Founder / Developer
Tom Barrasso is the innovative founder and developer behind PodLP, a pioneering platform that brings podcasts to non-smartphone, or “feature phone,” users around the world. Based in New Zealand, Tom is passionately closing the digital divide and making on-demand audio accessible to millions who traditionally have been left out of the global podcasting ecosystem.
Tom’s journey toward transforming audio accessibility began during the pandemic. While exploring digital detox solutions and seeking alternatives to his smartphone, Tom encountered firsthand the lack of podcast support on feature phones. Driven by his technical expertise and a classic developer’s curiosity—coupled with a friendly challenge from his partner—Tom quickly engineered the first version of PodLP in under a month. While the initial rollout was minimalistic, Tom’s vision and persistence saw PodLP evolve into a robust, feature-rich platform designed for the unique constraints and needs of feature phone users.
Recognizing the vast untapped markets in regions like India—now PodLP’s largest audience—and understanding the diverse user base in the United States (including seniors, children, and digital detoxers), Tom has continuously optimized PodLP for global impact. He’s tackled complex technological challenges, such as IPv6 support and resource allocations for low-bandwidth environments, all while ensuring a user-friendly experience with rich search, podcast categorization, and language-targeted content. Tom’s innovations have effectively opened the podcasting world to hundreds of millions of new listeners, especially in emerging markets where mobile internet may be limited and smartphones are not the norm.
Under Tom’s leadership, PodLP now leverages open resources like the Podcast Index, making it easy for creators to reach audiences they never even realized existed—without any extra submission steps. Tom is a strong advocate for accessibility in podcasting, encouraging content creators to consider the enormous and growing audience on feature phones and to optimize for them with aspects like lower-bitrate audio and scalable artwork.
Tom’s passion for driving inclusive technology goes beyond the screen: he’s always experimenting with the next wave of improvements and loves sharing the hidden technical stories and hurdles from the intersection of podcasting and global connectivity. Though he doesn’t currently host his own podcast, Tom is a dedicated podcast listener, often tuning into shows like Planet Money and How I Built This for entrepreneurial inspiration.
With PodLP, Tom Barrasso is not just building software—he’s democratizing access to audio content, amplifying voices across continents, and reminding us all that the future of podcasting is truly global.
