With any podcast, but I’d argue particularly for branded company podcasts, you want the listener within the first seconds of starting the episode, to have a feel for the style of the show and a hook for why they should continue listening. This can be through a straightforward intro with the show name and pitch, or immersing the listener directly into a narrative story.

The Moonshot Podcast

The show is from X, the Alphabet/Google incubator, with Blanchard House Production, and I loved the way they start episode 1. It’s host Astro Teller (with the amazing title of Captain of Moonshots) telling his own story of how he rollerblades into work, and how each employee enters the building by crossing a line that says “do not cross this line” to bring to life how joy, and creative thinking, and breaking through assumptions are integral to X’s Moonshots.

It’s the best example I’ve heard in a while of a bold way to bring to life the company culture and unique feel of the show.