AdTech AdTalk

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

Join Jay Friedman, former CEO of Goodway Group, as he shares his journey through digital media and programmatic advertising. He delves into the evolution from print to digital, revealing the importance of brand equity in consumer choices. The conversation highlights how AI connects strategy to execution and improves advertising accountability. Jay also discusses the challenges of standing out in saturated markets and the complexities of programmatic advertising, emphasizing the necessity for transparency and tailored strategies.

Jana Meron, a sell-side consultant at Lioness Strategies with a rich background at Google and CBS, discusses the intricate landscape of ad tech. She shares insights from her time at Google and the complexities of header bidding. The conversation includes a provocative take on advertisers, the impact of influencers, and the often obscure world of fees in the industry. Finally, Jana emphasizes the importance of trust and integrity when hiring sales talent, cautioning against short-term decisions that could undermine long-lasting relationships.

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