So we’ve always been pretty open. So you can remove some of the fear. And will this be better for the employees that have trusted us to come to the company? What? Earlier this month, we shut down Gimlet for a week. View Alex Blumberg’s profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. So if you put money into the seed fund through crowdfunding, will you see return on that money? And so I was trying to send this all-staff and like Google had somehow changed this feature. You can’t tell them what’s going to happen in part because you still literally don’t know, I would imagine. So how are you and Spotify going to figure out what’s a Spotify exclusive? You always have the choice to adjust your interest settings or unsubscribe. That’s new. I think we all want this podcast to be part of a solution itself. Matt Lieber: No, we began telling them that in small groups last week because we’re a pretty transparent place. I just don’t know what to do.” We’re hoping that our podcast can be a place for people who feel that way to not be alone with that feeling and actually turn that feeling into action, which will make it feel less helpless and more positive. It’s going to be great. Alex Blumberg: In the moment that we’re in right now with climate, a lot of people are very terrified. And it’s really important that for the integrity of the process and what we’re trying to achieve here, we need it to stay inside the company.”. But that’s not the only reason they sold. And so we knew them well, and we saw the growth on the platform. All that makes sense, and I understand why Spotify would want to buy you guys and why you think that’s a good home. So there you go. Alex Blumberg: I think ... obviously, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that the money doesn’t matter, because obviously the money matters. And so we entered serious discussion. Chip in as little as $3 to help keep it free for everyone. I think we all want this podcast to be part of a solution itself. There’s not much we can share right now. And it’s growing really fast on Spotify. Exclusives. by Kevin Goldberg + Gimlet doesn’t rest on their laurels, which is why they’re busier than ever. Obviously once it’s out in the press, then ... You’ve got 100-plus employees. Nine months ago, the pair started talking about producing a podcast on combating climate change with expert-led, actionable solutions. And for us, that felt like a better path where we could realize our ambitions and our goals. Google and Facebook hate a proposed privacy law. So where to begin? I believe you, it’s bad. I will let you guys get some sleep and celebrate however you want to celebrate. And there’s basically a disconnect between the number of people who are listening and the amount of shows they’re listening to, and the amount of money coming into podcasting. [19] The New York Times reported that the number of overall listeners to the show increased 35 percent across platforms in the days after its release. I think we signed the deal at 3:30 am. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Let’s talk about bringing it to the next level.” And we liked that idea, because for us when we ... we weren’t trying to sell the company. And so for us, we looked at the path of being independent — and like I said, things were going well for us — but we also know that there’s risks down that path. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. It’s hard. We hope to be able to tell you more next week.” And throughout last week we had also told people, we’d communicated through the groups of managers at the company that like, “Hey, this is happening right now. [18], In March 2020, the podcast released episode 158, "The Case of the Missing Hit" to wide acclaim. “We looked at the path of joining a large platform with global distribution and, you know, multiple billion dollars of revenue and data and discovery and an amazing technology platform that was invested in audio,” Lieber said. Each episode varies in format, with some recurring segments, including "Yes, Yes, No", in which Vogt and Goldman explain internet trivia to Alex Blumberg, co-founder of Gimlet Media, with occasional help from outside guests. Tune into the first episode of How to Save a Planet now. It was just, the last of like … And there’s a million niggling details like that, where every single thing, even the things that seem like they should be easy like sending, cutting and pasting something into an email, is hard. California voters get a chance to shape internet privacy rules for the rest of the country in November. Most US clinical skin care is designed for white women. There’s no downside. After months of talks, Democrats say Facebook isn’t ready for the election. And it was basically three things. So it’s just a way for our storytelling and our work to have a lot more impact. [5] The music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Matt Lieber: Or make an exclusivity to Spotify, the existing shows. Editing by Jorge Just, with additional editing by Alex … [20] Hannah J. Davies of The Guardian called it "perhaps the best-ever episode of any podcast" and "an incredibly emotive piece of storytelling. This is a new world, and we’re trying to figure out how it works. : The aim is a little bit different. I think people know that, but telling that story is really important. This episode was also produced by Peter Bresnan, Kalila Holt, and Stevie Lane. Matt Lieber: Yes, you will. Alex is a co-founder of Gimlet Media, and Gimlet makes a bunch of podcasts that you probably heard of, like StartUp and The Pitch and Reply All. That started to feel very compelling. And that’s just how it felt. We didn’t leak the story. Reply All is an American podcast from Gimlet Media, hosted by PJ Vogt, Alex Goldman and Emmanuel Dzotsi. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: I think there’s a very simple power, which is to help people not feel so alone, right? Then they recruited a knowledgeable team that includes journalists Kendra Peirre-Louis and Rachel Waldholz, Gimlet producers Caitlin Kenney and Anna Ladd, and sound engineer Emma Munger to help in creating a podcast that will continue to evolve as people take systematic action on climate change. You’re all gonna have jobs. Credits Heavyweight is hosted and produced by Jonathan Goldstein. But you weren’t able to tell them that until Wednesday, right, until today? Under the Gimlet Creative arm, their branded podcast division, Casting Call … That’s the question that Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Gimlet cofounder Alex Blumberg seek to answer in their new podcast, How to Save a Planet. But the actual size of the industry is still very small. Two, they would have to understand what’s special about Gimlet, which is that we are really invested in high-quality, excellent content that strives for more. So in addition to interviews with academic leaders like. So those will continue to be freely distributed. Fresh off a surprise release of three new original shows — Sandra, We Came To Win, and The Habitat — and the premier of their anticipated StartUp TV adaption, Alex Inc., they’re now announcing Casting Call, a new podcast competition show. Alex Blumberg: What we want to do is increase the range of options, because people are all different and you can probably engage in a way that leverages your particular skills and personality that isn’t just like a sort of one-size-fits-all solution. We weren’t running a process. And three is, the value would have to be right. So were you guys talking to Spotify as far back as May? On Friday, I wrote that you guys were going to sell the company. The existing shows will not be made exclusive to Spotify. And it’s been eating at him ever since. When did that conversation start? I’m sorry, a StartUp episode? And partnering with Spotify ... sorry, I always hate when people say “partnering” when what they mean is “being acquired by.” Being acquired by Spotify gives us ... Matt Lieber: … puts us with the world’s largest audio platform that’s reaching more than 200 million people globally. We are in conversations with Spotify, but we don’t have it done yet. said it would buy Gimlet — and the podcasting app Anchor, with hopes of buying more, interview with the CEO of Fortune, Alan Murray, The census will continue until October 31, despite the Trump administration’s attempts to end it early. , Alex and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson will also talk to individuals like farmers and fishermen who’ve started to make changes after decades of not thinking about sustainability. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: I think we need more journalism focused on solutions, because we’re finally at the point where we have the journalistic expertise and the media support for talking about climate science and how climate change is already impacting people. Take care. It’s a technicality that people often forget about. Then they recruited a knowledgeable team that includes journalists, to help in creating a podcast that will continue to evolve as people take systematic action on climate change, In creating the podcast, the team aimed to engage listeners, give them concrete, large steps to take part in during every show, and tell the stories of people around the world already mobilizing around climate change. And what they’ve found? So I sure hope ... Alex Blumberg: And I might hit you up for like, to use parts of this, possibly, at some point in the future. Blumberg and Lieber spoke with Recode’s Peter Kafka on the latest episode of Recode Media. Justifiably, it’s a scary moment, but people don’t have anything to do with that terror, and they’re sort of sitting with it alone. And will this be a Reply All episode, I’m assuming? Thank you for your candor. I’m sorry, I’m on two hours of sleep, so I’m not doing great right now. Justifiably, it’s a scary moment, but people don’t have anything to do with that terror, and they’re sort of sitting with it alone. The plan was not for the story to come out. Alex Blumberg: Well, I’ve never been through any kind of deal like this before, and so to me it just feels like, well, at any moment, there’s always the possibility that something could happen and it could fall apart. It was a 2016 Webby Nominee for Best Podcast.[9]. And so it’ll be a mix of exclusive things that we make exclusively for Spotify, like we’re doing right now with Mogul or things that are windowed or things that are a mix of the two. I’m just looking at the transcript now. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: Alex, does it feel like the stakes are higher on this one? Not everyone wants to go to utility board meetings or start farming seaweed, but hopefully some people will raise a ruckus for their local utility boards to transition to renewables or rethink their farming practices. Like, people who are doing regenerative farming are more profitable than when they weren’t doing it. By using our website, you agree to the use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. The deal was that far done. Did you go to them and say, “Would you like to buy us”? Of course, they’ve been one of our most important partners. Lieber said they did consider that, given the success of its hit shows like StartUp and Reply All, Gimlet might be able to “navigate the stormy seas of media” and remain independent. And all those things just were very clearly evident with Spotify pretty early on. On Wednesday, Spotify said it would buy Gimlet — and the podcasting app Anchor, with hopes of buying more. The latest episode also features an interview with the CEO of Fortune, Alan Murray, who also sold his company recently — to billionaire Thai businessman Chatchaval Jiaravanon. And I think Google added this feature where if you copy something out of a Google Doc and you paste it into Google Mail, all of a sudden it’s like the people don’t have the proper permissions to receive this email, because it’s somehow all of a sudden treated it as like a Google Doc. Podcasts are probably a half-a-billion-dollar industry this year. sat down with the cohosts to get the inside scoop on. Annuler. This CEO is making products for everyone. The segment debuted in episode 106, "Is that You, KD?".