Pushkin Industries
An American publisher and production company specializing in podcasts, audiobooks, and other narrative audio programs.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Pushkin Industries is an American audio publisher and production company founded in 2018 by Canadian author and broadcaster Malcolm Gladwell and American journalist and editor Jacob Weisberg. The company grew out of the pair's collaboration on Revisionist History, Gladwell's nonfiction podcast originally produced through Panoply Media. After Panoply moved away from podcast production, Gladwell and Weisberg chose to continue working together through a new independent company built around author-led, highly produced audio storytelling. Pushkin's core business combines podcast development, production, publishing, and commercial distribution. Its programs generally emphasize narrative nonfiction, history, psychology, economics, culture, journalism, and long-form conversations. The company has developed a recognizable editorial identity around programs hosted by prominent writers, academics, journalists, and public intellectuals. Rather than operating solely as a conventional podcast network, Pushkin has also positioned itself as an audio publisher, producing audiobooks and projects conceived specifically for sound. The company's podcast portfolio expanded soon after its launch. In 2019, economist and writer Tim Harford joined the network with Cautionary Tales, a program examining historical mistakes, unintended consequences, and decision-making. Pushkin's other notable programs include Revisionist History, Laurie R. Santos's The Happiness Lab, and Against the Rules with Michael Lewis. By 2021, the company was reported to host more than 25 podcasts, reflecting a strategy of combining established flagship shows with a broader roster of original productions. Pushkin entered audiobook publishing in 2019 with Malcolm Gladwell's Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know. The company has also issued projects that blur the boundaries between books, documentaries, and audio series. The Bomber Mafia was conceived and written as an audio production using narration, music, and sound effects before being adapted into book form. Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon, written by Gladwell from interviews with musician Paul Simon, further illustrated Pushkin's interest in intimate, author-driven audio and book projects. The company received industry recognition in 2021 when it won Podcast Network of the Year at the Adweek Podcast Awards. In July 2022, Pushkin agreed to acquire podcast studio Transmitter Media, its first reported acquisition. The transaction broadened Pushkin's production capabilities and brought Transmitter's former owner, Gretta Cohn, into a senior leadership role. Pushkin underwent a significant reorganization in September 2023. It eliminated 17 positions, representing more than 30 percent of its staff, amid a wider contraction and restructuring across the podcast industry. Gretta Cohn became chief executive officer, while Jacob Weisberg became executive chair. In November 2023, Pushkin's producers and staff voted to unionize and joined the Writers Guild of America, East. The company continued operating as an independent audio producer and publisher, with its best-known programming including Revisionist History, Cautionary Tales, The Happiness Lab, and Against the Rules with Michael Lewis.
History
Pushkin Industries was established in 2018 by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg. The company emerged from the two founders' work on Revisionist History, Gladwell's nonfiction podcast, which had previously been associated with Panoply Media. When Panoply exited podcast production, Gladwell and Weisberg decided to create a new company that could support additional projects together. Their model centered on high-production-value audio led by established writers, journalists, academics, and other subject-matter experts. The new company expanded its programming in 2019 when Tim Harford launched Cautionary Tales. The show used historical episodes and economic reasoning to explore errors, unintended consequences, and the ways individuals and institutions make decisions. During the same year, Pushkin began publishing audiobooks, starting with Gladwell's Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know. This marked an important extension of the company beyond recurring podcasts into book-length audio publishing. Pushkin subsequently developed projects that treated audio as a primary creative format rather than merely a spoken version of a printed book. Gladwell's The Bomber Mafia was conceived as an audio production, incorporating narration, music, and sound effects. A book was produced after the audio script had been completed. Pushkin also published Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon, a project based on Gladwell's interviews with the musician and shaped as both a conversational audio work and a book. The company continued building a network around recognizable hosts and specialist subject areas. Its portfolio included Revisionist History, Cautionary Tales, Laurie R. Santos's The Happiness Lab, and Against the Rules with Michael Lewis. By 2021, Pushkin was reported to host more than 25 podcasts. The network received industry recognition that year when it won Podcast Network of the Year at the Adweek Podcast Awards. In July 2022, Pushkin agreed to acquire Transmitter Media. The deal was described as the company's first acquisition and gave Pushkin a larger production base. Gretta Cohn, who had previously owned Transmitter, later became central to Pushkin's leadership. The acquisition took place during a period when podcast companies were seeking scale while also facing changing advertising conditions and pressure to control production costs. Pushkin reorganized in September 2023. It laid off 17 employees, more than 30 percent of its staff, in a broader restructuring associated with a difficult period for the podcast sector. As part of the leadership changes, Gretta Cohn became chief executive officer and Jacob Weisberg assumed the role of executive chair. In November 2023, the company's producers and staff voted to unionize with Writers Guild of America, East. As of the latest reference material, Pushkin remained an active independent audio publisher and production company. Its identity continued to rest on premium nonfiction podcasts, author-led series, audiobooks, and hybrid audio-book projects. The company’s most prominent programs included Revisionist History, Cautionary Tales, The Happiness Lab, and Against the Rules with Michael Lewis, whose work included coverage of the Sam Bankman-Fried trial.
- 2023
Leadership reorganization and layoffs
[1]Pushkin eliminates 17 positions, appoints Gretta Cohn CEO, and makes Jacob Weisberg executive chair.
- 2023
Staff joins Writers Guild of America, East
[1]Producers and staff vote to unionize and join Writers Guild of America, East.
- 2022
Agreement to acquire Transmitter Media
[1]Pushkin agrees to acquire Transmitter Media in its first reported acquisition.
- 2021
Named Podcast Network of the Year
[1]Pushkin wins Podcast Network of the Year at the Adweek Podcast Awards.
- 2019
Cautionary Tales launches
[1]Tim Harford launches Cautionary Tales on the Pushkin network.
- 2019
Pushkin begins audiobook publishing
[1]The company enters audiobook publishing with Malcolm Gladwell's Talking to Strangers.
- 2018
Pushkin Industries is founded
[1]Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg establish Pushkin after their collaboration on Revisionist History and Panoply Media's departure from podcast production.
Products and positioning
An independent, creator-led audio publisher combining premium podcast production with audiobook and audio-first publishing. Pushkin emphasizes intellectually oriented nonfiction, recognizable hosts, narrative craft, and sound-rich production.
Narrative nonfiction podcast
Revisionist History
Malcolm Gladwell's flagship podcast revisits historical events, overlooked ideas, and common interpretations. It formed the creative foundation for Pushkin Industries and remains one of the company's best-known programs.
History and economics podcast · 2019
Cautionary Tales
Hosted by Tim Harford, Cautionary Tales uses stories of mistakes and unintended consequences to examine economics, psychology, institutional behavior, and decision-making.
Psychology and well-being podcast
The Happiness Lab
Hosted by Laurie R. Santos, The Happiness Lab explores research and practical ideas related to happiness, behavior, and human well-being.
Journalism and interview podcast
Against the Rules with Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis's series examines institutions, authority, fairness, and the people who enforce or challenge rules. The program has also covered contemporary legal and financial events, including the Sam Bankman-Fried trial.
Audiobook · 2019
Talking to Strangers
Malcolm Gladwell's Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know was Pushkin's first reported audiobook publishing project, extending the company's author-led audio model into book-length work.
Audio-first nonfiction project
The Bomber Mafia
The Bomber Mafia was conceived and written as an audio production with narration, music, and sound effects. A printed book followed after the audio script was completed, illustrating Pushkin's audio-first approach to nonfiction publishing.
Conversation and audiobook project
Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon
Written by Malcolm Gladwell and based on interviews with Paul Simon, this project combines extended conversation with music-focused biography and was published in both audio and book-related formats.
Brand decisions
2023
Restructure operations and leadershipStrategyBackground
Pushkin reorganized during a period of significant layoffs and cost pressure across the podcast industry.
Action taken
The company eliminated 17 positions, appointed Gretta Cohn CEO, and made Jacob Weisberg executive chair.
Aftermath
The restructuring reduced the workforce by more than 30 percent according to the reference material and was followed by staff unionization later in the year.
2023
Support staff unionizationOtherBackground
Following the company's restructuring, producers and staff sought collective representation.
Action taken
Pushkin's producers and staff voted to unionize and joined Writers Guild of America, East.
Aftermath
The vote formalized the workforce's representation within the WGA East labor organization.
2022
Acquire Transmitter MediaM&ABackground
Pushkin sought to expand its podcast production capabilities and deepen its operating base beyond its original founder-led network.
Action taken
The company agreed to buy podcast studio Transmitter Media, its first reported acquisition.
Aftermath
Transmitter's former owner, Gretta Cohn, later became Pushkin's chief executive during the company's 2023 reorganization.
Sources1 sources
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