ExperiMENTAL Marketing | Playbooks to measure and scale Marketing ROI

Sundar Swaminathan
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MARKETING

For B2C marketers, founders, and analysts who are tired of surface-level advice and ready to cut through the noise with smarter, data-informed decisions. Host Sundar Swaminathan, former Head of Brand Data Science at Uber and creator of the ExperiMENTAL newsletter, shares real-world insights, ROI breakdowns, and growth strategies from leaders at companies like Uber, Google, and Faire.Each episode helps you move from guesswork to grounded strategy so you can drive impact, prove marketing value, and lead with confidence.If you're ready to think critically, test boldly, and grow with clarity, ExperiMENTAL is your bi-weekly dose of thought-provoking, data-savvy marketing wisdom.New episodes every second Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

  1. FEB 26

    The AI Marketing Playbook top CMOs are using right now | Nuno Leal (EY Studio +)

    Nuno Leal is the EY Studio+ CMO Practice Leader where he gets to work with the world's biggest CMOs on implementing their AI vision. In this conversation, we discuss the challenges organizations face in integrating AI into their marketing strategies, the importance of experimentation, and the need for a balance between brand and performance marketing. Takeaways Many companies are struggling to become fully integrated marketing organizations.The pressure to adopt AI often leads to scattered efforts without focus.A solid data foundation is crucial for effectively utilizing Gen.AI.Organizations should prioritize one or two high-impact areas for AI implementation.Experimentation is key to effective marketing strategies.Marketing teams will need to adapt their structures to include more technical skills.Creativity will be a significant differentiator in the future of marketing. Chapters 00:00 Challenges in Marketing Organizations08:43 Building Data Foundation for AI16:24 Effective AI Implementation25:02 Evolution of Marketing Roles32:31 CMOs and the Future of Marketing Listen to the ExperiMENTAL Marketing podcast on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcastsNew episodes every Thursday at 6 AM GMT+2.Also, check out the experiMENTAL newsletter: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/subscribe

    50 min

  2. FEB 19

    How to 30x ad spend by fixing the pipes | Barbara Galiza (dBT, Substack, Fix My Tracking)

    Barbara Galiza is the founder of Fixmytracking.com where she helps companies fix their tracking and measurement. In this conversation, we discuss the evolution of marketing measurement and tracking from 2015 to 2025, emphasizing the importance of adapting to new ad platform capabilities and strategies. Takeaways Conversion tracking is crucial for optimizing performanceChoosing the right conversion event is crucial for success.Taxonomy in structure has a bigger unlock than you thinkPassing PII when legally done is a must doLess is more when it comes to conversion events. In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00 The Evolution of Ad Campaigns: 2015 vs 2025 05:57 Understanding Audience Targeting and Segmentation 10:20 The Importance of Conversion Tracking 15:17 Attribution Challenges in Modern Advertising 19:56 Best Practices for Conversion Events 24:40 Navigating Legalities in Data Passing 27:45 Conversion Events in Marketing Campaigns 30:35 Understanding Ad Groups and Creative Strategies 31:58 The Importance of Incrementality in Measurement 34:49 Case Study: Taxonomy and Campaign Structure 38:47 Attribution Challenges and Solutions 42:26 Building a Strong Foundation for Scaling 46:28 Launching 'Fix My Tracking' Service 49:48 Future Trends in Marketing and AI Listen to the ExperiMENTAL Marketing podcast on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcastsNew episodes every Thursday at 6 AM GMT+2.Also, check out the experiMENTAL newsletter: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/subs... And if you need help on your broken tracking, checkout Fixmytracking.com.

    53 min

  3. JAN 29

    The engineer turned CMO fixing Marketing Measurement | Pranav Piyush (Reforge, Adobe, Dropbox)

    Pranav Piyush is the CEO of Paramark , where he's devoting the next 15 years of his life to solving Marketing Measurement. In our conversation, he shares his journey from engineering to marketing at companies like Adobe, Dropbox, and Reforge emphasizing the importance of measurement and experimentation in marketing. He also discusses the challenges faced by CMOs, the need for a culture of experimentation, and the significance of strategy in marketing efforts. Takeaways Marketing measurement is dysfunctional and he saw a glaring gap when he was a Marketing leaderCMOs face short tenures because of unrealistic expectations from the C-suite but also self inflicted A culture of experimentation is crucial for marketing success.Failure in experiments is common and should be embraced as a learning opportunity.Creative strategy is as important as tactical execution in marketing.The future of marketing lies in continuous adaptation and innovation. In this episode, we cover: 00:00 Introduction to Pranav Piyush and Paramark 01:41 Pranav's Journey into Marketing 05:29 The Challenges of Marketing Measurement 08:07 Bridging the Gap: Art and Science in Marketing 11:44 Understanding CMO Challenges 16:09 Building a Culture of Experimentation 21:42 Strategy vs. Execution in Creative Marketing 25:06 The Importance of Roadmaps in Marketing 27:16 Innovative Experiences at Dropbox 29:46 Lessons from Failed Experiments 33:37 Finding Product-Market Fit 37:34 Building Relationships with Major Clients 42:09 Choosing the Right Marketing Vendor 47:14 Understanding Marketing MetricsListen to the ExperiMENTAL Marketing podcast on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts New episodes every Thursday at 6 AM GMT+2. Also, check out the experiMENTAL newsletter: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/subscribe

    51 min

  4. JAN 8

    How to grow users by fixing conversion not traffic | Adam Miller (Uber, Turo, Postmates)

    In this conversation, Adam Miller shares his extensive experience in user acquisition across various marketplaces, including Turo, Postmates, and Uber. We discuss the evolution of user acquisition strategies, the importance of creative processes, and the collaboration between marketing and product teams. Adam also highlights common mistakes founders make in user acquisition and his contrarian views on the topic. He emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to supply and demand in marketplaces and the challenges of attribution in user acquisition. Takeaways User acquisition strategies have evolved significantly over the years, especially with the rise of mobile.In 2025, user acquisition will rely heavily on automated systems and algorithms.Creative processes should start with identifying unique value propositions (UVPs).Collaboration between marketing and product teams is crucial for effective user acquisition.Founders often make the mistake of relying too heavily on paid advertising too early. In this episode, we cover: 00:00 Coming up 00:57 Adam's Journey 03:27 User Acquisition Strategies at Turo, Postmates, and Uber 09:16 Navigating User Acquisition During COVID-19 14:17 The Evolution of User Acquisition in 2025 18:00 Creative Strategies for Effective User Acquisition 19:52 Collaboration Between Marketing and Product Teams 25:35 Common Mistakes Founders Make in User Acquisition 28:29 Contrarian Views on Education and Career Paths 33:28 Future Trends in User Acquisition and Market Dynamics Join the newsletter: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/subscribe

    45 min

  5. 11/27/2025

    How marketing teams mistake motion for progress | Mattia Santin (ContentSquare, Hotjar, Uber)

    What if your biggest growth unlock wasn’t more speed, but better structure? In this episode of ExperiMENTAL, host Sundar Swaminathan sits down with Mattia Santin, SVP of Brand, Growth & Operations at ContentSquare, former CMO at Hotjar, and former marketing leader at Uber. They dive deep into the B2B vs. B2C debate, why product marketing is the missing engine in many orgs, and what Mattia learned running $300M+ in global media. From in-housing entire teams to turning off ad spend for bold tests, this episode offers hard-won insights for every marketing leader who wants to scale without burning out.KEY TAKEAWAYS • Product marketing should be a two-way street, not a ticketing system• B2B and B2C are more alike than people think, speed is the main difference• The structure of your marketing team affects everything: agility, trust, impact• “Zigzagging your way to growth” creates chaos and burnout• Build the engine before you slam the gas pedal• Foundations matter more than speed; solid data systems are non-negotiable• Product marketing teams need clarity, resilience, and executive support• Testing assumptions (even expensive ones) leads to clarity and efficiency• Leadership buy-in is essential for bold experiments• Attribution isn’t just a metric problem, it’s a culture problemBEST MOMENTS 00:03:02. “It’s been fascinating to observe... a lot more similarities than people think.”00:05:06. “I knew I wasn’t going to be at companies for 18 years... that wasn’t my path.”00:08:00. “Hotjar had an amazing brand, but competition was rising. It was time to pivot.”00:10:13. “I've worked in squad setups and functional models... and I prefer functional.”00:16:02. “You don’t want a car zigzagging its way through strategy.”00:23:36. “Product marketing teams will suffer without clarity and structure.”00:37:45. “We turned off all display spend for a week… and nothing happened.” 🎧 ExperiMENTAL is hosted by Sundar Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Bounce and former Uber leader. This show is your behind-the-scenes look at how top marketers and data scientists make smarter decisions. 🧠 Expect unfiltered conversations, mental models, and case studies that help you cut waste, build conviction, and grow your B2C business. 📬 Subscribe to the ExperiMENTAL newsletter for deep dives and frameworks: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    48 min

  6. 11/13/2025

    How to build 0 → impactful Marketing Science teams | Sebastian Hewing (Zalando, Rocket, eBay)

    How do you build a data team that actually drives business outcomes?  In this episode of ExperiMENTAL, host Sundar Swaminathan sits down with Sebastian Hewing, Data & AI Advisor to C-Level leaders in VC and PE-backed companies, and ex-Rocket Internet, to uncover what most companies get wrong about building and scaling data teams. From startup chaos to structured experimentation, Sebastian shares his three-step consulting framework, lessons from over 40 implementations, and what it really takes to empower “super users” and stop being a dashboard factory. If you’re a data leader, growth marketer, or founder tired of surface-level advice, this episode is your blueprint.KEY TAKEAWAYS• Most companies suffer from solution-first thinking instead of problem-first frameworks• Data teams need to be business-driven, not just tech-stacked• Hiring analytics engineers early enables speed, clarity, and better decisions• “Super users” are the missing link between tech and business• Sebastian uses a 3-step productized consulting approach: Discover, Build, Empower• Complexity isn’t just technical, it’s human, organizational, and strategic• AI can supercharge teams, but only when tied to real pain points• Founders, CMOs, and CTOs feel different “data pains” at different company stages• Scaling data teams requires repeatable playbooks, not custom chaos• The Data Collective was built to fix the mentorship gap and noise in data leadershipBEST MOMENTS00:03:23. “CTOs have to ship product, but end up fixing broken spaghetti queries.”00:05:29. “The higher the marketing budget, the more you can gain with proper data stuff.”00:08:25. “Step three is where I empower the organization to use that data foundation.”00:13:02. “The super user is a business stakeholder who can self-serve 80% of the time.”00:16:07. “They don’t have any skin in the game. The marketing manager does.”00:20:12. “People say this analytics engineer doesn’t exist, but I’ve never had an issue finding one.”00:26:48. “My vision is a context-aware analytics agent that knows your goals and actions.”00:40:17. “The wrong way is: let me put AI into everything. The right way is: pick one real problem.” 🎧 ExperiMENTAL is hosted by Sundar Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Bounce and former Uber leader. This show is your behind-the-scenes look at how top marketers and data scientists make smarter decisions. 🧠 Expect unfiltered conversations, mental models, and case studies that help you cut waste, build conviction, and grow your B2C business. 📬 Subscribe to the ExperiMENTAL newsletter for deep dives and frameworks: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    49 min

  7. 10/30/2025

    How to pick KPIs that aren't too shallow | Russell Tischler (Fundrise, Uber, MLB)

    🎯 Is your marketing KPI lying to you?In this episode of ExperiMENTAL, host Sundar Swaminathan sits down with Russell Tischler, VP of Marketing at Fundrise, to dismantle the myth of “good enough” metrics. From building predictive models that forecast investor behavior to questioning the ROI of lift tests, Russell shares hard-earned lessons from his time at Uber and Fundrise.If you're a B2C marketer, data scientist, or growth leader wondering how to prioritize the right metrics without wasting time or budget, this episode will completely reframe your thinking.Get ready for deep insight, no fluff, and some well-earned hot takes.KEY TAKEAWAYS• Shallow KPIs are often misleading and can hold back meaningful growth• Fundrise built a day-90 model to better predict long-term investor value• The 90-day predictive model offered better accuracy than day-1 projections• High-capacity investors often start small, making early conversion data deceptive• Fundrise balances low-dollar, high-volume vs. high-dollar, low-volume acquisition channels• Direct mail is unexpectedly powerful for trust and high-value targeting• First-touch attribution is underrated, especially for category-creating businesses• Startups should optimize for speed of learning, not perfect measurement• Most lift tests aren’t worth running if the gain is under 10%• The best growth moves feel obvious, no stats needed to prove itBEST MOMENTS00:01:59. “What I do is use too shallow of a metric, and I’ve tried to help move us further into the customer journey.”00:03:07. “How do we differentiate when we’re acquiring one of the 20% that's super valuable versus someone who churns quickly?”00:04:43. “You can see where only looking at somebody's conversion behavior can be misguided.”00:06:05. “The best growth marketers deeply understand the business and analytics, not just KPIs.”00:09:02. “We started with wanting a 12-month payback period... the cost per dollar fundraising target.”00:16:18. “We've been able to be pretty accurate by combining the human element with the model approach.”00:26:42. “Direct mail has been awesome for large investors, really credentializing.”00:38:06. “Almost any time we've done something really successful, it’s just obvious.” 🎧 ExperiMENTAL is hosted by Sundar Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Bounce and former Uber leader. This show is your behind-the-scenes look at how top marketers and data scientists make smarter decisions. 🧠 Expect unfiltered conversations, mental models, and case studies that help you cut waste, build conviction, and grow your B2C business. 📬 Subscribe to the ExperiMENTAL newsletter for deep dives and frameworks: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    48 min
  8. How PMMs should adopt a product manager’s mindset to drive impact | Damian Valdes (Spotify, Meta)

    10/16/2025

    How PMMs should adopt a product manager’s mindset to drive impact | Damian Valdes (Spotify, Meta)

    What if product marketing was the secret weapon your growth strategy is missing? In this episode of ExperiMENTAL, Sundar sits down with Damian Valdes, Associate Director of Product Marketing at Spotify, to reveal why product marketers are often the most underutilized force in tech. From launching features like Spotify Jam to designing internal growth experiments, Damian breaks down how PMMs shape product roadmaps, avoid cannibalization, and influence business outcomes beyond campaign performance. Whether you're scaling a feature, debating when to hire your first marketer, or trying to find product-market fit, this conversation will change the way you think about marketing’s role in building great products. KEY TAKEAWAYS• What product marketers actually do• Why startups often bring PMMs in too late• The link between product marketing and product management• How Spotify PMMs balance campaign work with feature development• The risk of muddy messaging in wide product portfolios• How Damian used the Jobs-To-Be-Done framework to shape product decisions• How in-app promotions became a growth lever at Spotify• Why experienced hires matter more than “scrappy generalists” at early stage• How to prioritize work using the Eisenhower matrix• The importance of consumer empathy from L’Oréal to Meta to Spotify BEST MOMENTS00:02:05. “We serve as the voice of the consumer.”00:03:17. “It solves the problem around people hogging the chord at a social get together.”00:05:22. “You run the risk of maybe cannibalizing the two versus because like truly incremental.”00:06:58. “Product is brand. Brand is product. Consumers don’t differentiate.”00:10:04. “We included things that weren’t yet launched... that actually informed the product roadmap.”00:12:55. “Good marketing is strategy. You can’t remove marketing from it.”00:17:47. “If it’s measurable, then it’s manageable.”00:27:07. “Spotify is a company that’s willing to take big bets.”00:35:23. “Beauty is such a personal decision. It says so much about who you are.” 🎧 ExperiMENTAL is hosted by Sundar Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Bounce and former Uber leader. This show is your behind-the-scenes look at how top marketers and data scientists make smarter decisions. 🧠 Expect unfiltered conversations, mental models, and case studies that help you cut waste, build conviction, and grow your B2C business. 📬 Subscribe to the ExperiMENTAL newsletter for deep dives and frameworks: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    50 min
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For B2C marketers, founders, and analysts who are tired of surface-level advice and ready to cut through the noise with smarter, data-informed decisions. Host Sundar Swaminathan, former Head of Brand Data Science at Uber and creator of the ExperiMENTAL newsletter, shares real-world insights, ROI breakdowns, and growth strategies from leaders at companies like Uber, Google, and Faire.Each episode helps you move from guesswork to grounded strategy so you can drive impact, prove marketing value, and lead with confidence.If you're ready to think critically, test boldly, and grow with clarity, ExperiMENTAL is your bi-weekly dose of thought-provoking, data-savvy marketing wisdom.New episodes every second Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

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