Pushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts launch new podcast Business History

Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith are reuniting to launch Business History. Produced by Pushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts, the weekly series will drop new episodes on Wednesdays starting today. Listeners should expect the same entertaining economic wisdom served for everyone to understand that Goldstein and Smith have perfected over the years. Each episode will provide sharp, surprising, and a sometimes ruthless look at the people and ideas that built the economy—and the lasting impact they have on us all now.

Business History will be the first podcast from Pushkin Industries that will incorporate full video episodes from launch. Known for its cultivation of high-quality storytelling, Pushkin has successfully used video from its current library. One of Pushkin’s flagship shows, Broken Record, saw an increase of over 221% in their monthly YouTube audience after ramping up their usage of video. Now by leaning into full video episodes from launch, Pushkin plans to build off this success, creating another platform for new audiences to find their storytelling.

The first season of Business History will feature episodes on the rise and plateau of Southwest Airlines, the murder accusation of Thomas Edison, Hitler’s contribution to the Volkswagen Beatle, and the journey of retail giant Sears from boom times to bust.

“The history of business is full of incredible, high-stakes stories. I can’t believe somebody hasn’t made this show already,” Goldstein noted. “We’re making a show that’s like Acquired, but with more history. Or like The Rest is History, but with more business. It’s the show we wanted to listen to but that didn’t exist.”

“I love Business History because the stories tell us so much about how our world works today,” says Smith. “Founders and investors seem to always tackle the same dilemmas: dealing with technological change, turning ideas into products, and facing personal failure. These are rich human stories with surprising, useful lessons.”

Business History is co-produced by Pushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts. New episodes will be released each Wednesday starting November 5, 2025 on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are available.