EP8 - Michael Walrath: From Ad Tech Pioneer to the AI Marketing Revolution

Join host Rob Scott as he sits down with Michael Walrath, pioneering digital advertising entrepreneur and current CEO of Yext. Their sweeping conversation spans the dot-com boom, the rise of programmatic advertising, and the tectonic shifts reshaping marketing in the AI era. From selling banner ads in the 1990s to building the world’s first at-scale ad exchange, Michael’s story is one of vision, timing, and relentless reinvention.In this candid chat, Michael reflects on the leadership lessons he’s learnt from scaling startups into global players, navigating post-acquisition bureaucracy at Yahoo, and identifying new market opportunities during moments of economic upheaval. He recounts the founding of Moat to bring transparency to digital advertising, his role in shaping Yext during the mobile revolution, and why he believes today’s fragmented “answer engine” landscape mirrors previous technological turning points.Whether you’re a founder navigating market disruption, a marketer preparing for the AI-driven future, or simply someone who loves hearing how industries are transformed from the inside, Michael’s journey offers powerful insights into strategy, timing, and adaptability.This is the story of how one entrepreneur helped shape modern digital advertising, and how he’s charting a course through the next great marketing revolution.