"If you followed the rules for building a successful podcast, you'd probably keep episodes short, release them on a strict schedule, and optimize relentlessly for platforms and algorithms. Now imagine doing the opposite. Imagine releasing three to four-hour episodes whenever, with just two people doing nearly all the work, no rush to cover the news, no effort to game discovery systems. By every rule of modern media, that podcast shouldn't work, but it does spectacularly, and it's called Acquired."
"The Acquired Podcast has more than a million listeners per episode. It sells out Radio City Music Hall for live sessions and has built one of the most influential audiences in business. Today's case asks the hard question behind that success: when breaking the rules is what got you here, how do you grow without breaking what works? To explore that, we're joined by Professor Shane Greenstein, along with Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, to discuss the case " The Acquired Podcast: Scaling the Mic.""
The Acquired podcast releases lengthy, unscheduled episodes produced mainly by two hosts and focuses on deep storytelling about business and tech. The show attracts over a million listeners per episode, sells out large live venues, and cultivates a highly influential business audience. The hosts intentionally ignore conventional growth tactics like short-form content, rigid schedules, and algorithm optimization. The central challenge is scaling the operation and audience without diluting the intimate format, creative control, and production approach that created its success. The case examines strategic choices around staffing, monetization, distribution, and maintaining listener trust while pursuing growth.
Read at Harvard Business Review
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