AdTech AdTalk

Adam and Gareth

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

  1. 2 GG FA

    Instead of Or, It's And

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

    1 h

  2. 6 FEB

    Container Explainer

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

    37 min

  3. 30 GEN

    Ask an Expert (ft. Tylynn Pettrey, Chalice AI)

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

    1 h 1 min

  4. 23 GEN

    Cynicsthesia (ft. Mike McNeeley, Index Exchange)

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

    1 h 11 min

  5. 16 GEN

    Working Media, So Hot Right Now

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

    1 h 10 min

  6. 9 GEN

    Gamera the Brave

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

    1 h 15 min

  7. 2 GEN

    2026 Predictions

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

    1 h 19 min

  8. 19/12/2025

    5 Buy & Sell Side Myths, BUSTED.

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

    1 h
Elenco completo (37)

Descrizione

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

Informazioni

  • Creatore
    Adam and Gareth
  • Anni di attività
    2025 - 2026
  • Puntate
    37
  • Classificazione
    Contenuti espliciti
  • Copyright
    © Adam and Gareth
  • Sito web del podcast
    AdTech AdTalk

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