Laura Baxendale Editor-in-Chief & Podcast Critic
I listen to an unreasonable number of podcasts.
What started as a commute habit turned into a full-blown obsession. I'd find a great show, binge the entire back catalogue, then spend hours hunting for the next one. At some point I started keeping notes — which shows were worth it, which ones weren't, and why. That list grew into PodRanker.
I've reviewed and catalogued over 500 shows across true crime, comedy, business, language learning, and pretty much every other genre that exists. I average about 20 episodes a week, and I have strong opinions about all of them.
PodRanker exists because podcast discovery is still weirdly hard. Algorithms push whatever's trending, not what's actually good. I wanted to build something better — a site where every recommendation comes from genuine listening, not data scraping or sponsorship deals.
My day job is in IT, which means I'm wired to organize, categorize, and filter. I apply that same thinking to podcasts: cutting through the noise to find the shows that are actually worth your time.
"Life's too short for bad podcasts."
Editorial Philosophy
I'm biased toward shows with great storytelling and hosts who sound like they actually care. I'll always tell you when a show has gone downhill or when the first season was better than the rest. Honesty over hype.
If you've got a podcast recommendation I should check out — or if you think I got something wrong — I genuinely want to hear about it.
Laura Baxendale, Founder
David Sala Staff Writer & Data Analyst
I'm the one who counts things Laura refuses to count.
How many ads does the average true crime podcast run per episode? Which interview hosts interrupt their guests the most? How often do business podcasters talk about themselves instead of the topic? Those are the kinds of questions that keep me up at night, and I've built the tools to answer them.
I joined PodRanker because I was tired of podcast recommendations based on vibes alone. Laura handles the gut instinct side brilliantly — I bring the spreadsheets. Between the two of us, a bad podcast has nowhere to hide.
My background is in journalism and data analysis. Before podcasts consumed my life, I spent years reporting on media and tech for outlets in Spain and the UK. I still approach every show like a story worth investigating: what works, what doesn't, and whether the numbers back up the hype.
"If you can't measure it, it's just an opinion."
Working Principle
When I'm not dissecting podcast metrics, I'm probably listening to something in Spanish, arguing about football, or cooking something that takes far too long. I also co-host segments on Laura's Play Next podcast, where I get to be the data nerd in the room.
Got a dataset, a tip, or a podcast you think deserves a deep dive? I'm all ears.
David Sala, Staff Writer