Excellence is a term that is often used in academia. While we all probably have some idea of what this term means, it tends to remain superficial and generic. We therefore contend that to really understand and appreciate people, excellence should always be viewed in context. Without this, you often don’t see the complete picture, which can hinder appropriate judgement of someone’s performance. As a result, talents may go unrecognized or underappreciated. Failures, for instance, are rarely discussed, although they can have a substantial effect on overall performance. Moreover, the contexts in which people operate can differ substantially, whether due to educational demands, caregiving responsibilities, or other factors. All the while, time is scarce, forcing us to make choices on where to focus our efforts and where not. This brings us to an important question: What does excellence mean for people in academia, and what does it take to foster and sustain this kind of excellence for the future? In this podcast series, we aim to discuss and reflect upon ‘Excellence’ in context. Guests discuss how differences in opportunities, demands, and constraints impact academic careers, offering insights from different perspectives. We hope that these discussions raise awareness, spark reflections, and inspire conversations on context-dependent opportunities and constraints to flourish in academia.