AdTech AdTalk

Adam and Gareth reunite to unpack an explosive Q2 in ad tech, kicking things off with the "triple hockey stick" growth driving Meta’s 33% revenue surge. The guys discuss how Meta’s ruthless AI shift and integration of massive server compute is crushing Google in the enterprise ad market, and why Google's strategy of over-servicing holding companies is backfiring.They also dive into the backlash against Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green and his "open internet" messaging, debating why retail media networks (RMNs) are growing so fast despite the inherent conflict of interest between retailers and CPG brands. Plus, Gareth explores the terrifying new "split brain" architecture between DSPs and SSPs, Adam makes the case for why "barter" and "trade" agencies still exist to liquidate bad media buys, and they examine how Swivel's new agentic tools are finally bringing automated, human-like operations to Connected TV (CTV) yield management.Key Topics:Meta's AI Dominance: Why Meta’s massive AI efficiency is crushing Google in the enterprise ad market, despite Google's bloated service teams.The Trade Desk Backlash: Unpacking the industry's frustration with Jeff Green's "open internet" pitch and why the growth numbers don't match the story.Retail Media Networks (RMNs): Why companies like Kroger and Albertsons won't share their data, and how it hurts CPG advertisers.The End of "Getting Lost": A philosophical take on how AI tools are stripping younger generations of resilience and problem-solving skills.Agentic Ad Ops (Swivel): How new AI agents are outperforming human traders in the CTV market by running 100 manual interactions per hour.00:00 Intro: Hangovers & Detroit Style Pizza04:55 Defending Jeff Green’s "Open Internet" Pitch11:15 Q1 Earnings: Meta Crushes the Competition13:12 The Conflict Within Retail Media Networks (RMNs)20:49 Why Amazon Built Ad Tech from Scratch22:50 The Risk of a Google Display Network Collapse25:27 Swivel's Agentic CTV Case Study34:04 The Problem with Barter and Trade Agencies41:19 The "Split Brain" Architecture of DSPs vs. SSPs48:39 Postmortem: The IAB Tech Lab's New DTE Standard57:30 Cash Patel and The Ad Tech Investigations01:00:23 Closing Thoughts: Why We Need ACRONYM

Adam and Gareth return to the virtual studio to debate the definition of Supply Path Optimization (SPO) and why the sell-side and buy-side can never seem to agree on what it actually means. They are joined by OpenX CEO Matt Sattel to discuss his transition from the agency world to the SSP side, and why OpenX made the expensive, grueling leap to cloud infrastructure back in 2019 to prepare for the AI era.The trio unpacks the industry's so-called "Grand Bargain," debating whether a multilateral committee can truly fix the adversarial relationship between DSPs and SSPs. Gareth argues that ID Bridging is secretly a brilliant conversion-optimization engine in disguise, while Adam pitches his "Premium Coffee" theory to explain how publishers can finally escape the MFA (Made For Advertising) race to the bottom. Plus, a look at why 50% of programmatic ad requests are filtered out, and what OpenX really means by their new "Intelligent SSP" rebrand.00:00 Intro: The "Bright Lights" of Live Shows03:03 The Arc of the Sophisticated CMO06:56 Introducing Matt Sattel (CEO, OpenX)10:04 The Two Definitions of SPO13:16 The Premium Coffee Theory (Escaping MFA)14:52 Filtering Out 50 Billion Requests a Day16:41 The "Grand Bargain" Between Buyers and Sellers19:39 Gareth's Take: ID Bridging is Actually Optimization24:14 The True Cost of Eliminating MFA27:28 Google's Role in the MFA Epidemic32:41 The "Lego Baseplate" Strategy38:42 Why OpenX Moved to the Cloud in 201944:07 Direct Sales & Agentic Buying (ADCP)51:30 Differentiated Demand for Publishers57:40 The Intelligent SSP Rebrand

It's an all-Adam episode this week! With Gareth out, Adam Heimlich is joined by stealth startup founder and product leader Adam Markey to discuss the reality of building an ad tech company from scratch in the AI era.The guys dive deep into the philosophy of AI adoption, contrasting Anthropic's enterprise-focused "Constitutional AI" against OpenAI's consumer-driven, entertainment-style models. Markey shares how using Claude as a "full-stack" co-founder has drastically reduced product development cycles from six months to just three days. Plus, they explore why treating AI as a "replacement human" is the wrong starting point, how to avoid AI-generated "slop" in both creative and media planning, and why Anthropic's $20 billion valuation might actually be justified if they can maintain their compounding context moat.Finally, they touch on the IAB’s Agentic Realtime Framework (ARTF), the return of "frenemy" collaboration in ad tech, and why Meta's insane 33% revenue growth is tied directly to their massive investments in server compute.00:00 Intro: Welcome to Planet Ad Tech03:45 Bootstrapping a Startup in the AI Era06:40 Using AI for Complex Rule Prioritization08:13 Anthropic vs. OpenAI: Enterprise vs. Consumer12:03 Claude’s "Compounding Context" Moat14:28 Building a RevOps Dashboard in 2 Hours16:45 Change Management and Full-Stack Founders19:59 AI as a Force Multiplier, Not a Replacement25:35 The Value of Markdown Files for Context28:06 AI as the Ultimate Information Condenser32:28 Anthropic’s Path to Profitability37:25 Working with Google’s "Stitch" Design Agent39:07 The Edge of AI: Humor, Differentiation, and "Slop"44:09 Agentic Standards (ADCP & ARTF)51:03 Advice for Product Managers at Legacy DSPs53:50 The Enterprise Rush to Adopt AI59:49 Meta's 33% Growth and the Server Compute Race

Adam and Gareth dive into a chaotic start to Q2 in ad tech, leading off with Meta's jaw-dropping "triple hockey stick" growth in revenue per employee. They discuss how Meta’s ruthless AI shift—including tracking employee keystrokes for training data—is driving massive margins, even as hands-on buyers complain about constant bugs and platform outages.The guys also cover the rise of "Index Cloud" and Bedrock (a DSP living natively inside an SSP), explaining why the traditional DSP/SSP divide is collapsing and how this new architecture enables ultra-low-latency bidding for live sports. Plus, Gareth goes on a rant about the rampant QPS duplication problem in programmatic, they debate the return of Vickrey (Victory) auctions, and they react to a spicy $18M legal battle between TV measurement giants EDO and iSpot. Finally, Adam shares his frustration with the IAB's new Programmatic Governance Council and pitches his own "ACRONYM" coalition to guarantee 80% working media for advertisers.00:00 Intro: An Explosive Start to Q201:36 We Are in the Third Inning of AI in Ad Tech04:23 Meta's "Triple Hockey Stick" Revenue per Head05:15 Tracking Employee Keystrokes for AI Training09:08 The Broken Meta Ad Experience & Bugs16:19 Meta's Internal AI Models (Andromeda & Muse Spark)20:14 Can the Open Web Compete with Walled Gardens?30:37 News: The Trade Desk Launches AI Agents31:39 Index Cloud & Bedrock (A DSP Inside an SSP)37:59 Data Scientists vs. DSP Engineers43:21 The 3 Million QPS Myth & Bid Duplication45:31 Vickrey Auctions and Bid Shading48:22 EDO vs. iSpot: The $18M Lawsuit & Spicy Quotes50:45 The IAB's New Programmatic Governance Council51:54 ACRONYM & The Push for 80% Working Media57:56 The Lutnick / Epstein Ad Tech Connection

Adam and Gareth reunite in the virtual studio after a week apart, and they have a lot of philosophical ground to cover. Gareth shares a bizarre realization about startup growth—comparing a mature company to a "disembodied brain"—and how AI is acting as the ultimate force multiplier for lean teams. They debate the value of the "founder struggle," questioning if the current generation of entrepreneurs will lose resilience now that AI can write complex code and solve technical crises in 30 seconds.On the industry front, they tackle the latest IAB Tech Lab standard (DTE) and whether "traffic shaping" is just a polite word for throttling. Gareth explains why the "split brain" architecture of DSPs and SSPs makes optimal decisioning impossible, and why the Agentic Realtime Framework (ARTF) is the only real fix. Plus, a look at Allbirds pivoting from sneakers to AI data centers, the rise of AI-generated "slop" on LinkedIn, and why Salesforce's new Agentforce might be a desperate defense against Claude disintermediating their entire business model.Key Topics:The Disembodied Brain: How a startup evolves as you hire, and what it means when AI becomes your hands and feet.The Death of Getting Lost: Does the convenience of AI tools strip founders of the resilience needed to survive crises?Traffic Shaping vs. Throttling: Breaking down the IAB's new DTE standard and the architectural impossibility of the "split brain."Allbirds Pivots to AI: Why the market rewarded a failing DTC sneaker company for becoming a GPU rental service.Salesforce vs. Claude: Is Salesforce's Agentforce a true innovation, or a defensive moat against demand aggregation?00:00 Intro: Adam Returns from Vacation01:05 Startup Burn Rates & The "Disembodied Brain"03:08 AI as a Force Multiplier04:24 The Value of the Founder Struggle06:22 The 90s: When You Could Actually Get "Stood Up"11:32 AI "Slop" and the Premium on Human Content16:49 Can AI Replace the Enterprise Sales Playbook?19:51 The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership24:39 The OpenAI "Molotov" Backlash30:12 What Knowledge is Playbookable?35:54 News: Allbirds Pivots from Sneakers to AI39:31 IAB Tech Lab's New DTE Standard41:19 The "Split Brain" Problem in Ad Tech48:39 Postmortem: ADCP vs. ARTF (The IAB Standard Wins)01:01:46 Salesforce's Agentforce vs. Claude

With Adam out this week, Gareth flies solo to drop four massive predictions about the next five years of ad tech. Spoiler alert: The current system is unsustainable.Gareth argues that the traditional DSP/SSP paradigm is dying , crushed under the weight of Deal IDs and conflicting decisioning engines. He explains why the future of ad tech architecture lies in open, modular bidding frameworks (like ARTF) where custom logic can be executed natively without "middleman" friction.But the spiciest prediction? Google Ad Manager (GAM) is about to have a massive resurgence. Gareth theorizes that if ADCP (Automated Direct Sales) succeeds, GAM will emerge as the ultimate direct sales engine, bypassing DSPs entirely for enterprise buyers who want to set up cross-publisher campaigns with zero tech tax. Plus, he tackles the inevitable rise of "orchestration layers," why the mid-market is about to see a DSP renaissance , and why the shift away from ID-based buying will finally force publishers to reduce ad density and increase quality.Key Topics:The Death of DSPs & SSPs: Why splitting campaign logic between two platforms using Deal IDs is no longer architecturally viable.The Return of GAM: How ADCP could turn Google Ad Manager into a direct competitor to traditional DSPs.The Orchestration Era: Why modern bidding systems will look less like DSPs and more like open hubs for modular valuation and data vendors.The End of Ad Density: Why the shift to predictive modeling (and away from IDs) will finally reward publishers for running fewer, higher-quality ads.The LiveRamp EU Struggle: Why strict European privacy laws (GDPR) are making PII-based identity graphs incredibly difficult to operate abroad.00:00 Intro: Gareth Flying Solo01:57 Prediction 1: The End of the DSP/SSP Paradigm04:08 The Architectural Flaw of Deal IDs08:34 Prediction 2: The GAMpire Strikes Back (Google Ad Manager)10:14 How ADCP Turns GAM into a DSP Competitor12:27 Prediction 3: A Proliferation of Mid-Market DSPs15:01 The Approaching SSP Bloodbath18:22 The Rise of the "Orchestration Layer"22:50 Prediction 4: Publisher CPMs Will Go Up24:55 Why User IDs and Cookie Syncing are Commodities27:09 The Frequency Capping Problem with ADCP30:14 The LiveRamp EU/UK Privacy Struggle33:49 The Bull Case for Fingerprinting & Synthetic Audiences34:21 Outro

Adam and Gareth are joined in the virtual studio by Laura Manning, SVP of Data and Measurement at SINT. They break down the fundamentals of Brand Lift 101, explaining how SINT acts as the infrastructure matching survey-takers across the internet with relevant ad exposure data. Gareth details exactly why traditional attribution models fail massive enterprise brands like Procter & Gamble. The trio also discusses the agonizing eight-year waiting list to get into Google's Ads Data Hub (ADH), and why allowing walled gardens to report their own brand lift metrics is essentially letting them grade their own homework. Finally, Adam explains why the shift from linear broadcast to digital resulted in an "epidemic of waste" due to algorithms driving frequency instead of true reach.Key Topics:- What is SINT: Acting as a DSP for online research that matches respondents with surveys.- Attribution vs. Brand Lift: Why enterprise CPG brands don't rely on clicks and e-commerce tracking.- The "O" Word: Using survey response data via API to actually optimize campaigns in real-time.- The White Whale: SINT's years-long quest to integrate with Google's Ads Data Hub.- The Reach Problem: Why digital algorithms inherently favor frequency over reach, unlike traditional linear TV.00:00 Intro00:57 Introducing Laura Manning & SINT 06:40 Attribution vs. Brand Lift 08:28 How SINT Measures Brand Lift 12:10 Standard Survey Questions 14:12 The "O" Word (Optimization) 25:16 Google's Ads Data Hub 28:50 Linear TV vs. Digital Reach 39:10 Post-Mortem: Is Brand Lift a "Cope"?

Gareth powers through a blown-out back to join Adam for a loaded episode exploring the true value of data and the hidden mechanics of media buying. They kick things off by breaking down Gamera's new viewability segments in the Index Exchange marketplace, exposing how antiquated, manual ad slot labeling in Google Ad Manager is suppressing publisher yield, and how AI is fixing it.The duo dives deep into the philosophy that raw signal is just "gold in a mine" without the right prediction models to extract its value. They also unpack the ANA's latest study on Principal Media buying, shedding light on the clandestine world of agency secondary liquidation and "barter" agencies. Plus, a look at Microsoft’s baffling apathy toward its own ad tech stack, the dirty Facebook arbitrage secret that fueled Made For Advertising (MFA) sites, and the landmark negligence ruling against Meta for social media addiction.Key Topics:Automating Viewability: Why manual ad ops labeling is costing publishers money, and how Gamera's on-page AI creates predictive viewability segments.The "Gold in a Mine" Philosophy: Why data is commoditized and the real competitive moat is modeling.Microsoft's Missed Opportunity: Why a tech giant with Azure, LinkedIn, Xander, and OpenAI is ignoring the ad tech wars.Principal Media & Barter Agencies: Breaking down how holding companies liquidate bulk media buys (and occasionally trade ads for pizza sauce).The MFA Arbitrage Secret: How MFA publishers used Facebook remarketing to poach high-value programmatic users.Social Media Liability: Meta's landmark loss in a social media addiction case and the rise of "digital citizenship" in elementary schools.00:00 Intro & Gareth's Blown Back02:44 Gamera Viewability Segments in Index04:49 The Manual Nightmare of Google Ad Manager10:32 Data is Gold in a Mine14:51 Google's MMM & The Enterprise Fight18:18 The "Affinity for Yogurt" Trap20:41 How Big Tech Captured All Marginal Value24:15 Microsoft's Baffling Ad Tech Apathy33:48 ANA Study: Demystifying Principal Media38:36 Barter Agencies & Pizza Sauce Trades42:41 Why Google & Facebook Broke the Agency Model46:01 Value vs. Cost & Vinnie Rinaldi's Post49:25 The Dirty Secret of MFA Arbitrage51:53 Meta Loses Social Media Addiction Case58:21 The Guardian & Publisher Direct Sales01:01:36 Outro & The Ibuprofen Overdose Story

Adam and Gareth log in to the virtual studio to unpack a week of industry backstabbing, gossip, and the true meaning of "transparency." While the industry argues over who is to blame for the lack of clarity in programmatic, the duo highlights a quote from Hershey's Vinnie Rinaldi, arguing that it's ultimately up to advertisers to demand proof of value rather than just hunting for low CPMs.The guys break down the evolution of the enterprise market, explaining why CFOs don't care about vanity metrics like Video Completion Rates when evaluating a $100 million digital investment. They discuss how brands are starting to apply the same rigorous causal inference models to ad tech that they currently use for their physical supply chains.Plus, a deep dive into the CTV ad server wars (Freewheel vs. Publica vs. SpringServe), a look at OpenAds' rapid pivot from LLM networks to a creative-first DSP, and a spicy prediction on what Netflix should (and probably will) do with its burgeoning ad business.Key Topics:The Transparency Debate: Why agencies and ad tech nerds define "transparency" completely differently.The Value of Digital Media: Why the enterprise market must move past vanity metrics and demand real ROI proof.Supply Chain Logic: How brands are treating ad tech data like logistics data.CTV Ad Serving: The rise of Publica and SpringServe, and why legacy players missed the boat.Netflix's Ad Future: Will they open up to biddable programmatic, or build a walled garden for SMBs?00:00 Intro: Virtual Sets & Industry Gossip03:09 Jay Friedman & Vinnie Rinaldi on Transparency08:37 Why Advertisers Must Demand Value11:38 The Enterprise Wake-Up Call (CFO Scrutiny)16:14 Applying Supply Chain Logic to Ad Tech22:02 The "Agentic" Layer Debate24:31 Why Publishers Still Love Direct Sales28:14 SSPs Becoming DSPs (The Blurring Lines)30:30 The CTV Ad Server Wars (Freewheel vs. SpringServe)32:16 The Rise of Retail Media Ad Servers38:09 Vinnie Rinaldi's Media Playbook42:49 OpenAds Pivots to Creative AI46:16 Why Publishers Feel Betrayed by Programmatic49:06 Speculating on Netflix's Ad Strategy55:05 The Danger of Hiding Publisher Data01:00:45 Closing Thoughts: Models & World Peace

Adam and Gareth return from the spring conference circuit (RampUp and Beeler Basecamp) feeling reflective. Adam unpacks the repressed trauma of the startup grind, while Gareth shares a brutal story of getting stiffed for $350k by an industry "partner" and why selling your company doesn't automatically mean a happy ending.On the industry front, the duo tears into the "weird garbageness" of the Connected TV (CTV) market. They explain how 12-hour ad caches create shady "dark pools" for arbitrage, and why premium publishers are fleeing biddable CTV for guaranteed deals. Adam revisits his classic pitch on why relying on Facebook’s algorithm forces DTC brands to subsidize their own competitors, and Gareth drops his spiciest take of 2026: Yield management no longer exists. Plus, a deep dive into how User IDs are artificially inflating programmatic auction prices, why SSPs are effectively becoming DSPs via the Agentic Realtime Framework (ARTF), and a hilarious look at a new AI app for couples founded by a former mobile ad network CEO.Key Topics:Founder Trauma: The emotional toll of bootstrapping, getting scammed, and surviving corporate acquisitions.The CTV Garbage Fire: Why Connected TV pricing is broken and how long cache windows enable arbitrage.The DTC Trap: How Meta captures the value of direct-to-consumer brands by giving away their audience data.The Death of Yield Management: Gareth argues that modern SSPs don't manage yield; they just manage prebid competition.The ID Illusion: Why bidding based on inventory signals is vastly cheaper than bidding on DSP audience IDs.00:29 Intro & Conference Exhaustion02:08 Repressing Founder Trauma06:01 Life After the Company Sale08:46 The CTV Garbage Fire11:44 CTV Arbitrage & Dark Pools13:45 How Facebook Eats DTC Brands16:18 The Unhinged Agency Hiring Process21:30 The Problem With User IDs28:33 Bid Decoration & ARTF30:14 Postmortem: Yield Management is Dead38:05 Why Open Path Isn't an SSP42:11 SSPs are the New DSPs48:49 AI vs Principal Trading52:32 Ad Tech Meets AI Sex Apps

Adam and Gareth return from their respective conferences (RampUp and Beeler Basecamp) to unpack a massive news week in the ad tech world. The duo dives straight into the "knife fight" of sell-side monetization, unpacking why publishers are getting bullied over ads.txt files and why managing prebid auctions is a brutal, low-margin business.Then, they pivot to the biggest stories of the week: The Trade Desk’s soft guidance, the market’s overreaction, and why everyone needs to stop freaking out about OpenAI having meetings with Jeff Green. Plus, they explore the wild theories behind AppLovin’s explosive stock growth, debate whether "performance" is still a moat in 2026, and roast the increasingly aggressive AI bots sliding into LinkedIn DMs.00:00 Intro: Conference Exhaustion & Beeler Basecamp03:03 The Ads.txt Bullying Problem05:46 The Knife Fight of Publisher Yield Management08:24 Publisher CPMs vs. Buy-Side Costs16:08 TTD Earnings & The Market Overreaction23:44 OpenAI Meets with The Trade Desk28:51 Will OpenAI Compete with Google Search?32:00 Anthropic vs. OpenAI: The Enterprise AI Race48:07 Postmortem: AppLovin's Google Playbook51:30 The "Street Thesis" on AppLovin's Growth58:43 StinkedIn: Aggressive AI Bots & "Negging"

It’s earnings season in AdTech, and the juice is definitely dripping! Adam and Gareth tackle a jam-packed news cycle, starting with the mess that is Supply Path Optimization (SPO) and why the industry’s "transparency" efforts, like sellers.json and ads.txt, are causing buyers to blindly block legitimate publisher agents.Then, the duo dives into the explosive Digiday whistleblower report exposing the "Carnage" of Principal-Based Buying and the clandestine world of agency rebates. Are advertisers getting played by their own procurement departments? And why is the biggest player in the market conveniently avoiding the mud?Finally, they break down The Trade Desk’s soft earnings guidance. Is TTD in a death spiral, or just returning to earth after years of insane market froth? Adam and Gareth debate how TTD won the DSP wars of 2015 via "bid expressiveness" and whether performance alone is still a big enough moat in the modular, AI-driven landscape of 2026.00:00 Intro: Earnings Season is a Dumpster Fire01:57 The Mess of Supply Path Optimization (SPO)05:25 The History of ads.txt and "Resellers"12:23 News: The Whistleblower & Principal Buying18:02 How Rebates Warp Media Planning22:19 Defending Against Principal Buying25:21 The Bizarre Pricing Inefficiency of CTV30:55 The Logic of DSP Bidding & Valuation37:25 The "Two Markets" of Ad Tech41:50 TTD Earnings: Is The Trade Desk in a Death Spiral?47:28 How Trade Desk Won the Consolidation Wars53:35 Bid Expressiveness: The Original TTD Pitch58:24 Can Open Path Survive the Backlash?

Adam and Gareth are back to sort through the noise in an episode packed wall-to-wall with industry drama. From the Pentagon to the Cayman Islands, it’s a pure news day on AdTech AdTalk, and the theme is "Carnage."First up, the guys unpack Anthropic's "woke AI" feud with the Pentagon and Palantir, complete with a bizarre Gen-X fun fact about Peter Thiel's childhood in Namibia. Then, they tackle the slow adoption of AI by CMOs, debating whether "Agentic AI" is actually driving innovation or just finding new ways to cut jobs.The drama heats up as they cover Jeffrey Epstein's strange (and brief) connection to programmatic futures, the controversy over ICE buying location data, and the explosive Digiday report about WPP and Dentsu pulling out of The Trade Desk's Open Path over hidden fees. Plus, Adam and Gareth weigh in on the ADCP vs. ARTF standards "showdown," Mark Zuckerberg's landmark child safety trial, and why LinkedIn's search bar remains the worst product on the internet.00:00 Intro: Cold Weather & Ad Tech Carnage02:34 Anthropic, The Pentagon & Woke AI06:04 Peter Thiel's Namibian Childhood09:44 CMOs & Slow AI Adoption11:53 The Day of the Yellow Square16:41 Sheep Dogging the Algorithm22:40 Agentic Buzzwords vs. Real AI27:18 Jeffrey Epstein's Ad Tech Connections30:42 ICE's RFP for Location Data36:56 Digiday Scoop: Agencies Exit Open Path46:01 Agency Rebates to the Cayman Islands49:22 Showdown: ADCP vs. ARTF Standards53:41 Zuckerberg Testifies on Child Safety58:24 Intent IQ's Cross-Device Patent Lawsuit01:01:00 StinkedIn: The Worst Search Bar Ever

Gareth is in "manic sales mode" as Gamera and Chalice both celebrate investments from The Trade Desk’s venture arm (TD7). The duo breaks down why the future of ad tech isn't about blocking competitors, but playing in the same "sandbox"—moving from a philosophy of "Or" to "And."They dive deep into the IAB Tech Lab's Agentic Realtime Framework (ARTF), debating if these new containerized solutions are just "smarter ad networks" without the grift. Adam defends the new MRC auction transparency standards (despite grumpy publishers), arguing that "Universal Price Floors" were meant to trap Google, not squeeze the open web.Plus, a roast of LinkedIn’s algorithm (Lou Paskalis’s legs vs. actual news), a Creative Corner on the Gen Z trend of "Friction Maxing," and Adam’s conspiracy theory that Elon Musk’s entire business roadmap is just the plot of the movie Total Recall.00:00 Intro: Manic Sales Energy03:41 Sell-Side Decisioning & ARTF Adoption07:09 Re-Imagining the Ad Tech Company11:00 Are These Just Smarter Ad Networks?16:10 TD7 Investments & The "Sandbox" Mentality21:46 StinkedIn: Lou's Legs vs. Industry News31:01 News: MRC Auction Standards Controversy38:18 Cross-Platform Measurement Hope43:42 Creative Corner: Friction Maxing52:15 Theory: Elon Musk is Re-enacting Total Recall53:49 Segment: Gateway to the Soul

In this special episode, Adam and Gareth present a deep dive into the industry's most complex new standard: The IAB Tech Lab’s Agentic Realtime Framework (ARTF).The duo uses three distinct metaphors to break down how "Containerization" is moving the ad auction to the edge. They explain how High-Frequency Trading (HFT) infrastructure revolutionized finance (and why ad tech is next), why the modern DSP should be treated like a Bento Box rather than a prix fixe meal, and how the history of Shipping Containers predicts who will actually get rich from the AI boom (hint: it’s probably not the AI companies).Featuring guest commentary from Index Exchange and OpenX, this episode cuts through the noise of "Agentic AI" to explain the actual plumbing, how 1-millisecond microservices are unbundling the stack and restoring yield to publishers.00:00 Intro: The "Container Explainer"01:08 Metaphor 1: High-Frequency Trading & Flash Boys04:46 Containerization vs. Colocation06:08 The Meditation (100ms vs. 1ms)08:50 Metaphor 2: The Bento Box (Unbundling the DSP)11:00 The Agentic Framework Architecture12:56 Metaphor 3: Shipping Containers & Value Capture16:09 Prebid’s Legacy: Moving Integration to the Edge19:10 The DSP Identity Crisis: Enterprise vs. SMB21:08 Intro to ACRONYM (Non-Profit)22:00 Index Exchange on Sell-Side Decisioning24:54 OpenX on Unbundling & Data Security26:00 Future Use Cases: Mutations & Bid Shading29:12 ARTF vs. ADCP: What’s the Difference?32:50 Closing Thoughts: Collaboration is Key

Gareth is out, and the "most interesting person on the planet" is in. Adam is joined by Chalice AI’s SVP of Data Science, Tylynn Pettrey, for a high-speed masterclass on the history of predictive modeling, from 19th-century planetary orbits to the transformer architectures powering 2026’s agentic workflows.Tylynn breaks down complex math into plain English, explaining why "more data" isn't always better (the curse of dimensionality), why some algorithms break the bank on computing costs, and why AdTech is finally catching up to High-Frequency Trading. Plus, we answer audience questions on Quantum Computing, the death of the R programming language, and why Tylynn kept a mass spectrometer in her garage during the pandemic.00:00 Intro: The Data Science Takeover02:40 Linear Regression: Connecting the Dots05:37 Logistic Regression & The S-Curve09:12 Decision Trees: The Medical Diagnosis Logic10:56 K-Nearest Neighbors & Lookalikes13:13 Neural Networks: The Factory Assembly Line16:18 Back Propagation: Learning from Error18:32 Random Forests: Crowd-Sourced Math19:50 Support Vector Machines (SVM) & Big O Notation22:25 Skills for 2026: Python vs. R vs. Rust24:54 Deep Learning & Sparse Data28:40 Transformers & Attention Mechanisms33:18 The Imbalance Problem: Synthetic Data38:54 Scoring: AUC and Probability41:42 Q&A: Is Agentic AI Hype?43:10 Q&A: Quantum Computing in AdTech48:25 Q&A: Is R Dead?51:15 The Mass Spectrometer in the Garage53:20 Curate AI: Low Latency Scoring in Rust

Things are getting spicy on AdTech AdTalk. Adam (Buy Side) and Gareth (Sell Side) are joined by the industry’s unofficial oracle, Mike McNeeley (SVP of Product, Index Exchange), to tackle the erosion of trust in the programmatic supply chain.The trio dives deep into the controversy of "publisher-declared fields", why letting sellers grade their own homework is leading to ID spoofing, and why the OpenRTB spec is long overdue for a rigid overhaul. Mike pulls back the curtain on how Index Exchange polices inventory quality and why "friction" is a necessary feature, not a bug.Later, the crew pivots to product management philosophy, debating how to build for "fragmolidation" without over-engineering. Plus, they break down the massive news that Amazon is adopting Prebid (a win for open standards?), and Gareth roasts the "robotic m-dash" plaguing everyone's LinkedIn feeds.00:00 Intro & The Ad Tech Oracle02:39 The Lying Field Problem 04:41 OpenRTB Specs 10107:32 The Stock Market Fraud Analogy 10:56 Who Is Accountable for Fraud? 12:44 Index Exchange’s Quality Gates 17:45 Fixing the OpenRTB Spec 22:25 Brand Safety Lag Kills News 26:14 Salience vs. Suitability 29:49 Scaling Product Teams 35:48 The "Loss URL" Rabbit Hole 43:00 Agentic Frameworks & Sidecars 46:11 WSJ: CEOs vs. Workers on AI 48:03 Stop Using AI for LinkedIn 53:45 The "Tinder for Networking" Idea 58:07 News: Amazon Adopts Prebid1:02:30 A Win for Open Standards 1:08:21 Rapper Wars & Snowfalls

In this episode, Adam and Gareth embrace the chaos of 2026. Adam recounts a hilarious (and almost illegal) run-in with the NYPD at a "massage parlor," while Gareth laments the inflation of a $75 midtown haircut.The duo announces the formation of ACRONYM (The Ad Tech Coalition to Restore Openness and Normalize Yield Markets) and declares "Working Media" the buzzword of the year. They dive deep into the latest industry debate sparked by Brian O'Kelley, arguing whether OpenRTB is for "day trading" while Agentic AI is for "investing", and review a technical rebuttal from former Chalice engineer Will.Plus, the debut of the Kreative Korner with Marley and Sasha breaking down the "uncanny valley" horror of the AI-generated McDonald's ad, a check-in on Grok's disturbingly specific bikini generation capabilities, and a look at why AI might actually lead to marketing layoffs (per the WSJ).0:00 Intro & Pontiac Intelligence Shoutout 03:06 Adam’s "Illicit" Massage Parlor Story 07:46 Gareth’s $75 Haircut & Ad Tech Inflation 13:58 The Data Quality Problem (Serge AI & Human Review) 17:50 Announcement: Launching ACRONYM (The Ad Tech Coalition) 20:15 Why "Working Media" is the Buzzword of 2026 22:30 Grok and Trolls: Pete Hegseth in a Bikini 25:43 Kreative Korner: The Creepy AI McDonald's Ad 31:39 Is AI Art? (The "Drawing a Chair" Analogy) 43:59 Post-Mortem: Brian O'Kelley: "OpenRTB is Day Trading" 50:51 Post-Mortem: Will’s Rebuttal: Recommendation Systems vs. Agents 59:43 Q&A: Affiliate Links in Custom GPTs 1:04:13 Prediction Check-In: Amazon vs. The Trade Desk 1:11:44 News: WSJ on AI-Driven Marketing Layoffs 1:17:27 Outro

It is officially 2026, and Ad Tech Ad Talk is back from CES with a massive announcement. In this episode, Gareth Glaser finally unveils Gamera, his new inventory quality company that has officially moved out of stealth and into the funded startup phase.Gareth delivers his "investor spiel," breaking down why Facebook generates $130B with only 25% of the internet's traffic, while the Open Web lags behind. The thesis? It’s not just about audience data; it’s about inventory taxonomy. Gareth explains how Gamera uses code-on-page technology to automate inventory description, replace archaic manual tagging, and verify impressions in real-time.Adam and Gareth also debate the "Agentic" buzzword fatigue coming out of Vegas, review Pubmatic's new "Agentic OS" (is it Hot Sht or Horsesht?), and discuss the existential threat to search traffic as AI reshapes the web.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! In the first episode of the year, Adam and Gareth kick things off with their boldest predictions for the future of ad tech.From the rise of the "Ad Tech Singularity" (where DSPs, SSPs, and data companies finally merge) to the inevitable comeback of open web banners (yes, really), the duo covers it all. They debate whether retail media networks are just selling "fancy value-click" inventory, why performance CTV is bringing IP-address attribution "home to roost," and why AI won't make investors rich (but might make you rich).Plus, Gareth explains why Elon's unhinged tweets might actually be good for Grok's credibility, and predicts the end of the "trust era" in inventory quality. It's a jam-packed episode to set the stage for a wild year ahead.00:00 - Intro & Pontiac Intelligence Shoutout02:59 - The Joys of Parenting Toddlers (AKA "First Principles of Humanity")06:53 - Post-Mortem: The Looming Retail Media Scandal10:04 - Is Retail Media Data Actually Any Good?15:50 - Elon, Grok, and the Future of Truth on X24:35 - Adam vs. DigiDay: The Trade Desk Whisper Campaigns36:58 - Adam's Prediction #1: The Revival of the OLV Market40:34 - Adam's Prediction #2: New AI-Native Agency Models44:01 - Adam's Prediction #3: AI "Gravity" & The Valuation Reality Check46:07 - Adam's Prediction #4: Muscular Behavioral Remedies for Google47:40 - Gareth's Prediction #1: The Ad Tech Singularity (Unbundling is Over)54:46 - Gareth's Prediction #2: Performance CTV & The Return of IP Attribution1:01:17 - Gareth's Prediction #3: The Banner Market Will Grow in 20261:04:13 - Gareth's Prediction #4: Amazon Will Not Beat The Trade Desk1:09:30 - Gareth's Prediction #5: Disappointment with LLM Ad Revenue1:11:44 - News: Marketing Layoffs Due to AI Pressure1:17:27 - Outro

In the final episode of 2025, Adam and Gareth look back at a chaotic year in ad tech and look forward to the "fewer, better pages" of the future. The duo tackles the persistent myths plaguing the industry, from the zombie-like return of domain spoofing (it's solved, guys) to the shady practice of ad stuffing via carousels.Adam rails against the concept of "scale" as a software problem (it's not) and the wasted time of digital media planning, while Gareth makes the case that video placement misdeclaration is the #1 issue we need to kill in 2026. They also debate whether agentic AI is just a fancy way to automate sales houses and if guaranteed deals are obsolete in a programmatic world.Plus, a look at Pinterest's move into CTV, why LiveRail ruined ad tech M&A for a decade, and a special shoutout to the LinkedIn Year-In-Review spam.0:00 Intro & Pontiac Intelligence Shoutout 02:18 Holiday Party Anxiety & The "Irish Exit" 04:47 The AI Year in Review: Trials & Tribulations 08:23 Did The Trade Desk Actually care about Performance in 2025? 13:12 MYTH BUSTING SEGMENT BEGINS 15:26 Myth #1: Domain Spoofing is Still a Huge Problem 19:45 Myth #2: Resellers & Ad Stuffing (Carousels) 25:14 Myth #3: Video Placement Misdeclaration (In-Stream vs. Out-Stream) 30:33 The Future of Open Web: Fewer, Better Pages 39:40 Myth #4: "It Doesn't Scale" (The First Principles of Audience) 43:40 Myth #5: Privacy Laws Prevent Reach Measurement 45:49 Myth #6: You Need DoubleVerify for Brand Safety 47:48 Myth #7: Digital Media Planning is Essential 50:14 Myth #8: Agentic AI Benefits Advertisers (Where's the Value?) 52:02 Why Guaranteed Deals Don't Make Sense Programmatically 54:58 StinkedIn: The Worst Year-End Wrap-Ups 57:34 AI Phishing Emails Getting Too Good 58:45 Outro & 2026 Preview

In this episode of AdTech AdTalk, Adam and Gareth break down the big news of the week: Pinterest acquiring TV Scientific. Is it about CTV tags, or is it really about IP address stuffing to juice attribution?The duo goes deep on the AI wars, debating whether Google’s "stack" strategy will crush open standards, the "vertical integration" lesson from the browser wars, and the suspicious claim that Gemini 3 has no ads (yet). They also tackle the "passive voice" of the Irish exit, the surprising economics of OnlyFans chatbots, and why SaaS investors are panicking about AI.Plus, a look back at the "Vast Arbitrage" era, why LiveRail ruined ad tech acquisitions for a decade, and why nobody can name a single piece of "new knowledge" generated by an LLM.0:00 Intro2:12 The "Irish Exit" & Holiday Party Anxiety04:08 AI Standards vs. The Google Stack06:40 The Browser Wars & Vertical Integration 11:34 The "Architects of AI" & Godzilla Battles 15:28 The ROI of AI: Application Layer vs. Infrastructure 19:02 AI Won't Make Investors Rich (But Might Make You Rich) 23:11 The Service Industry Boom & The End of SaaS Playbooks 28:43 Pinterest Acquires TV Scientific: Attribution Gaming? 39:08 The "LiveRail Chill" on Ad Tech M&A 44:37 Post-Mortem: Google's "No Ads in Gemini" Claim 50:05 Post-Mortem: Vast Arbitrage & Waterfalls Explained 54:58 Post-Mortem: Can AI Create New Knowledge? 59:43 Q&A: Affiliate Links in Custom GPTs 1:01:23 OnlyFans Chatbots & The Future of Influencer AI 1:02:46 Outro & Hanukkah Wishes

In this episode of AdTech AdTalk, hosts Adam and Gareth are joined by Hillary Slattery, Director of Product Management at IAB Tech Lab and the "designated asshole" charged with shepherding OpenRTB.They dive deep into the granular realities of programmatic advertising, from the importance of OpenRTB's 107-page spec to the contentious debates around video ad placement definitions and the widespread misuse of the buyer UID field. Hillary explains why deal IDs are often a "band-aid" for poor OpenRTB implementation and the challenges of standardizing creative across platforms.The trio also discusses the implications of the Omnicom/IPG merger, the $16 billion Facebook makes from scam ads, and why users actually prefer ad-supported content to paying for it.Chapter Timestamps0:00 Intro & Pontiac DSP Shoutout 01:22 Happy Birthday to Gareth & Marley! 02:03 Meet Hillary Slattery 06:09 What is OpenRTB? 08:55 The Role of Agentic AI in Ad Tech 16:43 Standardizing Creative with Ad-ID 21:52 The "Designated Asshole" of OpenRTB 26:23 The Debate Over "In-Stream" Video 28:02 The Buyer UID Field Controversy 38:28 Agency Holdcos & The "Bonus Malus" Trap 45:22 Why You Should Use Deals in CTV 50:02 Deal IDs vs. OpenRTB Implementation 55:08 Post-Mortem: "No Such Thing as Server-Side Header Bidding" 58:44 Post-Mortem: Facebook's $16 Billion Scam Ad Problem 1:03:01 News: Trade Desk's Bad Creative Preview 1:04:54 News: Meta Wins Antitrust Case & User Ad Tolerance 1:08:56 News: Omnicom/IPG Merger & The End of Scale 1:12:34 Outro

It’s a special Thanksgiving episode of AdTech AdTalk! Adam and Gareth are holding down the fort solo, ready to dive into the latest ad tech news, from Google's ongoing antitrust saga to the impending IPG/Omnicom mega-merger.The duo explores the competitive landscape of header bidding management, why it’s such a tough business, and the unique position of Index Exchange’s new containerization project. They also field listener questions about the new "Agentic RTB" standards, how brands like Bayer can leverage them, and the uncomfortable truth about using IP addresses for measurement in CTV.Plus, the hosts debate the effectiveness of price floors, roast a viral LinkedIn post about TV's "passive screen" experience, and analyze a clip of Sergey Brin cutting through Google's infamous bureaucracy.0:00 Intro & Pontiac Intelligence Shoutout 02:37 The Header Bidding Knife Fight 07:19 Index, Attentive & Resellers 11:34 Index Exchange’s Containerization 14:06 Why It's Called "Agentic RTB" 19:02 Will Big Tech Adopt the Standards? 24:13 Brands & Agentic Workflows 30:37 The Truth About IPs & CTV Measurement 37:22 Why Telcos Failed at Ad Tech 41:26 Why Price Floors Work (Sort Of) 50:12 Post-Mortem: TV’s "Passive Screen" 57:34 Google’s Gemini 3 & Sergey Brin 1:09:27 IPG & Omnicom Merger 1:11:56 Google Antitrust Closing Arguments 1:18:44 Don't Sleep on Google 1:19:15 Outro

In this "old school" episode of AdTech AdTalk, Adam and Gareth fly solo (mostly) to vent about the industry and answer chat questions without the pressure of being nice to a guest. The duo dives deep into the technical weeds of PMP duplication, explaining the bizarre reality where sending the same deal ID five times actually results in more spend due to DSP throttling and QPS caps.They also tackle the controversy surrounding The Trade Desk’s Kokai update, debating whether the loss of trader control is worth the aggressive pacing algorithms. The conversation shifts to the philosophy of measurement, the generational shift in caring about inventory quality, and why coupons are the original performance marketing.Plus, a surprise visit from "Senator AdTech" (who looks and sounds suspiciously like a famous Vermont politician) to rail against the "rigged auction" of the bid request system. Finally, the hosts roast Grok’s sycophantic description of Elon Musk’s physique and play a round of Hot Sh*t or Horsesh*t featuring Quantcast’s new "self-driving" AI claims.00:00 Intro & Pontiac Shoutout 02:32 Live in Denmark 03:20 The PMP Duplication Hack 10:29 How DSP Sampling Works 19:30 Why Traders Hate Kokai 26:12 The Shift to Quality 30:30 Senator AdTech Skit 35:00 Measurement & Coupons 42:45 Post-Mortem: Fake Metrics 46:40 Grok’s Love for Elon 52:04 Naming the Grok Segment 53:30 Hot Sht or Horsesht: Quantcast 59:00 Outro

Adam Heimlich and Gareth Glaser are back for another AdTech AdTalk, this time sitting down with a true ad tech veteran, Keith Gooberman, the CEO of Pontiac DSP and Programmatic Mechanics.Keith takes the hosts through his 18-year career, starting from the publisher side at Conde Nast ($20 CPMs) to the ad network days at Glam Media, and eventually to the agency trading desks. He discusses the "aha" moment of seeing 80-90% margins, which led him to found his own transparent company.The discussion covers the state of the DSP market and what it's like competing with giants like Google and The Trade Desk. Keith explains Pontiac's niche (built without cookies, "thinner" pricing, CTV-first bidder) and the panel debates whether clients actually care about performance.In the second half, the hosts break down the new IAB "Agentic" framework for containerized RTB, a $16 billion fraudulent ad spend problem at Facebook, and analyze the wild stock market ride of Pubmatic in "Hot Shit or Horseshit."00:00 - AdTech AdTalk Intro01:11 - Welcome & Guest Introduction02:04 - Welcoming Keith Gooberman, Pontiac DSP02:31 - Keith's Start: Conde Nast (2007)03:59 - Career Path: Glam Media Ad Network05:28 - Learning Arbitrage at Trading Desks06:17 - Why He Chose Varik08:44 - Founding Programmatic Mechanics09:12 - Do Buyers Actually Care About Performance?10:49 - Investment vs. Spending: The Agency View12:15 - The Irrational CMO Request: "Get me on Netflix"14:52 - Building the Pontiac DSP & Bidder16:17 - Competing in the DSP Market17:31 - Pontiac's "No Cookie" Differentiation18:55 - The DSP Car Analogy21:15 - Price, Transparency & The Chalice Partnership24:45 - From "Fewer, Bigger, Better" to Modular Stacks27:18 - Startup Idea: Creative Quality Management31:45 - The History of Soft Floors & First Price35:59 - IAB Agentic Standards36:29 - The Gap: The "Edge" vs. Insertion Orders42:38 - NEWS: Adam Explains Agentic RTB45:26 - Why Is It Called "Agentic"?47:50 - Why Would Index (SSP) Want This?54:02 - Pontiac's View on the New Edge57:25 - Pontiac's AI/MCP Plans59:51 - Post-Mortem: "Open Web is Dying"01:02:57 - "Ad Tech Morale is Low"01:06:15 - Post: MRC Auction Standards & Google Antitrust01:11:56 - NEWS: $16B in Fraudulent Ads on Facebook01:17:24 - New Feature: "StinkedIn"01:24:19 - New Feature: "Hot Shit or Horseshit"01:24:44 - Pubmatic's Wild Stock Ride01:25:43 - Gareth's Take: Pubmatic is Hot Shit01:27:36 - Keith's Take: Pubmatic Found a New Story01:32:39 - Sign Off & Outro

Adam Heimlich and Gareth Glaser kick off the "Post Mortem" segment with the "deadly serious" LinkedIn breakup of Jeff Green and Brian O'Kelly, complete with a surprisingly high-quality, AI-generated musical tribute. The episode's main guest is Joe Zawadzki of Aperiam Ventures, who shares his "typosphere" investment strategy, how he uses AI as a "product collaborator," and the nuances of AdTech coopetition.The group dives deep into the plumbing of AdTech, breaking down the buy-side and sell-side reasons for the messy proliferation of PMPs and Deal IDs. Finally, the crew tackles "Hot Sh*t or Horsesh*t," giving a unanimous "hot" rating to OpenAI, and analyzes the latest earnings reports from The Trade Desk (TTD), Meta, Google, and Amazon.0:00 Intro 0:48 Welcome & Banter 1:51 Postmortem: The LinkedIn Breakup 5:16 Guest: Joe Zawatski 6:20 Joe Zawatski on AI & Investing 10:47 Coopetition & Founder Mindset 19:22 The PMP & Deal ID Problem 36:01 Hot Sh*t or Horsesh*t: OpenAI 46:05 Earnings: The Trade Desk 51:56 Earnings: Meta, Google & Amazon 56:25 Gareth's Startup Idea 57:35 Wrap Up

In this "Meet the Moment" Halloween episode, hosts Adam Heimlich and Gareth Glaser welcome Stephanie Layser of AWS to unpack the industry-shaking announcement of AWS RTB Fabric.Stephanie explains how "customer obsession" led AWS to build a superstructure for ad tech containerization, designed to slash the massive "egress" costs that have historically plagued real-time bidding. They dive deep into how Fabric’s "modules" will lower the barrier to entry, break down integration queues, and create a more efficient, competitive ecosystem beyond the handful of dominant legacy platforms.The discussion also covers the failure of the 2013 App Nexus marketplace, the future of Prebid Server on Fabric, and how this new infrastructure differs from past attempts like BidSwitch. The show concludes with the debut of a new segment, "Postmortem," analyzing the week's spiciest ad tech social media posts.0:52 Halloween Intro & Sponsor: Pontiac1:47 Why We're Talking About "Fabric"2:32 The "Egress" Cost Problem4:44 The Rise of Containerization6:48 Welcome Stephanie Layser (AWS)7:51 The Origin Story of RTB Fabric11:14 What Are "Modules"?13:50 Failed Precedent: App Nexus Marketplace17:40 The Power of Filtering (for RMNs)22:48 How Fabric Architecture Works27:30 Q&A: Examples of Modules33:51 Hardball: How is this not BidSwitch?37:12 The Future of Prebid on Fabric41:54 Amazon Ads (DSP) as Launch Partner42:55 AWS Clean Rooms vs. AMC50:12 IAB Containerization Standard?51:38 New Segment: "Postmortem"51:58 Post 1: "Is RTB Dying?"57:29 Post 2: Spicy Take on Gartner1:00:40 Post 3: Who Created Bid Duplication?

How do you keep a 20-year-old ad tech company on the cutting edge? You rewrite every single line of code.In this episode, Adam Heimlich and Gareth Glaser are joined by special guest Andrew Casale, founder and CEO of Index Exchange, for a deep dive into the past, present, and future of programmatic infrastructure. Andrew shares the story of starting his company in high school and the massive "bet-the-company" decision to re-architect the entire Index platform in 2020. He explains how moving from a monolith to a microservices architecture cut compute costs in half and enabled the platform to handle massive "live" event spikes in microseconds.The crew then tackles the industry's hottest (and most controversial) buzzword: the "agentic future." Andrew and Gareth break down why they believe this new vision is a massive step backward—arguing it's just "bundle trading" that abandons the hard-won gains of real-time, impression-level decisioning.00:00 Intro01:01 Sponsor Shout-out: Pontiac Intelligence01:33 Welcoming Guest Andrew Casale, CEO of Index Exchange02:22 The Longevity of Index: Starting in High School03:33 Why Ad Tech? The "Economic Engine" of the Internet05:27 What Are the Core Innovations in Ad Tech History?07:18 Gareth: Ad Tech Fundamentals Haven't Changed (It's Still a Placeholder)09:49 Andrew: Why Index Rewrote Every Line of Code in 202012:18 The Bet: Moving from Monolith to Microservices (Golang)14:38 How Re-Architecting Enables "Live" Ad Spikes (World Series)17:17 Innovation: AI-Based Creative & Making TV Approachable for SMBs20:47 The Rise of Containerization (Amazon AWS Fabric)22:04 Attacking the "Cost of the Cloud" in Ad Tech25:19 Debate: The "Agentic Future" (Are Agents Just "Bundle Traders"?)29:33 Andrew's Case Against Agents: Standards Must Follow Proof31:52 Agents vs. Real-Time Decisioning (A Step Backwards?)33:02 Agents Are at an "Intern Level" & "Human in the Loop" Doesn't Scale35:58 The GAM Problem: Ad Servers Can't Handle Millions of Line Items39:44 Gareth: RTB Was Built to Replace This Manual Process42:18 The Buy-Side vs. Sell-Side Tension (Supply Path Optimization)43:09 Andrew on SPO: "Prove It" with A/B Tests45:48 Adding Value (Like Data) Without Adding Fees47:50 Goal: Get More Ad Spend into "Working Media"48:32 News: The AppLovin SEC Investigation & "Co-Reg" Installs54:04 Q&A: How Do You Reverse Bid Duplication?55:03 Gareth & Adam: Use Sell-Side Decisioning (Chalice)59:17 Q&A: Are Direct Buys Better for Publishers?59:53 Gareth: No, It's "Wistful" for Selling "Garbage for 20 Bucks"1:01:42 Wrap Up & Halloween Costumes

Hosted by two ad industry renegades, this is where the buy side and sell side drop the jargon and get real.Come with what you always wanted to know about the other side — stay to see what happens when innovators come together. Fridays. Noon ET.

In a can't-miss episode of AdTech AdTalk, hosts Adam Heimlich and Gareth Glaser are joined by a very special guest: Jeff Green, the founder and CEO of The Trade Desk (TTD).Jeff dives deep into the strategy behind The Trade Desk's recent moves, explaining why the ad tech ecosystem has been dominated by a strategy to "Duplicate, Obfuscate, and Sometimes Lie." He provides a masterclass on the history of ad tech, from Google's DFP monopoly and the advent of header bidding to the current state of the industry.This discussion is essential viewing for anyone in digital advertising, as Jeff unpacks the motivation behind OpenAds, The Trade Desk's vision for a fair and efficient open internet, and how it aims to create a healthier ecosystem for publishers, advertisers, and agencies alike.0:00 Intro & Welcoming Jeff Green2:11 Why Jeff Green Chose AdTech AdTalk3:30 What is OpenAds?4:15 The History of Google's Ad Monopoly (DFP)8:07 The "Duplicate, Obfuscate, and Sometimes Lie" Strategy10:14 Google's Tactics & The Pre-bid Spec Change12:11 The Goal of OpenAds: A Fair Auction for a Healthier Ecosystem14:24 Exchange vs. SSP: Flipping Houses vs. Representing Publishers20:22 Why The Trade Desk is Acting Alone24:08 Winning Over Skeptical Publishers27:18 Fifth Avenue vs. Canal Street: Rebalancing the Open Internet28:42 Conspiracy Theory: Is The Trade Desk the New Google?32:59 Can Competitors Bid into OpenAds?38:34 OpenPath: The "Stalking Horse" & "Canary in the Coal Mine" Explained40:07 How The Trade Desk Wins in a Fair Ecosystem42:10 The Future of Competition & Collaboration (TTD & Chalice)45:07 OpenAds for Publishers: What Does the End State Look Like?47:23 Audience Q&A Begins47:47 How Will TTD Compete on Price with Amazon DSP?50:25 Will DSPs Integrate with LLMs like OpenAI?52:30 Agency Transparency, Rebates, and the Future58:10 Jeff Green's Final Thoughts: The Future of the Open Internet is Efficiency1:00:57 The Path Forward: Better Information & More Competition#AdTech #TheTradeDesk #JeffGreen #DigitalAdvertising #Programmatic #OpenInternet #Marketing #Advertising #TTD

Welcome to the AdTech AdTalk show! This week, hosts Adam Heimlich and Gareth Glaser dive into the "Peak of Bullsh*t" in the ad tech world.The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the ongoing Google antitrust trial, focusing on the controversial testimony from a WikiHow publisher. Is she pro-Google, or just exhausted by the constant uncertainty and potential disruption to her business? Adam and Gareth break down the technical implications of a potential Google divestiture, debating whether forcing all demand through Prebid would simplify or complicate life for publishers.The conversation then shifts to the explosive news that kept Gareth up all night: The Trade Desk's decision to fork Prebid. The hosts analyze the breakdown in communication, the "war on yield" fears from publishers, and the deep-seated cynicism preventing the industry from moving forward. They explore TTD's new PubDesk tool and question whether more transparency will actually lead to more money for publishers or if it's just another way for a middleman to capture margin.Packed with insights on industry politics, technical details, and a healthy dose of rage against the machine, this episode tackles the fundamental question: can the open web be saved, or are we stuck in a cycle of self-interest and over-complication?Tune in for a fiery discussion and get ready for next week's special episode with Jeff Green of The Trade Desk!0:00 - Intro0:35 - Welcome & DataBricks Sponsor Shoutout2:19 - Google Antitrust Trial: The Publisher's Perspective3:46 - Pro-Google or Just Tired of Constant Change?5:25 - Technicals of a Google Divestiture: GAM, AdSense & Prebid8:02 - Is a Better Ecosystem Worth the Short-Term Pain?9:46 - Is Google's Ad Stack "Too Big to Fail"?11:11 - Peak of Bullsh*t: Google's First-Party Data Claims12:48 - DOJ Politics and Google's Settlement with Trump14:48 - The Trade Desk vs. Prebid: Is Prebid Poorly Governed?16:51 - A Brief History of Prebid's Origins22:13 - Q&A: TTD's Transaction ID vs. Raptive's25:21 - What is The Trade Desk's New "PubDesk" Tool?26:23 - Why Are Publishers Mad at The Trade Desk?28:54 - Industry Cynicism & The Breakdown in Communication31:54 - Q&A: PubDesk Availability34:17 - Does More Information Lead to More Revenue?37:45 - Revisiting the Question: Is the Open Web Beyond Saving?39:12 - Will The Trade Desk's Prebid Fork Actually Work?43:52 - Adam's Rage Against "Middleman Overcompromises"46:07 - AdTech News Roundup46:12 - Meta to Use Chatbot Conversations for Ad Targeting51:44 - Podcast Ad Spend to Surpass $3 Billion in 202553:20 - Wrap-up & Teaser for Next Week with Jeff Green

0:00 Intro & Adam's Stressful Week 6:40 Special Guest Introduction: Gio Sollazzo of Aidem Ads10:50 Aidem Ads Platform Deep Dive27:00 Gareth's ID-Bridging Conspiracy Theory37:00 Google Remedies Trial48:00 Headlines of the Week48:30 IAS Acquired by PE Firm Novacap for $1.9B54:30 OpenAI Looks to Build In-House Ad Infrastructure

YEAH YOU KNOW ME!0:00 Intro and Gareth "Old Yellering" TIDs12:30 The Future of Ad Tech and Rising Above the "Doom and Gloom"32:00 Agent-Based Content37:00 MCP's40:40 AI + OOH Advertising45:45 Headlines of the Week!46:20 Rembrand x Spaceback Merger49:15 Magnite Acquires streamr.ai53:30 TTD Sunsets Periodic Table UI

Gareth hosts former Goodway Group CEO, Jay Friedman.1:40 – Introducing Jay – the outcomes OG6:20 – Demand creation, harvesting, and measurement16:30 – What’s real?25:26 – How does AI connect strategy and execution?43:26 - TID Drama reality check

0:00 Special Guest Intro: Jana Meron of Lioness4:00 Jana's Google Experience, "The Trial", and Everything in Between15:10 Jana's Business Insider Tenure23:45 Are Advertisers Really the Devil?29:00 The Influencer Effect37:00 Fees, Fees, Fees40:00 Lioness: Startup Progress47:00 The Philosophies of Hiring the Right Seller

Featuring a special surprise appearance by Sincera founder Mike O'Sullivan. The boys talk markets, markups, and potential regulation.

0:00 Intro, "Yield" by Ari Paparo, and Gareth's Dramatic Morning6:00 Special Guest Reveal: Justin Wohl of Aditude17:00 Open Path Deep Dive29:00 ID-Bridging and Trust Issues in the Ad Tech Ecosystem39:00 Gareth Breaks Down the Latest Jounce Report42:00 Contextualization: Application or Infrastructure?55:00 Vibe Coding and Justin's Pod Feedback

0:00 Intro, Gareth's Viral Tweet, and "Jeans Parties"5:00 Prebid Server, Snowflake, and Modularization10:00 Gareth's Fundraising and Pitch Updates18:00 Publishers and Their 1P Data26:50 "Post-Taxonomy World"35:00 Open Web vs the Big Guys42:00 Viewability's Advantages and Disadvantages45:00 Quality Companies Hate Pubs?48:00 Resellers: What to Look Out For

Logs don't lie: Adam and Gareth talk middlemen, markets, and clarity.0:00 – Intro1:40 – The Möbius Strip of Adtech4:30 – Dynamic Rev Shares18:00 – Publishers, Buyers & Hidden Fees36:00 – Why Log Files Matter50:00 – Throttling Mysteries

01:00 – What Is AI, Really? Data, Predictions & Modeling04:40 – OpenAI, Feedback Loops, and Magic Tricks09:10 – Comprehension vs Prediction in LLMs12:30 – Profitability in AI: OpenAI's Next Business Model17:00 – AdTech’s Infrastructure Problem22:42 – Micropayments & Pubs27:00 – On-Prem vs. Cloud vs. Bare Metal43:00 – Data Access, DSPs, and Log Transparency46:00 – Should Google Be Broken Up Like Standard Oil?50:30 – Data Markets, Commoditization & Panel Power

In this 4th of July edition of AdTech Ad Talk, Adam and Gareth go deep on everything from privacy theater to clickbait economics.

This week we get into sell-side decisioning: how it works, why it matters, and where it’s headed. We also dig into why Chalice isn’t a DSP, RMN value, and Gamera's upcoming seed round.

Hosted by two ad industry renegades, this is where the buy side and sell side drop the jargon and get real.Come with what you always wanted to know about the other side, stay to see what happens when innovators come together.

This week we talk modular mayhem, from throttling issues to the benefits of containerized RTB. Plus: unpacking a fresh scandal, and a temp check on Cannes.

Hosted by two ad industry renegades, this is where the buy side and sell side drop the jargon and get real.Come with what you always wanted to know about the other side, stay to see what happens when innovators come together.

Fuzzy metrics, existential vibes, and the scoop on Gamera.

Sketchy models, job security in the rise of agentic advertising, and the death of a platform.

Buy Side Meets Sell Side.Live Q&A with CEOs telling the truth about where Ad Tech is headed.

Buy Side Meets Sell Side. Live Q&A with CEOs telling the truth about where Ad Tech is headed.