Humans of Martech

What’s up folks, today I have the pleasure of sitting down with Tamara Gruzbarg, VP Customer Strategy at ActionIQ – an enterprise Customer Data Platform.Summary: The discussion centered around the nuanced relationship between AI, marketing, and customer data platforms (CDPs). Tamara highlighted the excitement and limitations of AI, emphasizing the irreplaceable role of human creativity and business context. Her insights extended to the advancements in generative AI, the flexible approach of ActionIQ in dealing with CDPs, and the importance of aligning technology with an organization's strategy and capabilities. The conversation provided a rich exploration of the future of AI in marketing and the evolving landscape of CDPs, offering actionable insights that stress the need for human ingenuity and flexibility in today's market.Can AI Replace Everything a Marketer Does?When asked about the recent exhilaration in the marketing world around AI, especially with the emergence of ChatGPT, and the fears and challenges that AI may replace all the functions of a marketer, Tamara expressed both excitement and a clear understanding of the boundaries. She emphasized that although AI has transformative potential, the notion of it replacing everything in marketing is far from reality.Tamara eloquently pointed out that AI has the power to take over menial, repetitive tasks within marketing, thus automating and optimizing several functions. This transition, she noted, will require professionals to acquire new skills to effectively partner with AI, often referred to as "Gen AI."She further illuminated the philosophy of ActionIQ, where AI is seen as a "human in the loop" system. In other words, AI can assist with content generation, but it still needs human guidance. This insight reflects the company's belief that AI doesn't pull ideas out of thin air; it requires a marketer's creativity, tone of voice, and style to guide its output. Without this human collaboration, marketing initiatives risk becoming monotonous and less effective.Using the widely accepted phrase "we need to cut through the noise," Tamara argued that it's even more critical to have a human in the loop with systems like ChatGPT to ensure uniqueness and effectiveness in marketing strategies.In her thoughtful and informed response, Tamara envisioned AI as an extension of existing tools rather than a replacement. She reinforced that building robust models for predictions such as conversion or churn rates necessitates a strong grasp of business context and data structure, something only humans can provide.Takeaway: AI's role in marketing is neither an all-encompassing replacement nor a threat to creative and strategic aspects. Instead, Tamara sees it as a tool for enhancing productivity by automating repetitive tasks and acting as an assistant in content creation. Its success, however, relies on human intelligence and intuition to guide it, maintaining the unique flavor and effectiveness of marketing initiatives. The human element is not only vital but irreplaceable, especially when it comes to cutting through the noise in today's competitive landscape.Machine Learning and Personalized MessagingWhen asked about the real valuable innovations in AI for marketing applications, especially concerning machine learning and natural language processing in the realm of self-optimizing campaigns, Tamara expressed both enthusiasm and caution. She acknowledged the promising nature of the area, reflecting on how the journey began with email service providers (ESPs) optimizing send times to maximize email open rates. This has evolved to include subject line testing, allowing a winning version to reach a larger audience. These components, Tamara explained, are part of a more comprehensive journey towards achieving self-optimizing customer experiences.With the advancements in generative AI, it's now possible to couple micro-segments with the dynamic capabilities of language models. Tamara finds this intersection particularly exciting, yet she maintains a skeptical stance regarding the idea of fully self-optimized journeys. Her perspective as a "human in the loop" proponent leads her to foresee the near to medium future as one where businesses might perceive the journey as self-optimizing, but human involvement will still be essential.Vendors promising self-optimization will require considerable human effort to ensure that these AI-driven journeys not only function properly but also drive the business forward. The allure of using AI to personalize messaging and orchestrating the best message at the perfect time may be strong, but Tamara's insights suggest that we are still on a path where human insight and input are invaluable.Takeaway: The intersection of AI and marketing is an exciting area that promises innovations in self-optimizing campaigns. However, as Tamara explains, the road to complete automation is still a work in progress, and human involvement remains crucial. The blend of AI with human insight can create powerful tools, but reliance solely on technology may not yet be the complete solution for personalized customer experiences.The Synergy of Human Intelligence and Automation in Marketing CampaignsTamara's response to a detailed example of automating campaign creation offers a compelling look into the intricate relationship between human intelligence and automation.The process outlined from another episode with Wyatt Bales begins with humans playing an indispensable role. They're responsible for the creative and strategic aspects, defining the campaign's goals, identifying the ideal journey for the user, and initiating the automation process by creating a ticket in a project management tool. This triggers a generative AI tool, producing drafts that the human team reviews and refines.Tamara highlights the value in this synergy, with the human touch being essential in understanding the nuances of the campaign and reviewing AI-generated content. She firmly believes in automating tasks such as data uploading and report distribution but maintains that the human aspect is irreplaceable in areas that require critical thinking and strategic vision.She further relates this perspective to her own career experience, managing what she terms "human CDP's." Leading teams of highly skilled data professionals, she witnessed firsthand how manual handling of tasks that could be automated often limited their potential. This realization fueled her enthusiasm for the CDP space and led her to her current position.In her view, automation in marketing shouldn't be about completely replacing human roles but rather enhancing them. By automating mundane and repetitive tasks, skilled professionals can focus on more complex, valuable activities that machines can't replicate. Her experience in the field reinforces the belief that the combination of automation with human insight creates a more efficient and focused approach to marketing.Takeaway: Tamara's insights provide a balanced view of the integration of human intelligence and automation in the marketing landscape. By embracing automation for specific tasks, human professionals can focus on strategic and creative roles, driving innovation, and maximizing efficiency. The fusion of human expertise with automation isn't about replacement but rather collaboration, leading to more effective and personalized marketing campaigns.The Hybrid Approach to Customer Data Platforms in ActionIQ<...

What’s folks, today I’m pumped to be joined by Michael Katz, CEO and co-founder at mParticle, the leading independent customer data platform.Summary: In the contentious debate over Packaged and Composable CDPs, Michael delivers a clear-eyed perspective that cuts through the hype. Rejecting the idea that Pacakged CDPs are becoming obsolete, he emphasizes the continued importance of data quality, integrity, and privacy, and he warns against becoming entangled in marketing illusions. He also highlights the need for adaptability, dismissing some of the more pervasive myths in the martech landscape, such as the magic of zero copy data. With strategic acquisitions, mParticle is focusing on intelligence and automation, aiming to be more than just “simple pipes” in data management. Michael’s insights provide a grounded roadmap, focusing on genuine value creation and thoughtful navigation of the complex industry that is Customer Data Platforms.About MichaelMichael got his start as an analyst at Accenture and later focused on customer acquisition and marketing strategy for a mobile content companyHe entered the entrepreneurial world founding interclick in 2005, a data-valuation platform for advertisersHe ran the company as President and took the company public in 2009 and sold to Yahoo in 2011 for $270M He’s been on the Board of Directors for several companies including Adaptly and BrightLineHe’s a volunteer at Southampton Animal ShelterHe’s also a Mentor at TechstarsAfter a year as VP of Optimization and Analytics at Yahoo after his company’s acquisition, Michael took on his second venture, co-founding mParticle in 2013mParticle is a global, remote-first company that provides a real-time AI customer data platform.  They help get the highest quality customer data to any system that marketers or product managers use – ultimately improving customer experiences.  They work with big players and small, fueling the customer success of brands like Paypal, Seatgeek, Venmo, Headspace, Lyft, McDonalds, and Airbnb.Unpacking the 8 Components of Customer Data PlatformsWhen asked about Arpit Choudhury’s enumeration of the eight essential components of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs), Michael’s response was swift and assertive. With an appreciative shoutout to Arpit for articulating the complex aspects of CDPs, he aligned himself with the eight facets laid out in the question.These eight components, according to Michael, indeed compose an end-to-end solution for the first generation of CDPs.  They include:CDI, customer data infra, collect 1st party event data from customers from website and appsETL, data ingestion, extract data from other tools and load it into DWHData Storage/warehousing, store a copy of data collectedIdentity resolution, a solution for tying together a customer’s various interactions with you across multiple platforms and devicesAudience segmentation, drag and drop UIReverse ETL, extract/activate from DWH to other toolsData quality, validity, accuracy, consistency, freshness, completeness… Data governance and privacy compliance, user consent, HIPAA complianceEmphasizing the integrated nature of these components, Michael asserts that the value of the whole system is greater than the sum of the individual parts. He proudly reflects on mParticle’s reputation as a complete CDP and emphasizes that many existing CDPs lack strong stories around data quality and governance.The conversation with Michael reveals his confidence in the synergy that arises when these parts function together. He cautions against skipping any of these steps, underscoring that a weak foundation will undermine the entire system. Speed in data processing should not compromise quality and privacy protection, and mParticle’s holistic approach ensures this balance is maintained.Takeaway: Michael’s insights into the eight essential components of CDPs not only align with industry experts but also highlight the importance of a unified approach. By valuing integration, quality, and consumer privacy, mParticle positions itself as a leading player in the CDP landscape. The wisdom shared by Michael emphasizes that genuine value is derived not merely from the individual elements but from the careful orchestration of all parts into a coherent and resilient system.Debunking the Myths Around Reverse ETL and Composable CDPsReverse ETL and composable CDP proponents assert that the traditional CDP is becoming obsolete and that the future lies in Composable CDPs that leverage modern data warehouses and processes like Reverse ETL. Claiming that existing CDP vendors will have to adapt to this shift or risk becoming irrelevant.Michael’s written extensively about this debate over the years. He argued that product marketing around the composable CDP is just modern day sleight of hand tricks…designed to dupe the buyer. To be fair, mParticle has adapted to the rise of the modern data stack by offering services like data warehouse sync and value-based pricing. Michael highlighted the rise of the Cloud Data Warehouse as an essential system within organizations, but he was quick to emphasize that the real challenges lie in maintaining data quality, integrity, and privacy. As he elaborated, legacy CDP vendors like mParticle deliver value not in the storage of data, but in the movement and activation of it. Michael stressed the importance of going beyond mere data collection to understanding the context and the “why” behind customer behavior.According to Michael, the true value in the CDP space has shifted towards enhancing context, improving understanding, and introducing an insights layer. For mParticle, this has translated into a focus on finding truth and meaning in their data, creating an infinitely optimizing loop. He vehemently argued against reverse ETL, characterizing it as “garbage in, garbage out,” and took aim at what he described as “sleight of hand” tricks in product marketing designed to distract from the real issues.Michael challenged several narratives in the debate, dismissing the importance of zero data copy, the vulnerability of CDPs to security threats, and the notion of faster deployment times leading to sustained value. He warned against getting enticed by aggressive product marketing, stressing that what might appear easy to implement could be hard to maintain.Takeaway: The transformation of CDPs isn’t just about new technologies or marketing tactics but lies in understanding the true needs of customers. With a focus on integrity, context, and sustained value, Michael exposes the fallacies in current debates, emphasizing that real success comes from creating genuine value, not just noise.The Realities of Replacing Traditional CDPs with Reverse ETL ToolsWhen asked about the growing trend where some reverse ETL customers have found ways to replace their traditional Customer Data Platforms (CDP) with reverse ETL tools, Michael acknowledged that this represents only a very narrow subsegment of the market. He expressed a concern that the fragmented “Do It Yourself” approach isn’t alw...

A Two Decade Journey Through the Whirlwind of Tech When asked about her impressive tenure at Acquia and Widen, spanning nearly 20 years, Deanna offered a wealth of insight. Unlike many professionals in the tech industry who frequently switch roles, Deanna has remained at Widen, continuing with the organization even after its acquisition by Acquia. The secret to her long-term commitment, she explained, is the opportunity for growth and the freedom to evolve without stagnation. In search of what she referred to as the 'Goldilocks' of companies, she found the perfect balance at Widen. The organization was large enough to offer learning opportunities and yet small enough to let her make an impact. This was back in 2004, a time when print was still dominant, smartphones and social media were yet to revolutionize the world, and 'martech' hadn't entered the business vocabulary. Deanna was part of a small software team tasked with the transformation of Widen, a pre-press company established in 1948, into a leading player in the software and martech industry.Deanna has been instrumental in the company's journey to becoming a significant provider of SaaS solutions and a force in martech. The excitement of riding the waves of innovation in marketing technology, she admitted, has been a captivating part of her career. Over the past decade, Deanna's focus has shifted to the human element of martech—exploring how people use these technologies, how behaviors intersect with tech growth, and what software vendors can do to support everyday tasks. This focus on the people-centric side of the rapidly advancing martech world has fuelled her passion in recent years.Takeaway: Deanna’s enduring presence at Acquia and Widen is a testament to her adaptability and eagerness for growth. She has navigated through tech revolutions, transforming Widen from a pre-press company into a significant player in the martech world, all the while maintaining a people-centric focus. Her story underlines the significance of seizing opportunities and staying agile in the ever-transforming tech landscape.Unraveling Martech Acronyms: DAM and DXPWhen queried about the confusing array of acronyms in the martech space, Deanna readily acknowledged the "alphabet soup". She then proceeded to shed light on two key terms - DAM (Digital Asset Management) and DXP (Digital Experience Platform). Deanna's enthusiasm for DAM was infectious as she described it as a system that allows organizations to create, manage, and distribute thousands, if not millions, of digital assets for their brands, products, and services. DAM is essential to industries ranging from non-profits and higher education to financial services and hospitality. In essence, any sector that needs to manage a slew of digital files benefits from DAM. The aim is to ensure consistency and reinforce brand management.Next, Deanna turned her attention to the concept of DXP, the digital experience platform. At its heart, a DXP is about combining data and content to craft meaningful user experiences. Key tools like Drupal or WordPress, known as content management systems, come into play here. The process involves weaving together images and data to tailor personalized customer journeys. Machine learning is used to further enhance and scale these experiences across various touchpoints.The discussion highlighted the need for organizations to embrace technologies like DAM and DXP to meet the evolving expectations of their audiences, whether it's web-based interactions or exploring potential frontiers like VR, AR, and metaverses.Takeaway: Acronyms like DAM and DXP are more than just letters—they signify critical aspects of modern martech. DAM helps organizations manage an immense amount of digital content, ensuring brand consistency, while DXP amalgamates data and content to create personalized customer experiences. In the realm of martech, understanding and leveraging such tools is the key to delivering effective digital experiences.Dissecting the Packaged vs Composable Debate in MartechWhen Deanna was asked about the debate between packaged and composable solutions in the martech space, she provided an insightful response. Her viewpoint emphasizes the importance of tailoring solutions to an organization's internal team dynamics and willingness to change.In some cases, Deanna explained, packaged solutions like Acquia's suite of offerings - which includes a content management system (CMS), a hosting platform, a customer data platform (CDP), and a marketing automation platform - might be the best fit. These ready-to-go solutions can provide faster time to value and seamless integration. Yet, Deanna was quick to recognize that not all organizations are poised to change their processes to fit into a pre-bundled solution.For organizations that find it challenging to adjust their processes, Deanna advocated for the flexibility of composable solutions. With these, companies can choose individual point solutions and integrate them into their existing tech stack. This approach allows for customization to suit the unique processes and needs of an organization. It's about making the solutions meet your processes, rather than the other way around.Intriguingly, Deanna highlighted the tension that often exists between IT and marketing teams. She noted how the composable nature of Acquia's offerings helps balance the agility and experimentation desired by marketers with the stability and scalability requirements of IT teams. This balance, Deanna suggests, is essential for successful martech deployment.Takeaway: The debate between packaged and composable solutions in martech is not a one-size-fits-all question. It's about matching the solution to the organization's willingness to change, their unique needs, and the dynamics of their internal teams. A successful martech deployment navigates the delicate balance between the agility of marketers and the stability requirements of IT teams.Composability, Generative AI, and the Customer's VoiceWhen asked about her perspective on the ever-evolving martech trends, Deanna, the SVP of Product at Acquia, embraces both the complexity and the opportunities. This perspective is rooted in her experience with the first martech landscape map by Scott Brinker back in 2011, where only 111 vendors were listed. Now that number has exploded into thousands, driving an invigorating competition.Deanna's viewpoint reflects a healthy attitude towards competition. The fast-paced, diverse landscape ensures that no player, however established, can rest easy. Innovation isn't optional, but essential. If a company, such as Acquia, decides to pause, they risk being left behind. Deanna sees the high-speed evolution in martech as more of an opportunity than a curse. It ensures that companies consistently deliver value to their customers, always striving to stay ahead of the curve. Deanna also touched upon some of the emerging trends in the industry, with a particular emphasis on composability and generative AI. Coming from a software background, Deanna views composability as a new label for the time-tested concept of modularity. This modularity, inherent in Drupal's open CMS, has been embraced by Acquia.While eager to explore trends, Deanna emphasizes the importance of listening to customer pain points. This approach helps her team identify where changes in customer behavior may drive the adoption of new technologies like generative AI. The popularity of AI and machine learning has been simmering for years, but generative AI's advent has sparked a significant culture shift, with tools like ChatGPT becoming mainstream. To stay at the forefront of ...

Summary: Arun clarifies 'warehouse-native' and 'connected' concepts, positioning Castled.io as a flexible solution that caters to specific customer needs. He addresses challenges in traditional martech, such as the disparity between customer base size and value derived, and presents Castled.io's unique solutions like an alternative pricing model and immediate data access. Arun navigates the issues of a warehouse-native approach, providing strategies for handling real-time data and minimizing compute charges. He cautions against seeing warehouse-native adoption as merely an escape from reverse ETL, emphasizing its potential to resolve existing martech problems and enhance functionalities. Arun encourages a positive attitude towards new, complex technologies, recognizing their transformative potential.About ArunArun is a data engineer by trade with over a decade of experience building and scaling systems in the startup ecosystemHe started his career in software engineering roles at Applied Materials, an enterprise semiconductor manufacturer and later MiQ, a programmatic advertising media partnerArun then joined Flipkart, known today as India’s largest e-commerce marketplace with a whopping 150 million customers He then moved to the startup world joining Hevo Data as one of the first tech hires, a No-code ETL Data Pipeline platform that enables companies to consolidate data from multiple softwareIn 2021, Arun moved to San Francisco to co-found his first startup, Castled Data - A warehouse-native customer engagement platform that sits directly on top of cloud data warehousesAlong with his team of founders Arun was selected by YC in the Winter 22 batchFrom Open Source Reverse ETL Tool to Warehouse Native CEPWhen asked about the transformational journey of Castled.io, Arun shed light on the genesis of the company's vision. It was a time when businesses wanted to move their data from warehouses to various tools, yet the market lacked the means to do this efficiently. Recognizing this gap, Arun embarked on the mission to develop an open source, reverse ETL solution. His concept was founded on the idea that no one-size-fits-all tool could cater to the wide range of companies' diverse requirements.This venture brought Castled.io a fair amount of traction, with many companies employing their open source solution in-house, and a growing clientele availing of their cloud-based offering. However, around this time, a critical analysis of the martech landscape provoked a pivot. Arun realized the long-term sustainability of reverse ETL solutions was questionable, especially with the burgeoning concept of warehouse-native apps. Other companies were beginning to develop their own reverse ETL tools.Arun observed that these ETL solutions were not truly designed for data teams but rather marketing growth teams, signaling a limitation in their scope. The need to constantly shift data to different platforms like Intercom was dwindling, given alternative and more efficient methods emerging in the martech ecosystem. In fact, he believed that the popularity of these reverse ETL solutions might begin to wane within a year.The most crucial feedback that inspired the transformation of Castled.io came directly from its target audience – the marketers. They indicated that a reverse ETL solution did not fully resolve their challenges, especially in scenarios where handling large amounts of data became a bottleneck for their existing tools. It became clear that simply copying data from warehouses to another tool wasn't an effective solution.Prompted by these revelations and the rising acceptance of the warehouse-native concept, Arun and his team decided to pivot. They transitioned from being an open-source reverse ETL tool provider to building Castled.io as a solution directly layered on top of data warehouses. This move allowed them to bypass data migration issues and directly cater to the marketers' needs.Takeaway: The journey of Castled.io highlights the importance of remaining adaptable and receptive to market changes and customer feedback. This awareness allowed the company to evolve from being an open-source reverse ETL tool to a robust, warehouse-native solution, directly addressing marketers' challenges. The company's pivot is a testament to strategic foresight and innovation in the martech space.The Similarities of Open vs Closed and Composable vs Packaged CDPsIn the fiery debate around composed versus packaged CDPs, Arun weighed in with his unique viewpoint. He likened the contrast between these two approaches to the difference between open source and closed source systems.From Arun's perspective, the appeal of composable CDPs lies in the flexibility they offer. This format enables innovation on top of the data warehouse, unlike the constraints potentially imposed by a packaged system. If something isn't quite right, with a composable CDP, you're able to add more tables, create more transformations, and even integrate external tools. Arun cited examples like Mutuality and Thing, tools that perform identity resolution on top of the data warehouse. These systems, instead of operating deterministically, utilize fuzzy resolution. They identify rows that may be the same and join them together - an innovative process executed directly within the data warehouse. Such possibilities underscore the value of composable CDPs. Being locked into a closed system inhibits the ability to incorporate these innovations into one's data warehouse, a limitation he finds less appealing. Though there are countless other arguments surrounding this topic, Arun emphasizes this angle as one often overlooked in the broader conversation.Takeaway: In the composable vs. packaged CDP debate, Arun highlights the flexibility and potential for innovation offered by composable CDPs. By likening them to open-source systems, he underscores the opportunities to customize and integrate additional tools directly on top of the data warehouse, an often overlooked yet crucial consideration in the martech space.Unpacking the Definition of Warehouse-Native MartechWhen asked about the varying definitions in the martech space, particularly 'warehouse-native' and 'connected', Arun addressed these terms with a refreshingly pragmatic viewpoint. He observed that while the industry is caught up in different terminologies, often what doesn't fit into these boxes is what the customer actually wants.Arun described his understanding of warehouse-native as akin to the framework offered by Snowflake, where everything runs atop the data. A connected app, in his view, is one that separates compute and data - the data resides in a warehouse, not in the SaaS app, providing the flexibility we've discussed before. The actual computations happen on internal clusters, streamlining operations by removing the need for API integrations, enhancing consistency and security, and reducing data movement.Yet, for Arun, the appeal of warehouse-native martech extends beyond these definitions. The true advantage lies in its potential to transform data into a goldmine of information that can fuel powerful reporting and analytics. The ability to write data back to the data warehouse creates a wealth of opportunities for customers, a feature he deems as a significant boon of connected apps and warehouse-native tech.Despite these perspectives, Arun chooses not to classify Castled.io strictly as a warehouse-native or connected app. Instead, he emphasizes meeting customer needs. For some enterprise customers, the security of not moving data to an external system like Breeze or Iterable is paramount. Here, he sees val...

Summary: The future of CDPs, as envisioned by Tejas, is a more flexible, adaptable data architecture that Hightouch is actively shaping. Hightouch, even without the data collection component, is recognized by some of the largest companies in the world as their go-to CDP. Tejas stresses that the reconciliation of 'truth' in data between marketing and data teams isn't solely a tech or architecture problem; it requires an operational shift and closer collaboration between teams. The conversation serves as an essential guide for businesses seeking to optimize their data use and enhance customer experiences.The Software solutions like Hightouch provide a solid framework to tackle this, but the human element—teamwork, alignment, and communication—remains a key determinant in solving these challenges.From Corporate Travel to Reverse ETL: Teja's Journey Back to DataWhen asked about the journey of reverse ETL's inception at Hightouch, Teja revealed the interesting twists and turns of his entrepreneurial path. His initial venture after leaving Segment wasn't directly into the data sphere. He founded a startup, Carry, in the corporate travel space.However, Teja's departure from Segment wasn't just fueled by an entrepreneurial itch. He had reservations about the future trajectory of Customer Data Platforms (CDP). He didn't fully believe CDPs were set to become the standard for managing customer data across industries. With inklings of impending acquisitions and significant changes in the data industry, he left Segment.Teja then spent about eight to nine months with Carry until the onset of COVID-19. Despite the inherent challenges of the travel industry—low margins, high human operation requirements, price-sensitive customers—Carry was growing. Yet, COVID-19 brought it to a grinding halt.With business metrics falling to zero almost overnight, Teja and his co-founders, Auren and Josh, found an unexpected opportunity. They decided to pivot back to their roots in the data industry, tapping into their old ideas and experience from their Segment days. The pandemic, in all its harshness, became a catalyst for their return to the customer data space.Teja's story is far from a linear narrative. The travel venture, the COVID-19 pivot, and the return to the data industry all added unique layers to his entrepreneurial journey. Looking back, Teja feels gratitude for these unexpected turns of events, which led him back to the dynamic world of data and customer platforms.Takeaway: An entrepreneur's journey isn't always a straight path. Teja's experiences, from his departure from Segment to his foray into the travel industry and eventual return to data, highlight the unforeseen opportunities that can surface in the face of challenging times. His story underscores the importance of adaptability and leveraging past experiences to seize new opportunities in the ever-changing business landscape.Composable CDP - The Birth and Journey of a New ParadigmWhen asked about the emergence of the term "composable CDP" and the role Hightouch played in its inception, Tejas reminisced about the early days of this concept's birth. Tejas recalled collaborating with one of their esteemed partners to develop a novel way of approaching Customer Data Platforms (CDPs), distinct from the traditional models. Their goal was to define an architectural blueprint that would resonate with a marketing audience while providing a fresh solution to existing CDP challenges. The result was the "composable CDP."Despite its somewhat confusing nature, this term became a touchstone for their market positioning. But Tejas admitted, many terms in the martech world like "marketing cloud" or "engagement hub" often induce more head scratching than clarity. Their aim, however, was not merely to coin a catchy phrase but to address a pervasive dissatisfaction within the industry. At the time, many large enterprises and mid-market companies were investing heavily in CDPs, hoping to enable marketers to freely explore customer data, create audiences, and tailor customer journeys across all channels. Yet, despite the widespread adoption, most were finding little value in these investments. This stark discrepancy between aspiration and reality was the driving force behind Hightouch. The aim was not just to sell another CDP, but to propose an innovative approach that would enable marketers to leverage data more effectively across the organization. This approach advocated the utilization of the rich data sources already present in company warehouses, and activating it across various customer journey touchpoints. Tejas highlighted that the core value of a solution should not be whether it's bundled or unbundled, but rather, the tangible business outcomes it can drive. As companies invest in housing their data using various BI tools, from Microsoft Power BI to newer players like Looker, the potential to empower marketing teams with this wealth of data is tremendous. Solutions like Hightouch or a robust CDP should offer infinite flexibility, not limiting themselves to specific data collected for a CDP.The term "composable" was chosen to reflect this mindset - working with existing resources, scaling with future technologies, and avoiding the rigid, off-the-shelf solutions. While the term may elicit confusion, the purpose behind it - empowering businesses to effectively use their data - remains clear.Key Takeaway: The term "composable CDP" emerged from the need for a novel approach to CDPs that focused on empowering marketers to use data more effectively. It's about leveraging existing data, offering infinite flexibility, and scaling with future technologies, rather than sticking to rigid, traditional solutions.Breaking Down the Power of Composable CDP vs Packaged SolutionsProbing deeper into the potential of Composable CDP, Tejas was asked to illuminate the benefits of adopting such an approach over a monolithic all-in-one package solution. Tejas, ever insightful, took this as an opportunity to share the unique strength of a composable strategy.He started by emphasizing the fundamental flaw in traditional customer data platforms (CDPs) - their reliance on a pre-defined data architecture. Brands using conventional CDPs like Segment, Oracle, or Salesforce CDP are forced to adapt their data into a format acceptable to the platform, and this restriction severely limits the platform's capability. In Tejas' words, "they can only operate on data that they understand and that was built for them." This myopic vision becomes problematic in the complex, diverse landscape of large enterprises where every business is unique and possesses an array of distinct data. Tejas vividly illustrated this point by citing the case of a Fortune 500 company that wanted to leverage its pet loyalty program data - a dataset unique to their business - to drive personalization and engagement. Traditional CDPs failed to handle this unique set of data due to their rigid architecture, but Hightouch's flexible and inclusive approach brought the data to life.The ability of Hightouch to tap into an organization's existing data, whether it's stored in Snowflake, Databricks, or any other system, and utilize it to deliver highly personalized experiences is at the heart of its value proposition. By contrast, the challenges of molding data to fit into a traditional CDP's format have led to a high failure rate, Tejas pointed out, making the novel architecture of Hightouch all the more appealing.Takeaway: The real power of a composable approach like Hightouch's lies in its flexibility and inclusivity. It's not restricted to pre-defined data architectures and can handle unique...

What’s up everyone, today we’re joined by Kate Nowrouzi, VP of Deliverability at Mailgun by Sinch.Summary: Kate brilliantly dissected the complex realm of email marketing, highlighting the critical need for strategic decision-making and a meticulous, step-by-step approach to restore domain reputation. Drawing upon her unique shift from fighting spam to aiding marketers, she illuminated the nuanced layers of email deliverability. Reinforcing the superiority of genuine engagement over manufactured interactions, Kate underlined the importance of understanding audience needs, continuously refining strategies, and valuing quality over quantity. She also acknowledged the transformative potential of new technologies like BIMI, AMP, and machine learning, suggesting a forward-thinking approach for marketers willing to navigate the growing tech-driven competition.About KateKate started her career in network and anti-spam engineering roles at two major ISPs; Verizon and AOLShe then moved to the vendor side at Fishbowl, a Customer engagement platform for restaurant marketers where she led email deliverability operations Kate's profound experience in email deliverability then guided her to a pivotal role as the SVP of Deliverability and Email Compliance at SparkPost, one of the industry’s most popular email delivery platformsKate’s also been Co-Chair of the Complaint Feedback Loop Committee at theMessaging Anti Abuse Working GroupShe’s an Advisor and Investor for various startupsShe’s also an Advisory Board member of Persian Women in Tech, with a mission toclose the diversity and gender gap in STEMToday, Kate serves as the VP of Deliverability & Product Strategy at Sinch, a public Customer Communications company that acquired Mailgun 2 years agoHarnessing the Power of Insider Knowledge in Email MarketingIn a moment of reflection on her professional journey, Kate highlighted the value she gained from her tenure at AOL. She spent four vital years in the realm of anti-spam operations, an experience that she later brought to her roles at email service providers like SparkPost and Mailgun.Kate began her career in the early 2000s as an anti-spam engineer at AOL, at a time when email marketing was gaining momentum. AOL led the way by offering the first robust spam report option to their members, a trend quickly picked up by other industry titans like Microsoft and Yahoo. However, her transition from ISP to the marketing side or Email Service Providers (ESPs), required a significant shift in mindset.Working on the ISP side, Kate's primary focus had been on shielding members from malicious actors intent on infiltrating their inboxes. Yet, as she transitioned to the ESP environment, her role morphed. Now, she was aiding brands and marketers in ensuring their emails didn't raise spam red flags.This drastic change in problem sets and operational goals required some adaptation. Kate noted the initial challenges of transitioning from one end of the business to another. However, she affirmed that her experience on the ISP side provided invaluable insights that helped guide brands away from appearing spammy in their email marketing efforts.Takeaway: The shift from battling spammers to helping marketers get their emails into inboxes was a challenging, but enlightening journey for Kate. Her early career experience as an anti-spam engineer provided her with an insider’s understanding of what brands should avoid to not come across as spammy, proving to be an indispensable asset in her later roles at ESPs.Shifting Perspectives From Spam Prevention to Marketing DeliveryKate recalls an intriguing philosophical debate that arose during her tenure during her transition from an anti-spam role to an ESP environment. Having battled to block spam on one side and then striving to get marketing content into inboxes on the other, she found herself in a unique conundrum.A memorable instance arose when Kate moved from AOL to Fishbowl, an email marketing platform for restaurants. One night, she was roused from sleep by an urgent issue: a major client's birthday campaign was being blocked by AOL or Yahoo. The client was Red Robin, and the blocking of their campaign was considered a serious matter. Kate, however, found this jarring. Was it worth losing sleep over a blocked birthday campaign, when her previous role had conditioned her to respond to potentially harmful breaches of privacy?But as her colleagues stressed, the situation was indeed significant. Red Robin was a top-tier client and the success of their birthday campaign mattered. This incident served as a defining moment for Kate, reinforcing the fact that she was indeed on the other side of the business now, with a new set of priorities to consider.Takeaway: Kate’s anecdote about the Red Robin incident underlines the drastic shift in perspectives that can occur within the same industry. A blocked marketing campaign might not seem critical to someone from an anti-spam background, but in the world of ESPs and email marketing, it becomes a major concern. It's a poignant reminder of the nuanced complexities inherent in the world of email communication.The Battle of Formats: HTML vs Text in EmailsWhen asked about the age-old debate between HTML and text in emails, Kate laid out her perspective, which leans towards simplicity. While marketers might be attracted to the visual appeal and richness of HTML emails, Kate warns against overwhelming the end user with too much information and too many distractions. In line with studies indicating that simpler emails often perform better, she suggests focusing on the most critical points and avoiding excessive complexity.Kate also highlights the importance of adaptability based on the nature of the campaign and the audience. For instance, an interactive email might be perfect for a webinar invite, as it can eliminate unnecessary steps for the user, such as clicking on links and visiting external websites for registration. However, interactive emails might not be the best fit for all marketing campaigns.As every inbox and device displays emails differently, it's essential to keep up with technology and perform rigorous testing before launching any campaign, major or minor. With various rendering tools available, like Email on Acid, marketers can preview how an email looks across over a hundred devices. A/B testing is highly recommended to fine-tune the decision between text, HTML, or interactive formats.Takeaway: Email format is not a one-size-fits-all decision. It’s about understanding your audience, the purpose of your campaign, and the compatibility with various devices. Keeping your emails simple, clear, and focused is often the best route, but never shy away from testing and refining your approach based on your specific needs and results.The Emergence of BIMI and AMP: A New Era for Email Marketing?When asked about the rise of new email technologies like BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) and AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), Kate expressed an optimistic outlook. These frameworks aim to improve brand visibility, confirm authenticity, and enhance interactive features in emails, all of which can potentially boost engagement and conversion rates for businesses. However, the implementation of these technologies is not without challenges.There are roadblocks, especially with BIMI, that teams and working groups are actively trying to overcome. For instance, registering a trademark logo, a requirement for BIMI, can be a significant challenge for brands. Additionally, the responsibi...

What’s up everyone, today we have the distinct honor of being joined by the Martech Landscape creator, the Author of Hacking Marketing, The Godfather of Martech himself, mister Scott Brinker.Summary: Scott sees AI as a power boost, not a replacement in marketing. He imagines marketers wielding AI to parse data and enhance specialist roles. AI's potential when combined with composability democratizes technical tool access, letting every marketer glean key insights from huge data. Yet, the human touch in martech is vital; marketing leaders need training and internalcommunication chops. Scott's future martech leaders are tech-savvy, eloquent communicators, guiding their teams through the constant evolution of the marketing landscape.About ScottThroughout his career, Scott’s navigated seamlessly between the realms of marketing and technologyHe put his first entrepreneurial mark in the martech world when he Co-founded ion interactive, a martech SaaS providing interactive content tools for marketersIn 2008, he began sharing industry insights on the Chief Marketing Technologist blog with the hope of serving as a resource to help spread the “marketing technology” memeA few years later, he released the first ever version of the Martech Landscape maps, back when there was only about 150 martech vendors He launched the esteemed MarTech conference in 2014 and remains its program chair to this dayToday he’s VP of Platform Ecosystem at HubSpot where he enhances their synergy with the broader marketing tech landscape, a landscape that maps over 11,000 vendors today He continues to be the acclaimed force behind chiefmartec.com, hailed universally as the martech world's ultimate wellspring of knowledge and insightHow Marketing Jobs Will Be Reshaped by AIScott firmly places himself in the camp that views AI not as a threat to marketing jobs but as a crucial tool for the modern marketer. He holds a strong belief that good marketing requires human input, and this won't be changing anytime soon. Scott reframes the common adage, often heard in marketing circles, that a marketer's job won't be replaced by AI but by another marketer who is adept at using AI.As tongue-in-cheek as this phrase might be, Scott sees a lot of truth in it. He views AI as a broad set of capabilities that can be harnessed in various ways to enhance marketing. While the initial applications, such as content generation, are undoubtedly intriguing, the real potential of AI in marketing goes beyond these use cases.Scott argues that the power of AI lies in how it allows marketers to better harness data, and enables more sophisticated automation across the entire marketing spectrum. Particularly on the Martech side of things, Scott anticipates marketing operations leaders and Martech professionals leveraging generative AI to up-level their stack and operational capabilities.Rather than viewing AI as a potential replacement for their roles, Scott suggests that marketers should see AI as a key part of their job description. It won't take over all aspects of their work, but it will become a significant component of what they do.Takeaway: The future of AI in marketing is not about replacement but about enhancement. AI is set to become a vital tool that will empower marketers to up-level their operational capabilities and harness data more effectively. As Scott astutely points out, the job of a marketer won't be replaced by AI; instead, it will be reshaped by those marketers who can successfully integrate AI into their strategies.Early-Stage Marketers Should Choose a Focus Area Then Utilize AIAccording to Scott, marketing has always offered a myriad of different specialties and that, arguably, has been amplified over the past 10 to 15 years. Yes, there's a role for the 'jack-of-all-trades' or marketing generalist. Still, as Scott astutely notes, there are also several specialized roles that marketers can pursue, each requiring a unique set of skills. Whether it's hosting a podcast or being a master in content creation, each specialization requires dedication and unique abilities.In terms of marketing operations, Scott suggests that this is another area of marketing requiring a specialized skill set. For those new to marketing, the challenge then becomes deciding whether to become a generalist marketing manager or specialize in a specific area. Scott believes that the generalist path, while rewarding, can be quite challenging because of its broad scope. On the other hand, specializing in a particular area, like content creation or marketing operations, can provide a focus. This concentration, according to Scott, not only enables you to become proficient in a specific aspect but also allows you to learn generalist capabilities, given that marketing is inherently a team sport.Scott's advice for those looking to utilize AI tools in their early marketing career is to choose a focus area, then learn and grow from there. While the field of marketing may appear vast, narrowing your scope and honing in on a specific skill can provide a strong foundation from which to expand your knowledge and skills.Takeaway: For early-stage marketers, leveraging AI doesn't mean trying to master everything at once. Instead, it's about selecting a specialization within marketing, and honing your skills in that area. This approach, combined with a keenness to adopt AI tools, will equip them with a 'superpower' that keeps them ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving marketing landscape.Unleashing AI in Marketing with the Power of Composability Scott is particularly excited about the rapidly evolving concept of composability in the realm of marketing. This concept, at its core, revolves around the assembly of different elements—software, data, workflows, and steps—to achieve specific outcomes, much like putting together building blocks. Up until recently, composability was largely contained within the 'no-code' space, with a suite of tools allowing marketers to construct, analyze, and manipulate workflows across various apps and data sets.But the democratization of composability was somewhat limited. Scott noted that these no-code tools often necessitated a level of technological prowess akin to the 'power user,' those individuals comfortable with the complexities of Excel formulas and intricate app functions. This requirement often resulted in a smaller subset of marketers taking full advantage of these tools, leaving a significant amount of potential untapped.Enter the advent of AI interfaces and generative AI. Scott strongly believes that these technological advances are about to open up the world of composability to all marketers, effectively democratizing these previously restrictive functions. Scott particularly emphasizes the potential of AI in data analysis, marking it as a highly accessible and immediately beneficial application for marketers. In the current data-driven marketing landscape, organizations often grapple with vast amounts of data, making it challenging to find the right information and draw actionable insights promptly.The generative AI's capacity to serve as a tireless, personal data analyst is an exciting prospect. Unlike a human analyst who...

What’s up everyone, today we’re joined by Pini Yakuel, a trailblazing entrepreneur and the dynamic CEO of Optimove, a company at the forefront of AI in marketing.Summary: Pioneering the intersection of AI and marketing, Pini Yakuel sheds light on the transformative potential and present limitations of AI in the creative process. With Optimove, the era of hyper-personalized marketing campaigns has been around for a while, encouraging early-stage marketers to embrace the uniquely human aspects of their craft. Pini's vision harmonizes human creativity and AI precision, reshaping marketing strategies through self-optimizing campaigns and introducing an innovative approach to email marketing metrics. Underneath it all, Optimove's CDP, powered by Snowflake, emphasizes the power of packaged marketing solutions and the critical role of intelligent data usage in a unified platform. As we unpack Optimove's cutting edge AI features and we navigate the dynamic landscape of AI in marketing, Pini's insights offer a valuable compass.About PiniFrom his early days as a university professor in Tel Aviv to the helm of Optimove, Pini's journey is marked by a relentless pursuit of innovationHe founded Optimove in 2009, pioneering the use of predictive analytics and machine learning in marketing, redefining the marketing standards in retail and gaming industriesUnder Pini's leadership, Optimove has morphed from a consultancy firm to a global SaaS company, serving 350 brands worldwide, with multiple offices and 220 employeesPini is celebrated for his transformative leadership and commitment to pushing the boundaries of marketing, embodying the forward-thinking spirit marketers should aspire toThe Evolution of AI in Marketing: A Perspective from PioneersPioneering AI marketer Pini has witnessed first-hand the transformative impact that AI, and specifically language models like GPT, have had on the world of marketing. His fascination isn't new; he's spent over a decade using AI to analyze customer data, setting trends rather than following them. Now, the advent of natural language processing (NLP) technologies is opening up new frontiers.Pini's fascination lies not only in the evolution of AI but also in the practical applications it can bring. Currently, GPT is sparking a lot of excitement in marketing, particularly in areas like copywriting and email marketing. Innovators are continuously finding creative ways to leverage GPT's capabilities, and Pini is no exception. He's eager to explore different ways to utilize GPT, from innovative marketing applications to shaking up traditional homework assignments in schools. Yes, you read that correctly. With AI's progress, school assignments as we know them might soon become a thing of the past.However, Pini also raises a note of caution amid the hype. There are bold claims out there about how AI will revolutionize industries, with some suggesting a handful of developers with OpenAI could outperform a traditional development team of a hundred. Predictions abound that marketers and designers could be entirely replaced, that professional photo shoots will cease to exist, and that human copywriting will become obsolete. But Pini isn't entirely sold on these extreme forecasts. He sees these as part of the hype cycle, where reality and expectations might not align perfectly.Despite the hype, Pini acknowledges that AI's advancements represent a significant step forward in AI capabilities, and it's this progress that fuels the current excitement. His prediction for the immediate future? A revolution in search engine technology, brought about by AI. He envisions a future where search engines provide deeper, more contextual responses to queries, effectively eliminating the need for multiple clicks or further reading. In Pini's eyes, this improved search experience will become a reality sooner than we might think.Takeaway: The rise of AI, especially in the realm of natural language processing, is transforming various sectors, including marketing. While it's essential to temper expectations amidst the hype, there's no denying the impact of AI's progress. For pioneers like Pini, the future of AI in marketing is about harnessing these capabilities in innovative ways. His immediate prediction? A revolution in search engine technology for a more efficient and rich user experience.The Potential and Limitations of AI in Marketing JobsA common question that arises whenever there's a breakthrough in technology like AI is: will it replace human jobs? For marketers, this question is at the forefront, given the recent rise of AI into mainstream conversation.Pini, however, sees the situation in a nuanced way, particularly when it comes to creative tasks such as design work. For instance, let's consider AI applications in the context of creating digital art or graphic design, like the type of work generated by DALL-E, OpenAI's art-producing AI. While AI has demonstrated its prowess in creating complex, comic-book-like visuals, it still faces challenges in capturing and accurately reflecting unique brand aesthetics.In Pini's experience, one of his designers noted that while an AI might excel at creating a fantastical image of a unicorn riding a motorcycle on Mars, it's a different story when tasked with designing a banner that encapsulates the unique look and feel of a brand. Brands often have specific design languages and style guides that have been carefully crafted and evolved over time. Integrating these elements into AI-generated designs poses a significant challenge, and according to the designer Pini spoke to, AI isn't quite there yet.Takeaway: While AI is making strides in various areas, including creative tasks, it has its limitations. As per Pini's perspective, AI might struggle to replace the nuanced understanding and creativity of human marketers when it comes to creating brand-specific designs. This illustrates the importance of seeing AI as a tool to augment human capabilities rather than replace them entirely.Adapting to the AI Wave: Advice for Early Stage MarketersThe rise of AI has created apprehension among early-stage marketers, especially recent graduates who are about to step into the job market. There's a fear that entry-level roles, such as email marketing or copywriting, could be taken over by AI, as it can save businesses a significant amount of time on initial drafts.Pini, however, offers a perspective that provides reassurance amidst these concerns. He acknowledges that automation has been a part of human progress for a long time, replacing certain tasks across different sectors. But he also underscores that AI and automation, for all their capabilities, can't replace the unique human touch.What makes us human - our ability to ask profound questions, carve out narratives, design experiments, and exercise creativity - is something that machines can't yet replicate. While AI can handle mundane, repetitive tasks (which many people don't particularly enjoy), it falls short when it comes to tasks that require a human touch.So, what does this mean for early-stage marketers looking to navigate the AI wave? Pini's advice is to double down on cultivating the uniquely human aspects of their craft. The future may bring new professions like AI technicians or AI designers, but the principles of curiosity, craftsmanship, and continuous learning will continue to be valuable. Takeaway: Despite the rise of AI, the uniquely human asp...

Summary: Wyatt Bales served up an awesome episode, calling marketers to defend themselves with SQL proficiency amidst rising AI and automation. His vision? The future marketer as a 'full-stack' pro, tech-savvy and strategic, partnering with AI to steer marketing operations to be faster and more data-driven. Wyatt emphasizes maintaining a strong grasp on foundational skills alongside AI tools. In his projected future, consumers willingly opt into hyper-personalized, non-intrusive ads, reshaping advertising dynamics. His takeaway? The marketing landscape is becoming a less daunting journey, navigated by versatile, full-stack professionals who strike the perfect balance between tech and strategy.About WyattWyatt Bales, Chief Customer Officer at Bluprintx.Wyatt got his start as an analyst at Unilever where he got the knack for using Teradata systems and decided to go consulting for the vendors themselves. At Teradata, he implemented marketing automation and an analytics software for a few Fortune 100 customers.A few colleagues of his went over to a lesser known company called Marketo, where he started as employee # 201 He moved up to Solutions Architect where he focused on revenue attribution and was assigned to some of Marketo’s largest accounts such as Microsoft, Facebook and Philips66..3 years later, Wyatt took a Senior Marketing role at Uber where he eventually relocated to Amsterdam to lead their Enterprise CRM strategy team where he was the principal architect for Uber’s global roll-out of Marketo’s ecosystemAfter being a customer of Bluprintx while at Uber, he got the itch to get back into consulting and open a new Bluprint location in Amsterdam, where he led the European consulting practiceToday Wyatt manages the global P&L and a team of 85 Bluprint consultants and engineersThe Silent Struggle: Marketing Headcount vs Technology IntegrationWyatt begins by addressing a crucial, yet often overlooked issue in the realm of marketing technology: the ongoing tension between maintaining adequate team size and implementing advanced technology. While discussions about the shiny new tech and exciting innovations typically dominate the conversation, he emphasizes that the human aspect, specifically the team size, can get sidelined.Reflecting on his extensive experience, Wyatt recalls numerous instances where businesses grappled with this reality. Often, they found themselves constrained by their inability to grow their teams to match their objectives. "I don't have enough people to do that," a common lament, resonates across various companies he has engaged with. This constant struggle to secure sufficient headcount is a reality that many marketing teams face. But, why is this the case?Wyatt points to a counterintuitive relationship between technological progress and team size. As businesses lean more heavily into automation and AI, there's a growing belief that these advancements can replace the need for large teams. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in the enterprise space, where headcount tends to remain stagnant, even as marketing technology gets introduced at an accelerating rate.One might be quick to laud this as a victory for efficiency. However, Wyatt prompts us to consider the other side of the coin: What are the implications of this move towards automation and its impact on team size? Are we heading towards a future where automation overtakes human creativity and effort in marketing? And if so, what are the implications for those who've made their careers in this space?Takeaway: Wyatt's reflection presents a compelling portrait of the struggle within the marketing world. The tug of war between advancing technology and the need for human intellect exposes a significant challenge faced by many companies today. As we move further into the realm of AI and automation, businesses must grapple with the question: How do we strike the balance between leveraging cutting-edge technology and preserving the invaluable human element that drives creativity and innovation?Becoming Future-Proof: The Power of SQL SkillsWith the growing concern about AI potentially replacing entry-level jobs in marketing, Wyatt offers a lifeline: learning SQL. This piece of advice is significant in an era where anxiety about job prospects, particularly among soon-to-be graduates, is increasingly prevalent. Wyatt provides reassurance, suggesting that mastering SQL can equip individuals with a skill that's in high demand and potentially immune to the trend of job automation.For those unfamiliar, SQL (Structured Query Language) is a programming language used for managing and manipulating databases. It's a valuable skill across various marketing roles, including strategy, market operations, and analytics. And according to Wyatt, this skill can act as a powerful tool for carving out one's career path, regardless of the turns the industry might take.As companies continue to leverage data to inform their strategies, the role of data analysts becomes increasingly pivotal. They're needed to extract, manipulate, and funnel data into systems that drive decisions. Wyatt argues that this role is still a considerable distance from being automated. As such, individuals skilled in SQL and capable of tasks like joining two datasets together or building dashboards have strong job prospects.Key Takeaway: Wyatt's advice to graduates or those feeling the heat of AI's rising influence is to invest time in learning SQL. This specific, tangible skill set serves as an excellent defense against automation's encroachment into the job market. It's a reassuring message that underlines the enduring value of technical skills, even in an era increasingly dominated by AI.The Future Marketer: Bridging Technical Skillset and Strategic MindsetWyatt foresees a transformation in the DNA of successful marketers in the coming decade. He predicts a bifurcation, where marketers will be divided into two distinct groups: those who cultivate a more technical understanding and those who continue to rely on traditional marketing skills. According to Wyatt, technical expertise isn't merely a buzzword; it's a credibility builder. Mastery of technical skills, such as writing SQL queries, discussing API integrations, and coding, boosts a marketer's credibility not only among engineers but also among senior executives. However, this doesn't downplay the importance of strategy. If a marketer can balance technical prowess with a sound understanding of strategic elements, such as mapping out a lead funnel or discussing conversions, they will possess a unique skill set that is highly sought after. This hybrid profile—the technical strategist—will be the most valuable player in the future marketing landscape.Wyatt goes one step further and outlines an ideal marketer for the future. Such a marketer would know how to leverage tools like AI and GPT for creative tasks, like generating copy or designing, and integrate these capabilities into a broader marketing stack. He gives the example of 'content supply chains', where campaign briefs can go through market automation all the way to delivery, without the need for a single developer or market operations person. This vision isn't far-fetched; it's becoming reality today. And a marketer who can navigate this landscape, integrating AI tools with enterprise sy...

What’s up folks, today we’re joined by Aliaksandra Lamachenka, Marketing Technology Consultant and Nonprofit founder.Summary: Aliaksandra takes us on a journey through the evolving AI landscape in marketing, promising a future shaped by deep human expertise and broad understanding, all areas where AI is still playing catch up. The episode is ripe with insights about the rise of hybrid, business-savvy data product managers, who are subtly revolutionizing martech by marrying marketing perspectives with innovative thinking. They are unearthing overlooked insights, much like Duolingo, which leveraged data science to redefine its target metrics and boost its DAU. Amidst the din of the composable vs packaged CDPs debate, Aliaksandra brings our attention back to the basics - the crucial need for quality, traceable data. This illuminates the pivotal role of open data hubs, which could unlock the next chapter in efficient data management and utilization. Meanwhile, vendors of composable data platforms face a crossroads: will they expand to cater to growing customer needs or hold fast to their roots? Their decision could very well shape the future of martech, steering its course towards either the democratization of data or maintenance of the status quo.About AliaksandraBorn in Belarus, Aliaksandra got her start in gaming and SaaS startups in product marketing rolesIn 2017 she became Head of Marketing at SplitMetrics, a team of experts building the future of mobile marketing toolsShe then moved to the UK to lead a product marketing team at Skyscanner, the popular flight comparison site where she focused on app growth and martechIn 2021, she joined Depop as Marketing Technology Lead where she owned compliance management, multi-touch attribution and much moreSince then she’s partnered with various companies as a Marketing Technology and Growth advisor, including the popular female health app– FloIn April of last year, Aliaksandra co-founded Leleka Art, an online nonprofit marketplace that allows you to buy artwork made by children from Ukraine built on top of a custom money transfer system Today, she’s scaled Leleka to a team of 30+ volunteers, +5k sellers and 15k works of art helping children and their families make over 30kThe Organic Evolution of AI in Marketing and Lessons from Architectural HistoryAliaksandra takes a particularly compelling approach to understanding the potential role of AI in marketing. Drawing a unique analogy from the records of Japanese architectural history, she paints a picture of how AI's integration could be less of a disruptive force, but rather an organic and gradual process.Following the Second World War, a group of young Japanese architects refused to view architecture as merely a functional tool. They envisioned buildings as living organisms, an idea that later came to be known as "Japanese metabolism." These architects designed structures with a central spine, to which they could add or subtract modular capsules as needed. At the time, their ideas were regarded as revolutionary, indicative of what the future would undoubtedly hold.Decades later, their concepts have not been realized in their envisioned form, mainly being used for storage purposes, yet they have certainly left an indelible mark. The idea of high modularity, the foundational spine with small attachable elements, is now visible in various facets of our lives. You can observe it in modular housing, landscape-integrated buildings, and even in the functionality of platforms like Pandora, Tesla, or the App Store.Aliaksandra sees AI's trajectory in a similar light. Like the revolutionary architectural concepts of the past, AI's ideas may appear bold and groundbreaking. However, their integration will likely be more gradual than anticipated, quietly shaping our future. Much like the world adapted to the concepts of modularity, so too will it adapt to AI.Just as we accept modular buildings as a natural part of our world today, in 20 or 50 years, AI's presence in marketing will feel just as natural and intrinsic. AI won't displace marketers overnight but will instead weave itself into the fabric of the profession organically.Takeaway: The progression of AI in marketing is not likely to be a sudden, disruptive force. Instead, as Aliaksandra's rich analogy suggests, AI will bring about a natural evolution in the field, slowly but surely shaping its future.AI and the Future of Early-Stage Marketing Careers, Depth, Breadth, and GeneralismOne of Aliaksandra’s key points is the future value of professionals who can operate at the intersection of different industries or specialties. In a world where the boundaries between industries are blurring, being an expert in more than one field could be a significant advantage. For instance, understanding both engineering and marketing, or medicine and business, can provide a broader perspective and unique insights. In the future job market, the collision of different worlds could be the breeding ground for innovation.However, depth of expertise remains equally critical, and this is something Aliaksandra wishes she had realized earlier in her career. She warns against the temptation of becoming a generalist too early on, of trying to learn a little bit of everything. Instead, she suggests starting by deepening expertise in one or two fields, then gradually acquiring knowledge in additional areas. This approach allows for a solid foundation of deep expertise paired with a broad understanding, a balance that she believes could be crucial for early-career success in the evolving landscape.Lastly, she draws our attention to the inherently generalistic nature of AI language models, like ChatGPT. These models are designed to draw on a wide range of sources and generalize information, lacking the depth of expertise that humans can have. In this regard, individuals with profound expertise in their field have an advantage, as it would be challenging for a language model to compete with their specialized knowledge.Takeaway: The future of marketing careers may lie in cultivating a blend of deep expertise, cross-industry knowledge, and a broad understanding. Above all, it's the depth of human expertise that AI has yet to match.The Impact of Business-Oriented Machine Learning/Data Product Managers in Martech TeamsAliaksandra opened up about her experiences working with these dynamic professionals known as business-oriented machine learning/data product managers. Their passion for growth and marketing sets them apart as natural innovators. Interestingly, their lack of traditional marketing knowledge or business processes doesn't limit them, but rather fuels their innovative mindset.She explained that these professionals constantly challenge established beliefs and norms within the team. They aren't afraid to question the reasoning behind the set processes and methodologies. This sense of inquisitiveness often leads to uncovering novel perspectives and solutions that may have been neglected due to the team's ingrained biases.Another area where these data product managers excel is in their effective collaboration with engineering teams. With a firm grasp of technical complexities and trade-offs, they can have meaningful exchanges with engineers, propose manageable initiatives, and break down larger projects into smaller, achievable parts. In essence, they're the link between the marketing and engineering teams, bringing valuable perspectives to both sides.However...