AdTech AdTalk

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

In a special Thanksgiving edition, the hosts tackle Google's ongoing antitrust challenges and the massive IPG/Omnicom merger. They dive into the complexities of header bidding, discussing Index Exchange's innovative containerization project. A lively debate unfolds over the new 'Agentic RTB' standards and how brands like Bayer can effectively adopt them. The duo critiques the concept of TV as a 'passive screen' and dissects the implications of price floors in programmatic advertising. Expect insights on Google's bureaucracy from Sergey Brin and the relevance of AI in today's digital landscape.

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

Joe Zawadzki, general partner at Aperiam Ventures and an ad tech veteran, shares insights on his innovative "typosphere" investment strategy and how he leverages AI as a collaborative tool. He explores the concept of coopetition within AdTech, where rivals can become allies. Zawadzki also discusses the proliferation of PMPs and Deal IDs, highlighting their impact on both agencies and publishers. Lastly, he gives a thumbs up to OpenAI, underscoring its transformative potential in the advertising landscape.

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