Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

Common Thread Collective

2020 transformed the world of ecommerce forever. For the modern DTC brand, the rewards have never been greater. But the waters have also never been choppier, and the way forward has never been more uncertain. So how do you navigate this dangerous new reality? No matter how you do it, you’d better not do it alone. That’s where the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast comes in — join Common Thread Collective’s Taylor Holiday & Richard Gaffin as they bring you guiding insights from across CTC’s portfolio of growing DTC businesses. Whether you need a clear view on the macro issues affecting the world of ecommerce, or want to reorient your business around groundbreaking new big-picture strategies, Taylor & Richard are here to help answer the tough questions about what it takes to scale — and sustain — an ecommerce business.

  1. 1D AGO

    Stop Guessing Your Ecommerce Budget

    In this episode, Richard and Luke break down the system we use to help 8-figure ecommerce brands stop guessing and start making confident decisions about budget, creative, and channel investment. They walk through the three core models that answer the questions every operator wrestles with: How much should we actually spend right now? How much creative do we need to support that spend? Which channels should we test next — and why? You’ll learn how to spot when additional ad spend becomes a bad trade, how to plan creative volume around real marketing moments (not vibes), and how to prioritize incrementality testing based on potential revenue impact — not opinion or politics. If your team would answer these questions differently depending on who you ask, this episode is for you. What we cover: How to identify when ad spend stops being efficient The Spending Power Model and how it sets real budget caps How creative volume directly affects performance and efficiency A practical framework for planning moment-based vs evergreen creative How to prioritize channel tests using incrementality ranges Why “waiting for perfect data” is often more dangerous than acting If you’re running or advising an 8-figure ecommerce brand and want a clearer way to allocate budget, plan creative, and make smarter growth decisions — this episode lays out the playbook. Show Notes: Get Dataships' free A/B test: https://www.dataships.io/demo Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

    42 min

  2. 6D AGO

    When AI Knows Everything, How Do You Decide Anything?

    AI promised clarity. Instead, it delivered information overload. In this episode, we unpack what happens when AI gives ecommerce teams more data than they can reasonably act on, dashboards multiplying, forecasts diverging, tests contradicting each other, and decisions getting harder instead of easier. Taylor and Andrew talk through: Why AI surfaces problems faster than it solves them How “more insight” can actually paralyze operators The limits of forecasting, incrementality, and optimization at scale Where human judgment still matters, and always will What ecommerce leaders should focus on when the data stops agreeing This isn’t an anti-AI conversation. It’s a reality check. Because the competitive advantage isn’t knowing more, it’s knowing what to ignore, what to trust, and when to act. Show Notes: See how Attentive helps connect people and the brands they love.: https://bit.ly/4ag8oEJ Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

    1h 24m

  3. FEB 3

    Agentic Commerce Is Here and It Changes Everything

    In this episode, Richard and Tony break down what agentic commerce actually is, why Shopify and Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol matters, and how AI-driven shopping is quietly replacing traditional websites, checkout flows, and even ads. Instead of customers clicking through pages, filtering products, and checking out manually, AI agents are beginning to discover products, compare options, negotiate price, and complete purchases on behalf of users. That shift has massive implications for marketers, founders, and operators. You’ll Learn: What agentic commerce really means (beyond the buzzwords) Why product data feeds are becoming the foundation of modern commerce How Shopify’s agentic checkout connects AI directly to your catalog What this means for SEO, paid media, and brand discovery Why reviews, social proof, and product structure matter more than ever How platforms like Meta are making everything shoppable What marketers should be paying attention to right now to stay ahead This episode isn’t about hype—it’s about understanding the infrastructure changes shaping the next era of e-commerce and how to prepare before it becomes the default. Show Notes: See how Attentive helps connect people and the brands they love.: https://bit.ly/4ag8oEJ Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

    30 min

  4. JAN 29

    How our Prophit System Forecasts Creative Volume

    Creative strategy doesn’t fail because of bad ideas, it fails because it isn’t operationalized. In this episode, we break down how the Prophit System forecasts creative volume and turns creative production into a predictable, accountable growth lever. Using a real client example, we walk through how creative demand is modeled against spend targets, why most brands under-produce creative, and how forecasting creative volume eliminates fire drills, guesswork, and performance decay. We cover: How the Prophit System calculates monthly creative volume Why scaling spend without a creative forecast breaks efficiency The Creative Demand Model and creative scoring framework How evergreen creative stabilizes performance How persona-driven ads and AI accelerate creative execution Operationalizing creative across internal teams and external vendors Using creative forecasts to plan 12 months ahead — not react week to week If your team is stuck in reactive creative cycles or struggling to scale efficiently, this episode shows how forecasting creative output — not just media spend — changes the outcome. Show Notes: Get Dataships' free A/B test: https://www.dataships.io/demo Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

    39 min

  5. JAN 27

    Why Real Growth Comes From Accountability, Not Tools

    Most teams chase growth by adding new tools, dashboards, and AI. But real, durable growth doesn’t come from software, it comes from accountability. In this video, Taylor breaks down why growth stalls when no one owns the outcome, how daily operating rhythms turn forecasts into action, and what it actually takes to build a system that compounds over time. You’ll see why repetition beats reinvention, how strong teams close performance gaps faster, and why confronting friction is a prerequisite for real growth. You’ll learn: Why tools and AI don’t create growth without clear ownership How accountability turns forecasts into daily action The operating rhythm behind predictable, repeatable growth Why most growth systems break in the real world How clarity, capacity, and accountability work together to scale If you’re a founder, operator, or marketing leader tired of chasing the next tool, this is how real growth actually gets built. Show Notes: Get Dataships' free A/B test: https://www.dataships.io/demo Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

    13 min

  6. JAN 22

    CFO Summit: How to Get Your Forecast Back on Track

    Forecasts are always wrong — what matters is how fast you respond. In this episode, we break down how top teams diagnose a miss early, tighten the signal-to-action loop, and use daily accountability to get January (and the year) back on track.

    45 min

  7. JAN 20

    Creative Strategy Is Dead (Here’s What Actually Works in 2026)

    In this episode, Taylor explains why the traditional creative loop—analyzing past ads, chasing CTRs, writing briefs, and hoping for better results—isn’t just inefficient, it’s actively hurting growth. Instead, we break down what actually works in 2026: treating creative like a supply chain, not a brainstorming exercise. You’ll learn: Why creative strategy is no longer about ideas or opinions How to tie creative output directly to financial forecasts and media spend What a “creative demand plan” looks like in practice Why volume, velocity, and systems beat “great ads” every time How the role of creative strategist is collapsing into growth and profit engineering This conversation is for founders, CMOs, and operators running Meta ads at scale who are tired of guessing, reacting late, and burning money on creative that doesn’t move the business. If you’re still asking “What should this ad say?” instead of “What does the system need to produce this month?”—this episode will change how you think about creative forever. Show Notes: TaxCloud has you covered: https://taxcloud.com/thread/ Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

    34 min

  8. JAN 15

    Is AppLovin Actually Incremental? 8 Tests, Real Data, Real Results

    Is AppLovin actually incremental — or just another platform taking credit for demand that already exists? In this episode, we break down 8 real AppLovin incrementality tests run across live client accounts and share what the data actually shows. No speculation. No theory. Just results. We cover why AppLovin’s measurement is more conservative than most platforms, how its attribution model impacts reported performance, and why every test so far has come back positively incremental. From there, we move beyond the lab and into execution — sharing tactical learnings from running AppLovin at scale across multiple brands. You’ll hear practical insights on: How AppLovin incrementality compares to Meta, Google, and YouTube What we’ve learned from real spend, real revenue, and real tests Campaign structure, bidding strategies, and when to consolidate vs segment Creative formats that are working best inside mobile game environments Why AppLovin is emerging as a legitimate “third platform” in the paid media stack What Black Friday & Cyber Monday revealed about AppLovin’s scaling potential If you’re an e-commerce operator trying to decide whether AppLovin deserves real budget — or just a test — this episode will help you make that call with confidence. Show Notes: TaxCloud has you covered: https://taxcloud.com/thread/ Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

    36 min
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4.9
out of 5
72 Ratings

About

2020 transformed the world of ecommerce forever. For the modern DTC brand, the rewards have never been greater. But the waters have also never been choppier, and the way forward has never been more uncertain. So how do you navigate this dangerous new reality? No matter how you do it, you’d better not do it alone. That’s where the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast comes in — join Common Thread Collective’s Taylor Holiday & Richard Gaffin as they bring you guiding insights from across CTC’s portfolio of growing DTC businesses. Whether you need a clear view on the macro issues affecting the world of ecommerce, or want to reorient your business around groundbreaking new big-picture strategies, Taylor & Richard are here to help answer the tough questions about what it takes to scale — and sustain — an ecommerce business.

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