Bytes Over Bagels was started by Eight Bit Studios in 2013 (when podcasting was officially not so new or cool) with the goal of creating a platform for entrepreneurs to share their experiences. The show was MC’d by John Ostler with co-hosts from one Ms Heather Brown, one Mr Brett Mackie, and Chicago Tech’s Favorite Nemesis, Dave Seidler. Chicago Tech community was going through a resurgence in new funding with the establishment of 1871, the IPO of Groupon and Grubhub, as well as acquisitions of OpenTable and Braintree. With only a few meetups to speak of throughout the year, the group found a huge void in the coverage and sharing of education in the Chicago tech space.
Season 1 concluded with 44 consecutive episodes, launching once per week interviewing the hottest entrepreneurs, tech leaders, and investors in Chicago, earning a “New & Noteworthy” nod from Apple Podcasts, hosting BuiltIn’s MOXIE Awards, and completing a startup bracket/tournament. The show was put on hiatus for a reformat and a nice long rest for the 4 person crew putting it together.
5 years later, the team of Eight Bit Studios launched Season 2 of the show with a new production team as well as a few familiar voices. After launching Techagotchi and experimenting with a few format changes, they settled back into their roots of focusing on Chicago Tech Leaders making more human connections within their respective spaces.