Over the years, the world has seen countless inspirational journeys of stars who climbed the ladder of success from humble beginnings. And Bill Simmons certainly deserves a spot on that list of inspiring personalities, who catapulted his career from a broke bartender to the greatest sports writer of the generation. However, his professional journey hit new milestones when he took on the role of a podcaster. 

What set Simmons apart from other journalists was his focus on creating a connection with his audience. In a recent interview, Simmons spilled the beans on the origin of his becoming a podcaster and a presenter.

How did Bill Simmons become a successful podcaster?   

Simmons created his own website, The Ringer, in the year 2016, where he did several podcasts focusing on different aspects of sports, pop culture, and technology. In the year 2020, Simmons sold his brainchild to the streaming giant Spotify for $200 million, becoming one of the richest podcasters in the world. In his recent interview on SmartLess with Jason Bateman, the 54-year-old talked about the strategies that made him so impactful. 

Simmons shared that he always focused on not being in the same spot for too long. The Spotify executive revealed that every year he took a “swing at something” and went on to create several ESPN documentaries, his basketball book, TV shows, and his popular podcast. Simmons also touched upon the subject of his departure from ESPN in the podcast. 

Simmons did not want to work with ESPN anymore because he felt that the channel did not care about his podcast. And given his track record of criticizing people who lack commitment to their work, it makes sense for him to part ways with ESPN. 

Spotify Executive lashing out at the Sussexes for their lack of commitment 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Spotify fallout has been the hottest topic of 2023. The Duchess signed a $20 million deal with the audio streaming platform in the year 2020 for her podcast Archetypes. Despite winning a People’s Choice award, the former actress failed to be consistent in producing content for her podcast. Owing to the lack of regularity and impact, Spotify took down the Suits star’s podcast from the platform. 

On his self-titled podcast, Simmons openly criticized the Sussexes and called them “f—ing grifters”. As per the $120 million personality, the company should have ended its deal with the Sussexes ages ago. For seventeen months the royals couple were in a battle with Spotify to trademark their podcast’s title. However, very recently, the Duchess put an end to the dispute by withdrawing her bid to protect the name.

What do you think about Bill Simmon’s recent podcast with Jason Bateman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!