The Longest Shortest Time

What The Longest Shortest Time does

The Longest Shortest Time is an independent podcast media company founded in 2010 and based in Montclair, New Jersey, producing audio content centered on parenthood, family dynamics, and sex education. The flagship product is an episodic, narrative-style podcast featuring interviews with parents, experts, and high-profile guests on topics including fertility struggles, adoption, LGBTQ+ family building, single parenthood, pregnancy loss, and sex and relationships. The core technology is a podcast production and distribution platform, with episodes distributed across all major podcast platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher) and supplemented by a Supportingcast-hosted direct subscription product (LST+). Over 254 episodes have been produced during the show's original run, generating consumer brand recognition such as TIME's Top 100 Podcasts of All Time (2024) and a Third Coast Skylarking Award (2016).

The company operates a diversified, consumer-direct revenue model. Free, ad-supported listening is monetized through podcast advertising from sponsors including Third Love, Squarespace, Little Passports, and Alarm.com. LST+ membership (launched 2025) provides recurring subscription revenue for ad-free access, full archive, and exclusive content such as the teen sex-education spinoff 'You Know What.' Additional revenue comes from Stitcher Premium subscriptions, branded merchandise (onesies, totes, shot glasses), affiliate commissions (Bookshop.org), and occasional live events. The customer base is overwhelmingly individual consumers — primarily parents and prospective parents, with secondary audiences of non-parents interested in family stories and teens/young adults seeking sex education. No institutional investment, parent company, or enterprise customer relationships are disclosed, and the business is operated as a creator-led media venture under founder Hillary Frank.

Name

The Longest Shortest Time

Website

https://longestshortesttime.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Longest Shortest Time is an independent podcast company that produces an award-winning parenting and family-dynamics podcast, monetization through advertising, an LST+ subscription membership, merchandise, and affiliate sales, serving parents and broader audiences interested in family and sex education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Podcast Media

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Sound Recording Industries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE), Live Podcast Recordings (MPAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Parenting podcast
• Audio storytelling
• Sex education content
• Podcast subscription
• Premium membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Montclair

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Podcast advertising: The show is available for free through regular podcast apps with advertisements included. Sponsors include Third Love, Kopari Beauty, Squarespace, Little Passports, Alarm.com, and others.
2. LST+ Premium Membership: Subscription membership offering ad-free listening, access to entire archive ad-free, and access to exclusive content including the You Know What spinoff show featuring college students discussing sex and relationships.
3. Stitcher Premium: Ad-free listening available through Stitcher Premium subscription, with promo code LONGSHORT for 1-month free trial.
4. Merchandise sales: Sale of branded merchandise including onesies, totes, and shot glasses.
5. Affiliate commissions: The show earns commissions from book and product links (books by guests, recommended resources). Affiliate partners include Bookshop.org for book recommendations.
6. Live events: Live recording events with guests (e.g., live recording with Negin Farsad at M.M.LaFleur).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Longest Shortest Time produces and distributes an award-winning parenting podcast covering parenthood in all its forms, featuring personal stories, interviews, and special series on topics like fertility, sex education, and family dynamics. The company also operates an LST+ premium membership club offering ad-free listening, archive access, and exclusive spinoff content (You Know What), produces a fiction spinoff podcast (Here Lies Me), sells branded merchandise, and publishes related books.

Product overview

The Longest Shortest Time is a podcast company offering a unified audio content platform centered on its flagship podcast about parenthood. The core product is the main podcast featuring episodic stories and interviews. Premium offerings include LST+ membership for ad-free listening and exclusive content like the You Know What spinoff show. The company also produces spin-off podcasts (Here Lies Me) and published a book (Weird Parenting Wins), plus merchandise. Distribution occurs through major podcast platforms and the SupportingCast direct-to-listener service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• You Know What: A chat show featuring college students speaking candidly about sex, dating, and relationships. Only available to LST+ members.
• Here Lies Me

Products and services

• The Longest Shortest Time Podcast An award-winning podcast about parenthood in all of its forms, featuring personal stories about the surprises and absurdities of raising other humans, with episodic interviews, discussions, and special series on topics including fertility, childbirth, parenting, sex and relationships, and family dynamics. Available free on major podcast platforms with ads.
• LST+ Premium Membership A premium subscription tier offering ad-free listening to the entire episode archive, exclusive access to the You Know What spinoff show, handwritten notes from host Hillary Frank, gift memberships, and membership in a community club for LST listeners.
• You Know What Spinoff Show A spinoff chat show featuring three college students speaking candidly about sex, dating, and relationships, with each episode tackling anonymous questions from audience members. Designed for ages 16+ and available exclusively to LST+ members.
• Here Lies Me Fiction Podcast A fiction podcast about middle school created by LST founder Hillary Frank during the show's hiatus, produced in partnership with Lemonada Media. Features real teen actors and cameos by notable voices like W. Kamau Bell and Rob Huebel.
• Weird Parenting Wins Book A published book collection of unconventional parenting strategies crowdsourced from listeners, authored by Hillary Frank, featuring trial-and-error approaches not typically found in standard parenting guides.
• Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including onesies, tote bags, and shot glasses sold to listeners, with LST+ members receiving a personalized handwritten note from host Hillary Frank with their purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 100 Podcast of All Time by TIME
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lemonada MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced in partnership with Lemonada Media for the Here Lies Me fiction podcast about middle school, featuring real teen actors and cameos by familiar voices.
• This American LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production collaboration on the Sex & Parenthood series episode 'Real Teens, Fake Babies' and ongoing content collaboration. This American Life is a renowned public radio program.
• StitchercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for The Longest Shortest Time podcast. The show was previously on the Earwolf network and moved to Stitcher. LST is available ad-free through Stitcher Premium.
• EarwolfminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrevious podcast network affiliation for The Longest Shortest Time. LST moved from Earwolf to Stitcher.
• WNYCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrevious broadcast partnership with WNYC public radio. The show was produced in collaboration with WNYC's studios.
• Lindsay StriplingminorOthersIllustrator for Here Lies Me podcast promotional materials and branding.
• Esther PerelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCouples therapist and author who has appeared on multiple episodes (The Parents Guide to Affairs, The Parents Guide to Doing It) providing expert content on relationships and sexuality.
• Bookshop.orgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate partner for book recommendations. LST earns commission from books purchased through their Bookshop.org links.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Moth: Storytelling organization built around personal narrative podcast and live events. Same storytelling-first DNA, live-event revenue line, and community/listener engagement model as LST.
• Lemonada Media: Female-focused independent podcast network and co-production partner on Here Lies Me. Operates a similar model of multi-show storytelling slates, premium subscriptions, and brand-led podcast IP, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Pushkin Industries: Premium narrative podcast company founded by Malcom Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg. Operates as a multi-show, brand-led podcast network with similar production economics to LST, just at a much larger scale.
• Pineapple Street Studios: Narrative podcast studio known for branded, story-driven shows. Directly comparable as an indie network with multiple premium podcasts, sponsor relationships, and a focus on distinctive hosts and topics.
• Wondery: One of the largest independent narrative podcast networks, owned by Amazon. Overlaps with LST on sponsored storytelling, multi-show slate, and brand-led podcast IP at much larger scale.
• Earwolf: Comedy/podcast network under SiriusXM and former distribution home of LST. Same 'independent podcast network' business model and audience-development approach as LST's earlier network life.
• Gimlet Media (Spotify): Premium narrative podcast network that built a slate around storytelling podcasts. Highly comparable on business model (multi-show network, sponsor-supported with subscription layers) though now owned by Spotify, giving it scale LST lacks.

Emerging players

• This American Life: Flagship public-radio storytelling program that co-produced LST's Sex & Parenthood series. Comparable on storytelling craft and audience profile, but operates as a single program inside a much larger public-media infrastructure.
• Crocodile / Slate's parenting podcast network: Slate's parenting and family podcast slate (e.g., Mom and Dad Are Fighting). Overlaps with LST on parenting topic, narrative format, and sponsorship-based monetization, though generally with broader general-interest backing.

Broad incumbents

• WNYC Studios: Public-radio podcast network and former distribution partner of LST. Comparable as a multi-show podcast producer with editorial standards, awards credibility, and sponsorship infrastructure — but at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/longestshortest
• Facebookfacebook.com/longestshortesttime
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-longest-shortest-time

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Longest Shortest Time