Why Acquired is Your Boss's Favorite Podcast |
Success has come slowly and yet recently enough to David Rosenthal and Ben Gilbert that you get the sense neither can quite believe their good fortune. In fact, the hosts of Acquired, one of the most popular—and unusual—podcasts about business, are at a point in their journey that closely resembles the early days of the business titans whose stories they obsessively and meticulously tell: They are breakout stars but still more or less operating by the seat of their pants. In 2015, the pair were coworkers and new friends at the venture-capital firm Madrona Venture Group in Seattle when they decided, just for the fun of it, to make a podcast about tech-industry mergers and acquisitions. "That was it," recalls Rosenthal, who is 39. "We were buddies. Podcasting wasn't a thing. It was barely an industry. We didn't think any more of it." Nearly a decade later, everything has changed for the duo. They have quit their VC jobs and are each earning seven figures creating a podcast whose episodes are downloaded more than 900,000 times within six months, with a listener base that has been doubling yearly. They have moved on from solely focusing on technology or M&A to include creation-to-present-day coverage of companies like Hermès, Visa, and Novo Nordisk, as well as money–making institutions like the NFL and Taylor Swift. They also have become such a big deal that they're rubbing shoulders with the richest and most powerful executives on the planet. |
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You Want My Debate Takeaway? Harris Pitched a No-Hitter and They're Eating the Dogs in Springfield |
I'm supposed to have a "takeaway" or five after Tuesday night's bloodbath in Philadelphia. I have only one, which means I'm four takeaways short of ever working for CNN, I guess. Nevertheless, this is my one takeaway from the presidential debate. "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs!" Are you expecting a serious analysis of that freak show—that encounter between an actual potential president of the United States and a rampaging, crazy, drunk uncle yelling about Doberman au poivre in Springfield, Ohio? A guy who said that everybody wanted Roe v. Wade overturned, including "all the legal scholars"? A guy who summons Viktor Orban, the Hungarian strongman, as a character reference? A guy who believes infanticide is legal... in Minnesota? The guy who warned us about immigrants eating dogs? The whole quote is even worse. |
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The 40 Best HBO Series of All Time, Ranked |
Roughly 25 years have passed since HBO first dominated television with The Sopranos and The Wire. Today the network continues to age like a fine wine. Tony Soprano eventually passed the baton to the Boardwalk Empire, and now ol' Nucky is ready to hand it off to Colin Farrell's waddling Penguin. Elsewhere, recent shows like True Detective: Night Country sent viewers down (freezing) rabbit holes, while comedies such as Hacks and The White Lotus reminded audiences that HBO isn't only about the drama. Just don't remind me that we now live in a world post–Curb Your Enthusiasm and Succession. With House of the Dragon and The Last of Us continuing to dominate watercooler chatter, it's obvious that HBO figured out how to rise above the clutter of the streaming wars. On the horizon, the network promises to continue its stellar year with shows like Dune: Prophecy, The Franchise, and the first-ever Harry Potter television series. While we wait to find out if any of the new series will break the list, we've ranked the 40 best HBO series of all time. |
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How Wise Guy Delivered The Sopranos Postscript We Didn't Know We Needed |
When HBO first approached Alex Gibney about making a docuseries about The Sopranos, he was inclined to say no. As much as the Academy Award-winning director loved the show, he wasn't interested in creating a sizzle reel about it, which makes sense when you consider Gibney's filmography. This is the man who's peeled back layers of power and corruption in films like Taxi to the Dark Side and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief—and recently spoke up about streaming platforms' outsized influence in the production of documentaries. Simply repackaging a TV show wasn't in his DNA. On top of that, Gibney wondered what could possibly be left to say about one of the most talked about shows of the 21st century. He didn't want to just show a bunch of clips of people yapping about how great The Sopranos was. But then came lunch with David Chase, the mastermind behind Tony Soprano's twisted world. "I was enchanted with him," Gibney tells me during our late-August chat. Over the course of their shared meal, Gibney realized how personal the show was for Chase and, with that, found a new, worthwhile way to explore the series. "After my lunch with David, I was like, 'I'm all in if you're in, David,' Gibney recalls. And so what began as a side-eye turned into an exploration of the grit and guts it took to bring one of television's most influential series to life. |
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Gillian Anderson Can Tell You What Women Want |
Gillian Anderson isn't a sex therapist, but for four years, she played one on television. From 2019 to 2023, she starred as Sex Education's Dr. Jean Milburn, a lusty, complicated, sometimes manipulative (see: human) woman, bumbling and grasping through midlife while single-parenting her teenage son, Otis. But even though the role was pure fiction, something about Milburn's funny, loving energy made people want to talk to Anderson about sex. For years, her literary agent received inquiries from publishers and editors about interviews she might do, confessions she might write. For a long time, she put them off. But then her editor suggested something more communal: other people, submitting anonymously. Anderson was finally convinced by the idea of a large and varied group. "We had many different versions," she says. "And then I realized what would be most beautiful and affecting was to hear from as many different women as we could." Last year, Anderson's publisher, Bloomsbury, set up an online portal. The actress posted a call: "Whatever your background, whomever you do or don't sleep with, whether you're eighteen or eighty: if you identify as a woman, I want to hear from you." Eight thousand women started to transcribe their fantasies, each beginning with "Dear Gillian." Eight hundred pressed submit. The result is Want: 350 pages of anonymous sex fantasies selected and ordered by Anderson. |
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How to Dress Now: Style Rules, Investment Pieces, and Expert Tips for Looking Your Best |
There are three things a man does every single day of his life: sleeps, eats, and gets dressed.* We want to be involved—especially with that last bit. Figuring out what to wear has never been more confusing. The Internet is downright overwhelmed with style advice. But what—and who—to trust? That's where Esquire comes in. We have more than 90 years of experience in recommending menswear, and now we're distilling it all into the Esquire Style Guides. What are the 15 things you should have in your closet? What should you pack for a three-day work trip? How do you shop for a watch? Where do you find the perfect T-shirt? The Esquire Style Guides have all the answers and will help you dress for any occasion. |
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