Rephonic
Artwork for Acquired
Costco
Microsoft
Acquired Podcast
IKEA
Google
Visa
NVIDIA
Ingvar Kamprad
Walmart
Sam's Club
Artificial Intelligence
Cloud Computing
Sweden
Price Club
Meta
Acquired
Windows 95
Personal Computers
Mars Incorporated
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company

Every company has a story. Learn the playbooks that built the world’s greatest companies — and how you can apply them.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes217Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyBusinessInvesting

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Acquired

Latest Episodes

The Home Depot's founding story is like an Avengers movie… if the Avengers got fired, went broke, and stacked empty paint cans ten feet high to look legitimate. After being unceremoniously fired from their previous hardware chain at ages 48 and 35, B... more

In 1984, the Walt Disney Company was worth more dead than alive. Disney Animation — the heart of Walt's famous flywheel — had stagnated for years, bleeding away talent while corporate raiders circled, salivating over offers to sell off the film libra... more

The Walt Disney Company is the most successful enterprise ever created for monetizing human nostalgia. Today it’s the king of global entertainment, holding the intellectual property rights to the childhood memories of billions of people (including, l... more

Vanguard is the most effective vehicle ever created for participating in the fruits of American capitalism. Today it’s the single largest equity owner of the majority of corporations in the S&P 500, on behalf of 50 million clients (including, likely,... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Bernie Marcus
Co-founder of Home Depot; founding CEO of Handy Dan
Home Depot (co-founder)
Episode: The Home Depot
Arthur Blank
Co-founder; finance and operations leader
Home Depot
Episode: The Home Depot
Ken Langone
Investment banker; financier and board member
Home Depot investor and co-founder
Episode: The Home Depot
Pat Farrah
Founder/operator of Home Co; early merchandising genius
Home Co (early concept)
Episode: The Home Depot
Sol Price
Founder of Price Club; retail innovator
Price Club/Costco precursor
Episode: The Home Depot
Sandy Sigaloff
Daylen CEO; turnaround leader
Daylen (Handy Dan)
Episode: The Home Depot
Frank Blake
Home Depot CEO post-Nardelli; culture-focused leader
Home Depot
Episode: The Home Depot
Colin Fleming
CMO / EVP at ServiceNow, former Red Bull test driver
ServiceNow
Episode: Formula 1
Michael Lewis
Author of Moneyball, host of Against the Rules
Author, Podcast Host
Episode: 10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 16.6k ratings
  • Love this podcast!

    My sister turned me on to this podcast, which I normally would not have listened to on my own. I am not a business person, I have no business savvy or interest in starting a business. But the hosts are gifted storytellers, and their passion for business really draws you in! Highly recommend this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Megeth03
    United States5 days ago
  • Amazing production and content

    I am a big cricket fan so started listening to the podcast because of the IPL episode. The in-depth research, details and the team work in the podcast was absolutely phenomenal. Since then I have been finishing one episode after another. Love that the level of details shared gives you good knowledge doesn’t overwhelm or leave you needing more.

    Just keep doing what you are doing Ben and David.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    yannies1
    United States9 days ago
  • I feel smarter

    I live every episode. I feel like I got smarter.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    BBAALLLRIIGHT
    United States14 days ago
  • Smart and informative

    I feel like I’m learning so much about different business models

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LightWave2
    United States21 days ago
  • Must-listen for any founder.

    Well researched , and constantly improved over a couple years, fresh content choices. One of the top Podcasts

    I’ve found ( in my opinion ). Genuinely enjoyable and informative. - Mark

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JessieJPJ
    Canadaa month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Consistently high-quality insights with a rare blend of history and business strategy.
Long episodes with lots of ads can be a turn-off for some listeners, but the substance remains compelling.
Hosts have strong chemistry and provide comprehensive business histories.
In-depth research and storytelling; great for long drives and deep analysis.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)
Q: What have you learned from the companies you've covered that you've then applied to Acquired?
We learned that it's okay to have a giant 'too hard' pile, and we found that we can build a great brand while focusing on high-quality storytelling with scarcity in episode releases.
The Steve Ballmer Interview
Q: What did you learn from your time at Microsoft that you apply in your current role with the Clippers?
Ballmer mentions the importance of accountability in sports, stating, 'Every 24 seconds, you get a report card, basketball, shot clock.'
The Steve Ballmer Interview
Q: How do you feel about the fact that you are regarded as the father of Microsoft's enterprise business?
Steve acknowledges that while he feels good about it, there are many fathers to the enterprise business, and he regrets losing the consumer muscle along the way.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang
Q: How does Jensen view AI's impact on robotics and self-driving cars?
AI must be kept safe, and we need to ensure that humans remain involved to guide the technology in critical situations.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang
Q: What should companies do when they find product-market fit and begin to grow?
They should seek to serve needs that have not emerged yet and position themselves in zero billion dollar markets where few competitors exist.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Acquired

What is Acquired about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Long-form, deeply researched explorations of iconic companies and the people who built them. Episodes commonly trace origins, strategic bets, and the evolution of business models across industries like entertainment, investing, retail, and sports, often weaving in finance, governance, and branding. Listeners can expect thorough storytelling, data-driven context, and candid discussions with leaders and industry veterans. A notable strength is the ability to turn historical case studies into practical lessons for value creation and strategic thinking, making it a compelling pick for investors, operators, and curious executives who enjoy big-picture business narratives.

Where can I find podcast stats for Acquired?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Acquired. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Acquired and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Acquired get?

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What are the audience demographics for Acquired?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Acquired, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Acquired have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Acquired has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Acquired?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Acquired:

1. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
2. Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
3. Founders
4. The a16z Show
5. Dwarkesh Podcast

How many episodes of Acquired are there?

Acquired launched 11 years ago and published 217 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Acquired?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Acquired?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Acquired from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Acquired?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Acquired. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Acquired?

Recent guests on Acquired include:

1. Bernie Marcus
2. Arthur Blank
3. Ken Langone
4. Pat Farrah
5. Sol Price
6. Sandy Sigaloff
7. Frank Blake
8. Colin Fleming

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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