You guys do an amazing job bringing these stories to life. You should do the story of America “Acquired Style”. You guys would kill it.

Talk about drawn-out purile drivel. Good idea. Would make a decent 30 minute show instead of interminable torture.

The episodes may seem long but they feel short and are 100% wort it

This podcast is so much fun!! I love the depth and detail David and Ben go into in each pod!

Love the Podcast

Truly a one of a kind podcast; a real gem. I think everyone could listen and learn something from the episodes. I hope there are many more episodes to come.

Awesome podcast. PEEK👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻🏔️🏔️🏔️

I love the story telling and the presentation, but candidly think the topic selection is subpar. There seems to be a tech, finance, retail lean to this show and I think there are amazing stories out there. I think of companies like Siemens, Schneider Electric, Honeywell, Emerson, SLB, Halliburton, ConocoPhillips, Caterpillar, etc. I just get sad when we see companies chosen like Peloton or FTX that have little to no durability and had a fad moment and companies like I mentioned get skipped over with more history, durability, and a much more important story to our everyday life. I know the critique of my review is that these companies don’t have the same brand power as Trader Joe’s, Costco, or Coca-Cola. But I think the way you tell the story is why you should pick companies like the ones I mentioned. They are more of a cornerstone to the worlds economy and history than TJs or Costco will ever be and you might be the only two who can share that.

Four hours seems long but in kept getting in my car and I would be Jonesing for the next episode. The Costco story is fantastic and that’s what makes the podcast great. The storytelling. The hosts are down to earth. Genuinely passionate and fascinated by the subjects they research. Gsb trained, I hear. Love the Indian cricket episode too.

Start with an episode of a brand you have some knowledge on. For me there’s gap in fact checking. The podcasters are nice but they overly romanticized the brands featured. Hermes no longer hand stitch the hidden seams or the lower end leather goods. And they are not using the same artisan for the entire bag, instead they have adopted the scarf production technique to protect their trade secrets. Rolex started using parts made in China for decades now! Don’t believe the brands when they say they are not cutting corners.

It is such a pleasure to find Acquired… a deep dive into the formation and evolution of a company. With so many short-form podcasts, having one that really delves into the topic, and answers questions I didn’t even know I might have, is wonderful. And the hosts play off each other so well. Thanks guys!

Acquired has fast become my favorite podcast in my library. As a value investor, lover of long-form content, and person who has the strange hobby/passion for deep-diving into businesses, Acquired is my most listened to series. Ben & David do an incredible job doing deep research, comprehensively covering every facet to profile the businesses they cover, mixing in the perfect blend of historical context and business/financial management acumen that you walk away not only entertained, but genuinely educated. The best compliment I can give this podcast is that listening to it feels like sitting down with my friends and talking about businesses or professionals that we love and admire which, given this type of subject matter, can often be rare unless you find yourself fortunate enough to be in a room with Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. My only complaint is I didn’t discover this podcast sooner, but have made up for lost time by binge listening during my workouts and weekends. Keep up the incredible work, Ben & David!

Always like the topics and presentation style.

We love learning the about the history of companies while getting additional fun facts—especially perfect for long drives!!

As a history major in university that is now a restauranteur in the USD and Asia, these guys do an amazing job at combining deep research with super interesting businesses. Plus, their chemistry together (and voices) are really the gravy to the dish. I’ll stop a podcast if the hosts voice is annoying (yea, I know it’s unfair, but it’s the truth. Ben and David’s banter is smooth, incredibly well researched and interesting. It’s like a gift every time I see a new episode drop. Keep up the outstanding work gentlemen 🙌🏼

LOVE the substance, incredible research, and insights. Don’t love the play-acting and giggling. It would be so much better w/o those affectations. Also, isn’t a “gin & vermouth” just a martini?

My son that’s 8 listen until 7pm to 9 pm

My new favorite podcast. Intelligent, well researched, conversational delivery keeps it from feeling like a lecture, great interviews, never talks down to the listener, nerdy in all the best ways. Thanks for putting the work into this, Ben and David!

BEST PODCAST EVER!!!!!🤯🥳🤪

In-depth research and intelligent comments.

Awesome Rolex pod

Really really need to talk like grown-ups and not like 14 year-old Valley girls

Promoting Tesla in 2025. Gross!

I really enjoy this podcast. My favourite episodes are the Hermes one and the 3 Google ones. I especially appreciate the optimism they bring to their story telling

Pages upon pages of incorrect facts timelines, etc. Ridiculously poor episode.

This podcast is fantastic for storytelling purposes. The hosts do an incredible job researching their stories and telling brilliant narratives around how popular companies are founded b However, they ultimately operate on an access basis and what this means is they’ve become a safe, comfortable place for founders (particularly in tech) to come on and give an idealized version of events with zero pushback. The hosts want to be liked by people likeMark Z, fine. But just be aware that dynamic is happening and influences their coverage. Interpreting everything they say as a form narrative fiction “based in real events” makes it much more enjoyable to listen to.

You can learn everything you need to know about Formula 1 by watching the award winning film, Talladega Nights…

I’m not a person who cares at all about business but I love the storytelling of this show. It feels like having a Wikipedia read to you by your very smart buddies, in the best way.

I just listened to my first Acquired episode. It was fascinating. The show and the hosts were amazing.

AI scam hawkers

I love how these guys deconstruct business dynamics into stories and conversations that really uncover how these companies work. I have worked for 30 years at one of the businesses featured which is privately held. I’ve seen or heard no better described or researched piece of work.

One of the best business podcasts available. For years, David and Ben have been diving deep into some of the most important companies in world history. Every episode is packed with facts and interesting details about what makes each entity unique and iconic. Their interaction and banter makes each episode a fun listen.

This podcast is top tier info delivery on companies we thought we knew. You can hear the level of research for each episode. Greatly appreciated work

No words can describe how great this podcast is, educating people on topics that they wouldn’t even consider learning about otherwise, and it’s all entertaining! Love the work these two do, definitely the best hosts ever!

I absolutely love the stories they tell. I can’t get enough!

Great story and a lot of in-depth information. I’m wondering if you can add a supplement specific to Cokes acquisition of Northern Neck Ginger ale. A Virginia family business from Montross VA. A few years after acquisition Coke stopped bottling supposedly due to lack of aluminum 🤷‍♂️. There’s tremendous interest in Virginia to bring the product back

This podcast is amazing but as a kid I feel that there should be a kid version. Because I like it but some words I don’t understand

The information in this podcast series is great. However the delivery of it is frustrating enough to make me want to unfollow. Not every fact needs to be a headline. Not every sentence deserves a giggling conspiratorial laugh at the end. Not every listener has time to savor every… single… word… as you excitedly announce them. The info is sooooo good though.

This is by far the best podcast on business and technology period. Ben and David’s child like excitement going through the rich and deep history and strategies of tech companies (now other companies) is incredible and comes through in every episode. Rather than narrating stories and anecdotes, they both go through the rationale and often deep technical details. The research done here is as thorough as it can get and the first 30 mins is as exciting as the last 30 mins of every episode. Great work and congrats on all the success!

I highly recommend the Acquired podcast to anyone interested in learning the history of technology companies and famous brands, and about what makes a business successful. My gateway podcast was "Google: The AI Company" (10/5/2025), and this last month I really enjoyed their past episodes on Google's search engine, Alphabet Inc., Meta, Microsoft, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel. Yesterday I finished their excellent Coca-Cola podcast and have many other episodes in my podcast queue, including Disney Plus, Instagram, LinkedIn, Oculus, Nvidia, Amazon.com, YouTube, AOL, Bitcoin, Trader Joe's, Nike, Mars Inc., and Costco. Per their website at acquired.fm, this the #1 technology podcast on Apple and Spotify. I am not surprised since each podcast contains many interesting facts and useful business analysis by co-hosts Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal. I agree the phrase "conversational audiobook" best describes the podcast - some episodes are more than four hours long!

Just the best!

Growing up in SoCal, my parents owned and operated grocery and convenience stores. I grew up with Trader Joe and with Pronto, but never realized they were related. My parents’ stores often competed with Pronto but never with Trader Joe. Another great episode. Well researched, great story telling and clearly radiating your endless enthusiasm for discovering the story behind great companies.

Love the show. Please consider doing a Honda episode!

You didn't cover Mexican Coke :( I was hoping you'd cover the popularity of Mexican Coke when you got to the global perspectives part of the Coca Cola company. Mexican Coke is the absolute best! It's glass bottled and still made with cane sugar. In order for me... Mexican Coke, McDonalds Fountain drink Coca Cola and Classic Coke. Great podcast and so fun to listen to. You guys are the absolute best at what you do. Thank you!

Love all the stories and explanations of technology innovations! Would want to hear some cyber security stories as that can be difficult to understand for the layman.

As much as I love this show I won't be able to listen to it anymore because they are supported by JP Morgan Payments. I'll be canceling all of my business with that bank and won't be listening to aquired anymore until they drop that sponsorship. I'm sure they are a large contributor to the show, but choices matter.

My only “wish” is that you do more shows outside Silicon Valley and high tech, as those are my favorites — Costco, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Hermes . . . “Real” stuff. LOL. I know I’m a Luddite. I try, but hey, old people listen to your show, too! I use technology but I don’t have the same fascination in the origins. That’s just me, not the show. I keep trying.

Frazier and Niles Crane entertainingly lead us through some very good stories.

F all of you that say this is too long. Grow a pair. Sit down and listen, do some work or chores. These are amazing podcasts filled with great storytelling and personal anecdotes. Will listen until there’s no more

Normally this podcast has great content, but not even mentioning the Gemini rollout debacle is something y’all should be embarrassed about. It’s a HUGE story, and it didn’t even get a mention. The company ostracized half of America because of how they trained their model and rolled it out. Failing to mention that is a shame, and it betrays your underlying bias in telling the story.