The Message is a fictional podcast created by Panoply and sponsored by GE. This is the first type of paid and branded content that I have come across in the podcast world where the content itself is paid for, so there are no interruptive ads during the podcast itself. This is very interesting to think about, especially in light of the most recent episode of Startup Podcast where they struggle with the notion of branded and paid content. Check out that episode here: Startup #17: Words About Words From Our Sponsors.

The primary issue comes down to editorial control. When the content is paid for, the sponsor has at least some, if not final, editorial say. It is easy to see how this can become a huge issue for some, but I was very happy to see how great The Message turned out despite it being paid for by GE. I was happy that there were no blatant GE mentions in the story. Also, because it was already paid for, there are no ads during the entire series.

The Message has a strong narrative style, not too dissimilar to the breakout podcast hit Serial. Other people seem to have picked up on this too: check out this article at The Atlantic.

I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

I crushed the entire 8 episode series in two sessions, one in the car and one right before going to bed. It's super short - each episode is around 15 minutes or less. For some reason, the main narrator reminds me of Ellen Page... Anyway, the voice acting for all the characters are quite good. I listen to a ton of audiobooks, and I can say that it's not always easy to have multiple voice performers and have it come out well.

This podcast has certainly opened me up to the idea of paid content, as well as fictional podcasts. This was a first for me on both counts. In the end, quality always wins. And this was a quality listen. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

These past few months, I've been consumed with trying to catch up with my new favorite podcast, Hello Internet with @CGPGrey and @BradyHaran. I actually found it through another CGP Grey podcast called Cortex, which is a bit odd since it seems everyone else knows these two guys through their YouTube videos. My other top favorite podcasts are all in between seasons right now so it was a great chance for me to slam 50+ episodes of HI back to back to back. Can't wait for the next season of Serial, Invisbilia, The Mystery Show, and Startup.

Here are some of my favorite food documentaries. All currently available on Netflix. The first, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, is probably one that everyone has seen or at least heard of. Can't go wrong with that one. The rest, you may not have heard of, but are really worth a watch.

Also check out my prior post on other documentaries that I recommend.

I only recommend Season 1.

A few of my favorite podcast episodes for July. Sadly, there were no new episodes for my new favorite podcast, Gimlet Media's Mystery Show. Also waiting for NPR's Invisibilia to start back up sometime soon. In the meantime, please keep sending me any podcast recommendations!

Check out my prior recommendations HERE.
Curious on how to get started on Podcasts and Audiobooks? Click HERE.

When Casey Neistat makes something, anything, I always check it out. Casey makes movies, TV shows, daily vlogs, snaps and he has just launched a new video sharing app called Beme. Casey is authentic, creative, and a great storyteller. But don't let the DIY style of his videos fool you. He has an incredible work ethic and spends a ton of time and effort making these videos look and feel the way they do. He's probably the best known for his YouTube videos. Here are a few of his most popular ones:

What makes him stand out even more is the fact that Casey doesn't always use fancy or professional equipment. Many of his videos are shot on a simple point & shoot camera and edited with iMovie. Those fancy timelapses in his vlogs? A lot are shot with his iPhone. This is something that I think people most frequently get wrong about creating content. 99% of the time, it doesn't matter how good or what the tools are - tools are just tools, nothing more - what really matters is the story and how well you do it.

I think about this a lot when I'm sitting in startup pitch meetings, especially the terrible ones. To me, its the same as what Casey says about his movies when people ask him what camera he uses or what software he edits with. It doesn't matter what the tools are. What matters is the story. If after 30 minutes I still have no idea what your startup does or why it will succeed, no amount of clever videos or McKinsey-style powerpoint slides will help.

One of my favorite videos about Casey is this tour of his office. It is a physical representation of how dedicated he is to his work. At a glance it looks kind of crazy, but if you pay close attention, you'll see that everything has been placed strategically to yield the maximum function and greatest amount of productivity.

If you share my love of interesting desks and offices, check out r/battlestations.

Casey co-founded Beme with Matt Hackett, the former VP of Engineering and Head of Brand Strategy at Tumblr. Beme just launched this week.

Beme addresses one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to mobile video: When people try to record something and end up watching it through their phone instead of being in the moment. Firework, concerts, school plays... all they're really doing is watching life moments through a 4-6" screen as they record it and not enjoying it with their own eyes. Don't even get me started on people using iPads to record video while they hold it in the air, blocking everyone's view.

How does Beme work? I'll let the man show you himself:

So will it succeed? Are we ready for yet another communication platform? Will people embrace or reject the fact that you cannot preview the videos before they are posted? I have no idea. Only time will tell. Message me if you need an unlock code and add me at username: bonam.

I've used Beme for 2 days and here are some of my early observations:

• Sensor is extremely sensitive. Probably why videos are only shared when they're longer than 4 seconds. Very clever fix and this works well.
• Adding friends and finding their content is not as easy as it should be. I'm sure this will be fixed in the next few iterations.

• Not having a preview before posting - I get that this adds to the authenticity, but does this pose reputational risk? Will this deter bigger social influencers, celebrities, and those that live in the public eye from using the platform?
• I'm inadvertently sending a lot of very unflattering selfies to strangers. Trigger is very sensitive.
  
• It would be nice if they could bundle the videos by person. I follow Casey, Matt, and Jack (all from the Beme team) and they really bleed the feed - something even Casey says not to do in his Instagram Video. I understand they're seeding the app with content, but right now everything else gets buried under these guys.

Obviously this is version 1 and there's going to be lots of bugs, glitches, and changes to come. Not knocking the team for that at all. I'm sure there will be lots of improvements very soon and I'm excited to see how this develops.

I'm a huge fan of Casey and his work. And he's inspiring many others too. As of today, his YouTube channel has 190M views. Just to put that into perspective, less than 120M people watched the last Superbowl (not exactly apples to apples, but a comparison of size and scale). Ask any of Casey's followers to describe him and you'll undoubtedly hear these words - authentic, creative, and hard working. So do yourself a favor and go subscribe to Casey Neistat.

ps. this is not a paid endorsement.

I love documentaries. Sometimes real stories are more unbelievable than fiction. Here are my top 5 favorite documentary recommendations for this month that are available on Netflix right now.

Here are some of my favorite podcast episodes I listened to this month. To be fair, not all of these episodes were published or posted in June, but these are my recommendations for this month.

If you aren't familiar with the world of podcasts (or audiobooks), check out my previous post for a set of great starter episodes. If anyone has suggestions for podcasts I should be listening to, please let me know!

This book was among several recommendations I made in my prior post, but this book deserves it's own dedicated post - specifically, the audiobook version on Audible. The writing is amazing. The story is amazing. The details are amazing. And so is the narration.

The narrator is R. C. Bray. His performance was so good, I blindly purchased 2 other books he narrated (Fear the Sky, Arisen).

Check out this interview of the author Andy Weir by Adam Savage (Mythbusters, Tested). They also go into how this story was written, which is really interesting.

The book is being adapted to a movie starring Matt Damon. Out in theaters on Oct 2, 2015. I hope they don't screw it up. Here's the trailer:

Reading is like exercise - everyone knows it's good for you, but who's got the time? I've tried to create rules for myself such as reading one book a month or only buying a new book if I've read the last book I bought. Sadly to say, neither strategy has ever really worked. There's even a Japanese word for buying books and letting them pile up - Tsundoku - and I am as guilty of Tsundoku as you can get. 

My solution? Audio.

I now voraciously consume books and a ton of great reading content by making it a daily habit through the power of audio. I use it on my daily commute, when I walk my dog, and before I go to bed. Not convinced? Just try a sample of any of these amazing podcasts and audiobooks listed below and I promise you won't regret it.

I use Overcast (free with paid features) and Audible ($14.95/month subscription).

Bo's Podcast Recommendations:
NPR's Planet Money: The Blue Pallet
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Podcast: The Micro and Macro of Mobile
Tim Ferriss Podcast: Noah Kagan
Mystery Show (Gimlet Media): Belt Buckle
99% Invisible: Octothorpe
This American Life: 129 Cars
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Wrath of the Khans 1
Reply All (Gimlet Media): The Time Traveler and the Hitman
Startup Podcast (Gimlet Media): How Not to Pitch a Billionaire
Upvoted by Reddit: A Suspicious Onlooker

Bo's Audiobook Recommendations:
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin
We Learn Nothing by Tim Kreider