The Future of Advertising, Selling a $100m Ad Tech business, and Why AI Agents Will Kill the Website -with Oli Marlow-Thomas

What does it really take to build a business from scratch, sell it for over $100 million, and then look the future of your entire industry in the eye? Oli Marlow-Thomas founded Ad-Lib.io in 2017 as a sole founder, grew it into a leading Google-certified creative optimisation platform, and exited to Smartly in January 2022 — in just over five years. He's now Chief Innovation Officer at Smartly, one of the world's most advanced AI-powered advertising platforms, working with brands like Spotify, Samsung, Uber, and Warner Brothers.In this episode, Oli opens up about the unglamorous reality of founding a business — the unattractive character traits you have to dial up, the team decisions that keep you up at night, and why getting shit done is the most underrated skill in business. He also shares one of the most compelling visions of where advertising and AI are heading that we've had on the show — and it will change how you think about the internet entirely.We cover:🔥 Why great founders have to become slightly difficult people🔥 The time management rule that kept Adlib growing (9-5 = revenue only, everything else is out of hours)🔥 How to hire people better than you — and actually let them take over🔥 What makes an ad memorable, attention-grabbing, and worth clicking🔥 Why advertising is shifting from targeting humans to targeting AI agents🔥 Why Oli believes the website will be dead sooner than you think🔥 What a $100M exit actually gives you — and the hunger that never goes away🔥 The AI governance crisis and why governments aren't ready🎧🔥❤️‍🔥LISTEN VIA LINK IN BIO - ❤️‍🔥🔥🎧 https://linktr.ee/pitchingpassionThis episode is proudly supported by Audrey's Chocolates — use code thekollective10 for a discount on your order.🙏 If this episode added value, consider supporting the show on Patreon — you'll get early access, bonus content, and the chance to be part of what we're building: patreon.com/TheKollective828☕ Want to make a one off donation to support the show 🙏 : https://buymeacoffee.com/pitchingpassionMentions:Ad-Lib.io, Smartly, Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Claude, Gemini, Facebook, Meta, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, Amazon Prime, App Store, Adobe, Foot Locker, Spotify, Samsung, Warner Brothers, Disney, Uber, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Rightmove, Coca-Cola, Guinness, Tango, Café Nero, Big Boat Week, iTaxishare, Barack Obama, The Second Mountain, Silicon Valley