With my new job I now find myself commuting to Mountain View from San Francisco a few times a week, and so I’ve found myself ravenously listening to podcasts now more than ever. Here’s a list of shows that I currently make an effort to listen to every week:

Back To Work 

It’s equal parts hilarious inside-jokes mixed with witty insights and profound life advice dished out by Merlin Mann and co-host Dan Benjamin. The show can be a bit of an acquired taste since each episode begins with a 20-30 minute random, yet always interesting, conversation that blends into some of the most on-point advice for work and life in general. I’ve gotten more out of listening to this show over the past year than any other podcast I’ve ever subscribed to. Definitely check this one out.

Roderick On The Line 

Another Merlin Mann helmed show. This podcast is a weekly phone conversation between Merlin Mann and his long time friend, indie rock musician John Roderick. This show is always hilarious and filled with great insights about life, society, and culture at large. This is one of my favorite podcasts to put on whenever. Fun fact: this show is actually spun off from an episode of Back To Work, so if you’re looking for a good introduction to this show check out this episode of Back To Work.

Planet Money

An extraordinarily well-produced podcast put on by NPR and co-produced by the folks behind This American Life. The focus of this show is usually economic questions, mysteries, hypothetical situations, or interesting stories involving money.

This American Life

This show doesn’t need much explanation as it has been at the top of the ‘best podcasts’ list since podcasts have been a thing. Each episode is centered around a theme and the show contains a selection of stories focused around that theme. I always get something out of every episode, it’s just a fantastic example of journalism and storytelling at its best.

The Vergecast 

A weekly roundup of current tech news and opinion hosted by the lead editors of The Verge. I’ve grown to enjoy hearing the opinions of each of the hosts on a range of tech news topics, and it can get really fun when there’s a polarizing topic or issue being discussed.