Best Stoa Podcasts (2024)

1
Reading the Roman Emperor: Meditations 2.6-10 (Episode 138) 50:56

1h ago50:56

50:56

Caleb and Michale read through Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations. Specifically: Meditations 2.6-2.10. There are several essential themes in these passages: the importance of self-examination, maintaining focus on what matters, and the philosophical underpinnings of Stoicism. in the Meditations we get to see Marcus Aurelius rehearsing Stoic maxims – and…

1
Daybreak Special: Stoa School is dead. Long live altMBAs. 30:02

7h ago30:02

30:02

Four years, 15 cohorts, and roughly 1,500 students later, Stoa School has shut down. The poster child for alternative business-school education in India is no longer accepting new students. What went wrong? And what does it mean for India's altMBAs? Tune in to find out. P.S. While you are here, check out the latest episode of The Ken's careers podc…

1
"Das Spice muss fließen!" - Über den Zusammenhang von Wohlstand, Weisheit, Wirtschaft und Glück (Germen podcast) 58:51

3h ago58:51

58:51

Send us a Text Message. German Description (English below) Gast: Niklas Kirchner Wir hoffen doch, dass Regierende, seien es nun Könige, Präsidentinnen oder Parlamente, die unser Leben und Zusammenleben massgeblich beeinflussen, dies zum Wohle der Bürgerinnen und Bürger tun, welche sie regieren. Nach heutigen Standards müssten Sie vor allem ökonomis…

1
Sugar.fit's diabetes 'reversal' plan is anything but sweet 10:16

9h ago10:16

10:16

Cult.fit backed Sugar.fit very boldly promises to completely “cure” diabetes in as little as six months. It also promises unlimited consultations with top doctors, daily fitness classes, the works. All for about Rs 30,000. That’s a small price to pay for a diabetes-free life. So of course, thousands sign up for it. But if you ask a healthcare profe…

1
Save Our Souls (and the bodies too)! - Über Heilung und Hilfe als weisheitliche Praxis (German podcast) 49:48

23h ago49:48

49:48

Send us a Text Message. German Description (English below) Gast: Alexander Poraj, Tobias Esch Heute sprechen Michael Hampe, Alexander Poraj und Tobias Esch miteinander über Rückenschmerzen, Gallensteine und Opferhähne. Kurzum, über die vielfältige Bedeutung dessen, was man in Philosophie, Wissenschaft und Spiritualität unter «Heilung» verstehen kan…

1
Nobroker is no longer no broker 9:25

17h ago9:25

9:25

Demand for high-end living is on the rise and Nobroker's subscription plan just doesn't cut it anymore. So it introduced a new postpaid plan to entice wealthy property owners. Funnily enough, the way it works is pretty much how traditional brokers earn their brokerage. This goes against the basic premise with which Nobroker was started almost a dec…

1
What's making investors go googly-eyed for Zepto? 15:21

14h ago15:21

15:21

When it entered the quick commerce scene for the first time in 2021, Zepto was a disruptor. Now, it is the third largest company in the market after Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart. Recently, it secured its biggest funding ever at a US$3.6 billion valuation, mainly from its existing investors. Venture Intelligence, a data provider told The Ken that th…

1
At-home blood tests are soaring, and throwing up wrong results 14:28

1d ago14:28

14:28

The pandemic, as brutal as it was, forced a lot of businesses to double down on convenience and accessibility. Whether it was your online education or quick deliveries or at home blood tests. Just to be able to skip that dreaded visit to a hospital or a diagnostic centre meant so much to most people. Accredited labs popped up all over promising to …

1
Bain is switching up its strategy in India. It’s 'cutting the excess fat.' 10:49

2d ago10:49

10:49

On June 3, about 200 employees of the American management consulting firm Bain and Company’s India division received a rather ominous calendar invite. They each would have a 10-minute meeting with HR. But no one, other than the heads of the regional offices and the head of HR, knew what the meeting was about. During the meeting, they were all told …

1
Why Stoicism Is True (Episode 137) 12:32

3d ago12:32

12:32

This one is different. Caleb reads from his essay, Why Stoicism Is True. It’s a short encapsulation of the what he takes to be the three most important ideas of the philosophy – as well as a philosophical defense of their veracity. Let us know what you think. https://calebontiveros.substack.com/ *** Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): sto…

1
Are Reliance's deep pockets enough for Tira to steal Nykaa's crown? 11:11

3d ago11:11

11:11

Nothing about Nykaa is strictly its own anymore. Back when it went public, it had no real rivals in the beauty space. But since then, things have changed. Last year, India’s largest retailer, Reliance Retail, officially entered the beauty space. It launched an omnichannel beauty retail platform called Tira Reliance isn’t playing around. In the last…

1
Why young coffee chains like Third Wave cluster around Starbucks 11:38

5d ago11:38

11:38

More than a decade has passed since Starbucks came to India. But the world’d biggest coffee chain has been struggling to achieve profitability. In the latest financials, the company saw its slowest sales growth in India since the pandemic. So far, Starbucks has managed to open around 400 outlets across the country. Meanwhile, Third Wave, a much sma…

1
Daybreak Special: Hey Siri. Is Apple late to the AI party? 55:26

7d ago55:26

55:26

At the Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, almost a week ago, Apple made a very important announcement. It launched what it calls 'Apple Intelligence', which is basically an umbrella term for all of the new generative AI features that will be available on certain models of the iPhone, iPad and Macbook. It was a revolutionary announcement beca…

1
What's Airtel's weapon in its new fintech war against Jio? Your SIM card 10:47

8d ago10:47

10:47

The newest battle ground between Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jim is financial services. Airtel already has two thriving ventures. The first is the seven-year-old Airtel Payments Bank which happens to be one of the three profitable payments banks in India. And the second is new financial entity called Airtel Finance which is mainly aimed at Reliance …

1
Titan’s Caratlane & Bluestone started at the same time. But one sparkles brighter than the other 12:04

9d ago12:04

12:04

Bluestone and Caratlane set out with the same dream. They both wanted to sell everyday fine jewellery online. This was a pretty alien concept in a country like ours, where gold and diamonds are seen more as an asset rather than just an accessory. And for a lot of people, buying gold and diamonds online is completely out of the question, even today.…

1
Essential Stoic Concepts: Indifferents (Episode 136) 55:33

10d ago55:33

55:33

In this episode, Michael presents the Stoic idea of "indifferents." It’s one of the key ideas behind Stoicism, one’s that often misunderstood but necessary to know in order to understand Stoicism. (02:52) The 3 Value Categories (06:22) Defining Good (15:32) Defining Indifferents (37:32) Total Indifferents (39:06) How To Live With Indifferents (51:2…

1
Is AI in cancer care just hype or the real deal? 13:06

10d ago13:06

13:06

AI algorithms for cancer screening are being developed around the world. Most medical professionals will agree that there is tremendous potential here. If developed properly, AI can potentially detect various cancers at very early stages – which would make it easier to treat cancer and possibly even increase chances of survival. But all of that is …

1
Four-year-old Minimalist does for skincare what L’Oréal couldn’t 10:13

12d ago10:13

10:13

Last week, Foxtale, an Indian D2C skincare company secured an $18 million funding in its series B round. Meanwhile, news also broke that the Deepika Padukone-led 82°E is planning to raise around $6 million from new and existing investors. Scores of new age skincare and beauty brands have cropped up since the pandemic and all of them harp on the sci…

1
The Power Structures of Cities 48:52

14d ago48:52

48:52

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the enduring influence of cities on human civilization, exploring their role as the longest-lived human institutions and their impact on social and political structures. They also examine the common criticisms of modern cities like San Francisco, their political landscape and the legacy of Democratic and Republ…

1
Daybreak Special: How India's 40-somethings are redefining career longevity 42:41

16d ago42:41

42:41

There is something really concerning happening to India’s 200-million strong workforce. Nearly half of them, who are above the age of 45, have reached a point in their careers where they may have to retire much earlier than they planned. Against their will. In a nutshell, the usual career span that would last anything between 40 to 50 years even ha…

1
What's making Zomato bet big on Blinkit? 10:02

17d ago10:02

10:02

Zomato, the food delivery giant is all set to infuse more than $35 million into Blinkit. But not too long ago, Blinkit, the grocery delivery platform that was formerly known as Grofers, was on the verge of dying. It was the first year of the pandemic and the demand for quick commerce was at its peak. Grofers wanted to join the bandwagon but it didn…

1
What do health insurers have against pregnancies? 13:20

18d ago13:20

13:20

When 29-year-old Deepa delivered a healthy baby boy six months ago, she thought her health insurance would cover her hospital expenses. But unfortunately, it barely covered 1/3rd of the Rs 1 lakh bill. So she ended up using her corporate health insurance that offered a higher limit. And this isn’t a one off. The Ken spoke to 13 women from six diffe…

1
Stoic Moderation (Episode 135) 48:12

17d ago48:12

48:12

“Moderation is subdivided into good discipline, seemliness, modesty, and self-control.” The ancient Stoic breakdown of moderation is essential for becoming more disciplined. It will help you think about the ideas of moderation, discipline, and self-control more deeply and generate strategies for how to becoming more moderate in your life today. Sto…

1
Why Cleartrip could learn a thing or two from old school travel agents 12:36

19d ago12:36

12:36

When e-commerce giant Flipkart acquired online travel aggregator (OTA) Cleartrip back in 2021, the hope was that it would be able to turn things around. Cleartrip had hit rock bottom. And in many ways the only way from there on was up. But things haven’t quite played out as Flipkart and Cleartrip had hoped. One big reason is that Cleartrip under Fl…

1
Energy drinks are the hot new category in India and PepsiCo's Sting is its king 10:26

20d ago10:26

10:26

Last year, Indians collectively drank nearly 600 million litres of energy drinks. This was almost 30X more than 2018. Among all the go to drinks in India, lately energy drinks have become super popular. People seem to clearly be attracted to their appeal as stimulants. And what’s crazy is that these drinks have become an alternative to chai at tea …

1
The Turbulence of Boeing: Decline and Future Prospects 49:23

21d ago49:23

49:23

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg talk about the decline of Boeing. They discuss Boeing's recent troubles, including fatal crashes and maintenance problems, and how these issues reflect broader concerns about U.S. industrial and military capabilities. The conversation also covers the impact of globalization on Boeing's manufacturing processes, competit…

1
Daybreak Special: Inside the world of 'datrimonial' apps in India 36:15

23d ago36:15

36:15

Desi dating apps are vying for parental approval. And their strategy seems to be working. A couple months ago, Agrima Srivastava, a 29-year-old media professional from Lucknow, had an awkward conversation with her mother. She wanted to know if Agrima had ever heard of Indian dating apps, Aisle and Better Half. That was the first time Agrima had an …

1
What is suddenly sending shivers down the spines of 350,000 CAs? 11:20

24d ago11:20

11:20

It has been a tough couple of years for India’s Chartered accountants. This was and to some extent still is one of the most sought after jobs in the country. But lately, the amount of risk involved in their work has been amped up considerably. And as a result, CAs have been resigning left, right and centre. The reason this is happening is because t…

1
Why reining in financial influencers is a Catch-22 problem 10:44

25d ago10:44

10:44

According to a survey by S&P, more than 75% of Indian adults do not understand basic financial concepts. The gap is 5% more when it comes to women. So the rise of financial influencers who simplify complex financial jargon and provide investment advice is not really surprising. But often, they underplay risks and overplay returns, and try to ride t…

1
Stoic Attention (Episode 134) 55:51

29d ago55:51

55:51

In this conversation, Michael and Caleb discuss Epictetus’s chapter On Attention (Discourses 4.12). It’s an essential reading from the Stoic master on an essential topic. Buddhism 101 Stoicism and Mindfulness Caleb and Michael also preview an upcoming conversation on Moderation…Stay tuned. It will be released in the next few weeks. (01:04) The Impo…

1
EVs aren’t everybody's cup of tea. Maruti-Toyota are making the most of it. 13:46

26d ago13:46

13:46

Since 2021, Toyota and Maruti have been engaged in somewhat of a marriage of convenience. The terms were pretty simple. Toyota would share its hybrid technology with Maruti Suzuki. In exchange, Toyota would get to re-enter the pocket-friendly segment. So what this meant was that the non-premium Toyota cars sold were actually built by Maruti. And th…

1
Why free airport lounge access is not so free anymore 10:15

27d ago10:15

10:15

Credit card companies, in their rush to sell more and more cards use a whole gamut of attractive offers—the most popular one being free access to airport lounges. Thanks to this and the sharp rise in domestic air travellers, airport lounges saw of footfall of over 8 million people in 2022. What was once an exclusive service became a top-selling fea…

1
Affirming life despite all adversity - Viktor Frankl's search for the meaning of life (English podcast) 37:43

1M ago37:43

37:43

Send us a Text Message. English Description (German below) Guest: Tobias Esch What is the meaning of life? In the podcast, we draw from Tolstoy's existential dilemmas with this question as a foundation for exploring diverse approaches to adopting a positive outlook on life. We juxtapose Tolstoy's inquiries with Viktor Frankl's quest for meaning und…

1
Why we date, marry, or breakup with Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto & BigBasket 1:03:21

30d ago1:03:21

1:03:21

In today’s special Friday episode, The Ken’s Praveen Gopal Krishnan (aka PGK) joins hosts Snigdha and Rahel to talk about India’s complicated relationship with 10 minute delivery apps. They talk about how these apps are shaping our economy and society at large, and more importantly how we, as users, are shaping them. Why do we pick a particular app…

1
Live Players Analysis: Drug Cartels in Mexico 44:29

29d ago44:29

44:29

In this episode of 'Live Players, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the intricate dynamics of Mexican drug cartels and their impact on both Mexico's political and economic landscape. The discussion delves deep into how drug revenues sustain elites, non-state actors, and insurgencies worldwide — with notable examples from the Taliban to Chechen …

1
After UPI, NPCI feels the pressure to build its next hero product 12:16

1M ago12:16

12:16

At the time of demonetisation, the country was desperately seeking an alternative to cash. And a payments regulator called NPCI or the National Payments Corporation of India, was our unexpected knight in shining armour. The NPCI managed to launch UPI at just the right time. This was a revolutionary, once in a generation product that really put the …

1
How Wakefit and other new-age mattress companies are selling you sleep 9:27

1M ago9:27

9:27

New-age D2C mattress brands like Wakefit and The Sleep Company have successfully made orthopaedic mattresses into a mass product. They are changing the landscape of the mattress market in India with their innovative science and tech based approach and clever marketing techniques. Wakefit, for example, literally offers a “sleep internship" where all…

1
Stoic Courage (Episode 133) 50:40

1M ago50:40

50:40

The Stoics promoted the four cardinal virtues: courage, moderation, justice, and wisdom. In this episode, we talk about Stoic courage. Caleb and Michael discuss what it is and how the Stoics broke it down into different subdisciplines. Their breakdown still provides an effective framework for building the skill of bravery today. (01:03) What Is Cou…

1
Can Xiaomi, a smartphone maker, be the next Tesla? 12:36

1M ago12:36

12:36

A couple months ago, Xiaomi released a new product – the SU7. This wasn’t a smartphone, or any other gadget that you would have otherwise associated with the Chinese company. The SU7 is actually Xiaomi’s first-ever Electric Vehicle. Now, this is a major milestone for Xiaomi. It has become the first smartphone maker to successfully launch an EV. Fun…

1
Why banks love to shower you with reward points 10:15

1M ago10:15

10:15

Indians have really been warming up to credit cards lately. More than a 100 million credit cards are in circulation in India as of now. And this rise has a lot to do with the benefits customers get: cash back deals and reward points that you can collect and redeem for anything from flight tickets to stays at fancy resorts. But between the two, cash…

1
How to Find the Frontiers of Knowledge, Samo Burja for The Stoa 56:59

1M ago56:59

56:59

Today we're publishing a talk Samo Burja gave to The Stoa in 2020 all about how to find and advance uncrystallized fields of knowledge. In this discussion, Samo critiques current academia for its inefficiencies and proposes supporting new intellectual endeavors with proper economic and social incentives. The discussion covers the potential for new …

1
Daybreak Special: The Pharmeasy Investigation 27:01

1M ago27:01

27:01

In this week's Daybreak Special episode, hosts Snigdha Sharma and Rahel Philipose speak to The Ken's Shivani Verma about her investigation into Pharmeasy's dubious business practices. The once IPO-bound company is under the scanner for its 'unethical' ways of upselling alternative medicines and supplements. Everyone – from Pharmeasy's own pharmacis…

1
What happens when your grocery delivery apps start selling you iPhones & water coolers? 11:19

1M ago11:19

11:19

Thanks to Swiggy and Blinkit, it’s gotten to a point where getting everything – from your groceries to a literal water cooler – delivered to your doorstep within minutes has become pretty routine. Something we expect. But there is so much going on behind the scenes to make that delivery possible. Like one executive told The Ken, it’s a combination …

1
Why does Digiyatra have a new app? The real reason is a scam 9:59

1M ago9:59

9:59

If you were flying sometime last month, you may have noticed, staff from Digiyatra, the contactless, biometric entry system at airports, were repeating the same thing over and over again to passengers at the entrance: “The old app is discontinued, please download the new app.” Passengers were only given this information at the airport. None of them…

1
Parker Settecase on Journaling Like Marcus Aurelius (Episode 132) 1:13:40

1M ago1:13:40

1:13:40

Do you want to learn how to Journal like Marcus Aurelius? Parker Settecase explains different approaches to journaling, writing, and recording your thoughts. He and Michael take a deep dive into how and why to think about journaling. Use these strategies to organize your thinking, and be the best version of yourself. Park Notes Michael and Parker o…

1
Why every payment aggregator should be scared of Phonepe 12:30

1M ago12:30

12:30

No other payment aggregator has been able to pull off what Phonepe has in less than a year. Its nearly 50 per cent market share is obviously a huge draw for new merchants. And in the last couple years, its been able to onboard some pretty big names like Bharti Airtel and IRCTC. But the bigger the client, the more ruthless their demands. At the end …

1
Why even well-funded startups can't resist the lure of Shark Tank India 9:02

1M ago9:02

9:02

The lure of appearing on the popular reality show on national television is so strong that even startups that already have been funded by VCs and institutional investors want to get on Shark Tank. In fact, investors themselves are asking their founders to go on the show. Money or funding is not the goal for these startups. It's the marketing opport…

1
Daybreak Special: Why aren't we scared of chemicals in our skincare anymore? 29:14

1M ago29:14

29:14

Contrary to its name, the US-based skincare brand 'The Ordinary' pulled off something pretty extraordinary when it was launched in 2016. From the beginning, it was all about transparency. It veered away from fancy packaging, instead opting for simple labels that list out all of the main ingredients, or 'actives', that were used to make the product.…

1
Globally sanctioned Chinese companies rule India's $5 billion surveillance market 11:55

1M ago11:55

11:55

CP Plus, one of the most popular CCTV camera-makers in India, gets 80% of its supplies for its parent company, Aditya Infotech Ltd (AIL), from the Chinese security-equipment manufacturer Dahua Technology. Dahua and Hikvision, another Chinese surveillance-tech firm, are facing sanctions in the UK, US, Australia, and other countries, for their connec…

1
Meesho wants big brands in its basket. But brands think Meesho is like a 'village dukaan' 9:27

2M ago9:27

9:27

A few days ago Meesho closed the first tranche of its $600 million funding round by securing $275 million. The e-commerce unicorn has impressed investors lately thanks to its sustainded operating growth and the reduction in its monthly burn rate. Over time, the platform has built a kind of dominance in India’s smaller cities and towns that become t…

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