Essential Listening: A/B Testing

The launch of the Serial podcast was a milestone for the medium. For whatever reason, Serial broke away from the podcasting pack and made an impact on the broader media world. For example, Saturday Night Live even lampooned it with its own parody. Now the second season of Serial has launched and is not surprisingly attracting a great deal of attention as well.

For that reason, this week’s edition of Essential Listening is light on finance content and ranges widely. If you are looking for more finance-centric podcasts, check out last week’s edition of Essential Listening. Let’s move on to a new list of podcasts that will make your next workout or commute more enjoyable.

• Shane Parrish of Farnam Street talks with Philip Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction. Tetlock explains what traits superforecasters share and how you can use these insights to become a better forecaster. (Farnam Street)
• Speaking of start-ups, much has been made of the froth in late-stage venture capital. However, a bigger issue may be the challenge posed to start-ups that have raised seed rounds but are facing a tougher time raising a Series A. Semil Shah and Nick Moran have an extended discussion on the many issues facing all those start-ups that issue convertible notes. (The Full Ratchet)
• One thing the rise of the start-up has brought to light is the technique known as “A/B testing.” Robert Smith and Stephen Henn explain how A/B testing has spread from the online realm to the wider world and how much of what you see (or buy) has already been tested out. (Planet Money)
• In the United States, the view of start-ups is very US-centric. There is a rich fabric of start-ups outside the United States, however, specifically in big markets like China and India. In this podcast, Andreessen Horowitz partners Connie Chan and Anu Hariharan discuss how Chinese and Indian start-up ecosystems are unique and the role US-based companies play in their development. (a16z Podcast)
• Aaron Lammer interviews John Seabrook, author of the acclaimed book The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory. Seabrook explains how a handful of powerful, secretive music producers have come to dominate the pop charts. (Longform Podcast)
• Stephen Dubner talks with cheeseburger obsessive Emily O’Hara about her quest to find the best cheeseburger (and fries) in the Louisville, Kentucky, area, the lessons her year-long journey taught her, and what we can learn about eating (and feeling) better. (Freakonomics Radio)
• L. V. Anderson of Slate sits down with Andrew Mulligan, a wine portfolio manager for Skurnik Wines, to discuss how a new wine (or winemaker) makes it into an importer’s lineup and the challenges of bringing wine into the United States. (Slate)
• Marc Maron interviews film and television producer Brian Grazer, co-author of A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life, about how he elbowed his way into the movie business, his long and successful partnership with Ron Howard, and how meeting and learning from a wide variety of people outside of Hollywood has informed his work (and life). (WTF)

Feel free to leave a comment with other podcasts Enterprising Investor readers/listeners might enjoy. I may highlight your suggestion in this ongoing series on the world of podcasting.

You can read more from Tadas Viskanta on his blog Abnormal Returns or follow him on Twitter @abnormalreturns.

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All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the author’s employer.

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