Listener sentiment
Acquired continues to draw overwhelmingly positive reviews, with listeners routinely calling it the best business podcast available and praising hosts Ben and David for their deep research, engaging storytelling, and natural on-air chemistry. Standout episodes on Rolex, Walt Disney, Costco, Coca-Cola, Trader Joe's, Ferrari, and the Google/Alphabet series are mentioned again and again, and the show's appeal spans professional investors, casual listeners, and even children. The most persistent recurring criticism—raised independently by multiple reviewers—remains that the hosts' desire to maintain executive access leads to overly rosy, uncritical portrayals of companies and founders, with softball interviews that sidestep controversy. A second familiar critique targets factual inaccuracies in specific episodes, most notably Formula 1 and Porsche, where knowledgeable listeners flag errors in timelines and subject-matter expertise. Smaller but consistent grumblings persist around the hosts' giggling and fanboy energy, episodes running too long with tangential filler, heavy sponsorship, and topic selection that leans toward tech and consumer brands over industrial companies. These patterns are fully consistent with the show's prior sentiment baseline, with no indication of a directional shift.
Apple4.6 · 550
Summary generated Aug 17, 2026
