I love this podcast. I'm sad there are no more episodes being produced. BRING THIS THING I LIKE BACK! Please, thanks.

Great podcast!

This is a branded podcast but they never really over emphasized that it was paid for by Ebay and every episode was great. However, be aware that most of the other branded podcasts aren't anywhere near this good.

New listener, only 6 episodes in, but absolutely loving it. Thank you John Henry for the awesome content! Best of luck with all the new and exciting ventures!

I can't say enough about how much I love this podcast. It's incredibly well done, fun to listen to, and extremely informative and encouraging! I'm not much of a podcast person, but I'm hooked and believe one day I'll be able to say this podcast helped change my life! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Another great podcast from gimlet about business. Different enough from start up to definitely make it worth it

Loved Seasons 1 and 2

Just wish there was more

Sure, this podcast is branded, but who cares? It's super helpful, very interesting and just extremeley well done. As a teacher-turned-entrepreneur, I give this podcast an A+! Can't wait for more episodes.

Great weekly newscast with normal TechCrunch flavor. Love it.

This is unequivocally a podcast made to advertise for eBay. That's just the way it is. That said, I HATE ads and I still love this podcast. If this is the future for media companies paying their bills, I'm in. The quality of the podcast is probably ~75 - 80% of Gimlet's top potential. It's definitely worth a listen and I think it fills a gap that startup didn't, which is entrepreneurship if you aren't personal friends with a billionaire VC exec. Gimlet has to pay bills and they in no way pretend that this isn't sponsored content. They're selling their skills without shilling for companies. As long as the quality of their branded content stays as high as this, I'll be okay with this.

I love the insights

Best work yet

I don't care at all that this is "branded content" from Gimlet + Ebay. It's wonderful and very engaging. Small business owners, this is a great place to spend some time

This is a well-researched program with good production values that make for a quality program and enjoyable listening experience. But more than that, it educates and inspires. Thanks to the entire heavyweight team for a quality program!

This podcast does a great job of surveying a variety of businesses and identifying that special something that is the heart and soul of building a brand. And I'm not talking about crunching numbers, looking at Venn diagrams, or doing a deep dive on account planning. Instead, this podcast gets right to the point of what common sense tells you about each brand one encounters.

We love listening to open for business, we research the organizations and companies that come onto open for business after appearing. The podcast is always like reading / listening to a book so thrilling as your mind pictures this company then you go to there social media accounts and it's like someone threw up. Some don't have Instagram so it's hard to find them.

I have to say, its pretty cool for what amounts to an extended commercial for creating a eBay e-commerce business. Maybe because the host is so relatable and speaks from experience.

I think this show is great. I'm not a business owner and I find the content to be really engaging. Give it a listen!

As a teen entrepreneur, this podcast really inspires me to stick with it, as well as gives me new ideas. They manage to talk about business while also making it interesting for regular people. Please keep up the good work!

John Henry does a great job hosting, and the topics they cover are pretty dynamic for being eBay branded. The branded nature feels pretty natural too. I always look forward to listening.

I'm four episodes in and this is a great podcast. If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur then this show is for you. Finally, a show that actually provides hand to hand tactical advice as opposed to another interview. Great job guys! Keep it up.

Here's the deal. After listening to several of these episodes, it's not at all apparent whether the podcast is able to separate their content from their sponsors. On the surface it looks benign but I can't help feeling a bit icky when I listen to the podcast. eBay is a sponsor--they're transparent about that because there are eBay ads. But, every episode (so far) has also told a story about a business owner that became successful on -wait for it- yeah, eBay. So while the content seems mostly useful, my trust isn't there. Kinda like, I know I shouldn't trust what a property owner says about his property--cause he has a vested interest and is inherently biased. My suggestion for this podcast? Get your crap together Gimlet! I hold you to a high standard. Don't abuse me as a listener with biased content. I expect better guys.

The interviewer is such a real person. That sounds funny but it's true. He is very natural at the mic and you can tell he is being himself and it puts the interviewees at ease. Although it's a podcast paid for by eBay the principles are solid and it's not annoying.

I myself own a service based business, so while this podcast talks more about selling products than services, I still look forward to listening to it. I enjoy hearing from different types of business owners about their journeys and it makes me feel less alone. I also love the tips that come from each episode. If you own a small business I highly recommend this podcast!

I really like this podcast- with one caveat. It's a "branded podcast" sponsored by eBay- fine. They're up front about it, and the content is interesting. But pausing the episode (several times) to run ads in what is essentially one big ad? They talk about eBay in every episode and feature the stories of eBay sellers. Again, to be expected, and they make it compelling. Breaking the momentum of the episode to run separate ads, however, strikes this listener as greedy. No double-dipping!

This is a great podcast. It always features interesting and compelling characters and does a fantastic job of using their stories to illustrate important business lessons.

Whether you're an eBay seller or not, this is one of the best small business podcasts around. It's professionally produced and features interviews with small business owners. There is something to be taken away from every episode that will help you in your business. One of my favorite podcasts!

Easy way to understand how to build a business!

Great entertaining stories and good lessons for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

While this is really for business beginners, it's still a joy for seasoned business owners to hear these startup stories.

Great topics, interesting speakers. Very nice !

A great podcast with riveting stories. Love it.

I find the actual information presented to be quite interesting but the format is not engaging. This is the first podcast from Gimlet that makes 22 minutes feel like an hour (and not in a good way). But still, the content is great so I will continue listening for now.

Interesting, well done. I enjoy this very much!

Listed halfway through the first episode. It was difficult to stay interested so I didn't . Hope they improved.

Hell yeah John Henry!

For being a branded podcast, this one is artfully done. I listen to a lot of business and technology podcasts, this one is unique in that it focuses on smaller businesses/entrepreneurs. I selectively listen to about 1/3rd of the episodes.

It's good

Just binge listened to all 6 episodes this afternoon and I love the combination of real-life experiences and simple, applicable ideas for anyone trying to market themselves or a small business. John Henry is pleasant to listen to, and the show is well-edited. Highly Recommended!

I'm a huge fan of all the Gilmet podcasts. They're so well made and each one is so unique but with the music and layout they somehow all fit so well together under the umbrella that is Gimlet Media. All good things aside, I have one pet peeve. This is the second time I've been listening to one of their podcasts and they've disappeared in what seems to be mid-season without any sort of warning. It happened with Mystery Show and it's happened here with Open for Business. I think I can speak for all listeners when I say a little more transparency would be nice. Maybe a heads up that this is the final episode of the season or something. It's just a bit disappointing for a podcast company that seems to be very serious about their business to be so flakey when it comes to delivery. Just a thought.

Open for Business could be presented as StartUp Lite, offering peeks into the stories of small business owners grouped into basic but crucial lessons for entrepreneurs. It lacks the emotional intensity and cultural depth of Gimlet's StartUp, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Open for Business is branded content, but its honest and fresh presentation feels like eBay is promoting a culture of successful business owners rather than selling its services. While StartUp is geared more for hard-core business owners and startup dreamers, I'd recommend Open for Business to everyone from high schoolers creating fundraisers to those wondering if entrepreneurship is for them.

Loved Season One! Had a great balance of story-telling and actual business lessons. The Gimlet team has done it again! Love the new host, too. Savvy entrepreneur with real chops. Season Two I hope?!?!

I must admit some hesitation when I subscribed to this sponsored podcast. My expectation was that it would be a constant ad for eBay. It was a pleasant surprise to discover OFB was superbly produced and edited series on starting a business. eBay does pop but other firms are given very fair treatment. I think the Gimlet team succeeded in the difficult task of pleasing a sponsor and pleasing the listener.

I’ve listened to many podcasts and this one is by far the best. I love the way the host combines rich storytelling with his own experience as an entrepreneur to provide real actionable tips to succeed. Too many podcasts out there are just two people talking about how they did something, but you can’t relate to it, because it’s some silicon valley startup that raised millions of dollars, but this is more small business. These are tips anyone can use and avoid many of the mistakes most people, including startups make. If the only thing you do to prepare for running your own business was listen to this podcast, then you’ll already be way ahead of everyone else out of the gate and increase your chances for success.

This podcast is legal crack! I can't get enough of John's wealth of actionable info. Having a startup myself it's also super valuable to hear other companies openly share their successes & failures. So looking forward to season 2.

The host is a really interesting character. He's a rags to riches story from New York who sold his first company by 18 years old. He has a great voice too.

This is a great example of good branded content. The sponsor is not overbearing but actually completely relevant to the discussion. This is like the "tips and tricks" companion show to Start Up. My biggest gripe is with the host. Knowledgable, sure, but totally lacking personality and energy. He just straight reads the script. It makes it easy to slip in and out of focus to listening which is not a good thing when there's so much great information being shared.

Super valuable stories here for any business owner to learn from. Also, pretty innovative for a company like eBay to sponsor this. Love that.

But then again I like all of the Gimlet media produced podcasts.