up of more than a dozen shows, and consider the “Waiting for Godot” of podcasting.

Adam’s guest is Chris Erwin, Head of Operations for Big Frame. The company, which was acquired this year by DreamWorks, is often called a multichannel network, or MCN, while Chris describes Big Frame as, “a new-era entertainment company for teens and millennials.” Adam asks Chris to explain more about what MCNs and Big Frame do, especially with regard to developing and managing the careers of digital-first creators, like YouTube stars Ingrid Nilsen, Tyler Oakley and Amanda Steele. Since Earwolf and Midroll Media are digital-first media companies, as well, Adam and Chris talk about the similarities between their businesses, and how they make money for talent. Finally, they discuss what it’s like to work in entertainment tech and in the Silicon Beach of Los Angeles.

As Tim Ferriss explains on this episode of The Wolf Den, he views himself as a teacher who does a lot of self-experimentation and then shares the results in his books like The 4-Hour Work Week, The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Chef, and on his blog. He and Adam discuss Tim’s approach to lifestyle and career design, as well as some key strategies for building an audience. Tim’s podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, debuted at the top of the iTunes Charts in April and has stayed there since. So they talk extensively about Tim’s methods and recommendations for launching and sustaining a successful show.

Adam’s guest on this episode is James Altucher, a successful entrepreneur, investor, board member, bestselling author, and blogger. He also recently became a podcaster, hosting the popular twice-a-week James Altucher Show and the daily Ask Altucher. They have a spirited conversation about why it’s important to “choose yourself,” which is the title and topic of James’ recent book. James relates this credo to podcasting, which lets producers sidestep the traditional media gatekeepers to reach audiences directly. He also considers the value of podcast advertising, and how sponsors help validate a show. Finally they talk about why James—as an investor and a host/producer—is bullish on podcasting, and how he is improving his craft.

Howard Lindzon is the guest for Adam’s first episode as host. Howard is a financial analyst, angel investor and hedge fund manager, best known for founding StockTwits, the social network for investors. He’s also a witty guy who created and sold a successful web video series, and has a huge Twitter following. Howard mentored Adam at his last company, so they talk about mentorship.  As a media creator, Howard shares why it’s important to focus on who is in your audience, not just how big it is, and he explains the importance of endurance in entrepreneurship. Finally, he stresses why it’s important to focus and stay true to your passions.

The multitalented Kevin Smith is Jeff’s guest for this episode of The Wolf Den. Kevin says that he’ll always be called “director Kevin Smith,” but the truth is that he’s “done way more podcasts” than films. He tells Jeff why he got started podcasting and decided to build a network, discussing the stories behind Smodcast shows like “Fatman on Batman” and “Hollywood Babbleon.” Then Kevin explains why he thinks TV and movie development people are looking at podcasting for their next deal, and what the future holds for this medium.

Chief Nerdist Chris Hardwick returns to The Wolf Den for the first time in four years. He and Jeff get caught up with everything going on in the Nerdist world, and how Chris keeps on top of having a podcast, a Comedy Central TV show, and being the CEO of a growing media company. Chris shares his views on the state of podcasting and where it’s going, and how different platforms require different approaches for media making.

Don’t miss this episode’s bonus video at the Midroll blog: http://blog.themidroll.com/twd-58-bonus-video/

Public radio producer Alex Blumberg enters The Wolf Den to discuss the entrepreneurial future of audio journalism. Alex is a long-standing producer for This American Life and the co-founder of the NPR podcast and radio program Planet Money. He tells Jeff about the lessons learned in the Planet Money Kickstarter to make a t-shirt so that they could document its production and distribution across the global supply chain. Alex reveals how this opened a door for him, and that he’s building a new independent project to create and support innovative narrative journalism.

Don’t miss the bonus video (http://blog.themidroll.com/twd-57-bonus-video/) where Alex lets us in on what he thinks is the most exciting thing happening in podcasting today.

Ellen Weiss is vice president and bureau chief for E.W. Scripps Company’s multimedia news bureau. She joins Jeff from Washington DC to discuss podcasting’s new frontiers in journalism. They talk about Ellen’s distinguished career in news at NPR and the Center for Public Integrity and how that led to her taking over Scripps’ digital newsroom. Then she explains the strategy behind Scripps’s acquisition of the DecodeDC podcast–founded and hosted by former NPR correspondent Andrea Seabrook–and reveals what she thinks is the most exciting thing happening in podcasting today.

Though he is rarely heard from on his own, Marc Maron says he considers WTF producer Brendan McDonald, “half of the show.” On this episode of The Wolf Den Brendan steps out of the producer’s chair and in front of the microphone. He tells Jeff how his five-year relationship working with Marc at Air America turned into them creating WTF together, and how their successful collaboration relies on a shared vision. Brendan then shares how producing WTF means he had to become a businessman and entrepreneur, learning lessons along the way, like which responsibilities he should do himself and which are better to be outsourced.

Make sure to watch the bonus video http://blog.themidroll.com/twd-55-bonus-video/) where Brendan reveals what he’s most excited about in podcasting, his favorite podcasts, and what keeps him up at night.

Editor & Chief of Slate and Political Gabfest host David Plotz joins Jeff to talk about all of the new changes that have occurred in the world of podcasting. They’ll discuss the value and downsides regarding live shows for podcasts, David’s current investment in podcasting, and if the business of podcasting is growing. Make sure to go to http://blog.themidroll.com/slate-editor-david-plotz-exciting-thing-podcasting-today/ for the exclusive video from this episode.