corporate battle
In 1962, the brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht founded the discounter Aldi. Their concept of offering good quality for a low price is as simple as it is ingenious and a real revolution in retail. It was only eleven years later that Dieter Schwarz founded the counterpart Lidl, copied the discounter concept and declared war on Aldi. When large corporations are in direct competition, things can get pretty messy. Examples abound: Nike versus Adidas. Instagram vs Tiktok. Volkswagen versus Tesla. The podcast corporate battle of the American podcast network Wondery is devoted to the stories behind the often traditional rivalries. The German adaptation of the US business podcast will run in several seasons business wars the questions of what drives inventors, bosses and investors, what leads them to success and what can bring them down – and, above all, what role the competition plays in this. With his superb storytelling, host Marc Ben Push provides intimate insights into the fierce competition of such competing corporations. Lilian Koehler
prosperity for all
The two young journalists Ole Nymoen and Wolfgang M. Schmitt make a different kind of business podcast: When two young men sit down in front of a microphone to talk about business and finance, you often have to listen to tips on stock investment strategies. Not at prosperity for all. A wide range of economic topics, theories and people are discussed from a decidedly left-wing, often Marxist-materialist perspective. At irregular intervals there are special episodes in which the two hosts present classics of world literature – such as The Great Gatsby or fist II – check the image of society and economy they convey or conduct interviews with experts on various topics from the meat industry to fiscal policy. Of course there are good podcast alternatives with depth that have a different theoretical basis; but as Schmitt himself once observed, economic issues are underrepresented on the left spectrum. Therefore the access of prosperity for all a valuable addition to the business podcast universe. Philip Riessenberger
Crypto!
“The dream of magical internet money” – that’s the subtitle of this seven-episode podcast, produced by Funkhaus Ost for SWR. In order to understand what the cryptocurrencies are all about, the best known of which are Bitcoin and Ethereum, one has to go back to the beginnings of the Internet. The host Maximilian Netter and his two co-authors Klaus Uhrig and Rafael Jové insist on this – and they can explain it conclusively. Cryptocurrencies themselves have only existed since the late 2000s. According to Netter, however, they are the logical and ultimate consequence of the web pioneers’ original endeavors to create a free Internet and the control and regulation efforts of states and companies. The attempt to create tap-proof areas in the interceptable mass medium, also for the financial sector. Those who are well versed will already know a lot. For everyone else, the podcast paints a big picture that goes far beyond what you might see in Bitcoins at the moment: an object of speculation. Stephen Fisher
True deal
Shares, funds or bitcoins – these are more obvious investments. This podcast presents alternatives: direct investments in business ideas. Christina Kleinfeld from Finanzmagazin Finance Forward and the freelance financial journalist Judith Henke talk about exciting investment cases from the past few years. Sometimes it’s about collectibles, the podcasters talk about a watch for which buyers shell out a seven-figure sum. Another episode revolves around a man who glues garden hoses to his soles and uses this idea to build the multi-million dollar shoe company On Running – with the help of private equity firms. Kleinfeld and Henke always have other experts as guests, who not only present interesting business deals with them, but also provide an overview of the respective asset class. Of course, the podcast does not offer a guarantee of success when investing, but it does convey financial knowledge in an entertaining way. Sophie Aster