AdTech AdTalk

Welcome to the AdTech AdTalk show! This week, hosts Adam Heimlich and Gareth Glaser dive into the "Peak of Bullsh*t" in the ad tech world.The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the ongoing Google antitrust trial, focusing on the controversial testimony from a WikiHow publisher. Is she pro-Google, or just exhausted by the constant uncertainty and potential disruption to her business? Adam and Gareth break down the technical implications of a potential Google divestiture, debating whether forcing all demand through Prebid would simplify or complicate life for publishers.The conversation then shifts to the explosive news that kept Gareth up all night: The Trade Desk's decision to fork Prebid. The hosts analyze the breakdown in communication, the "war on yield" fears from publishers, and the deep-seated cynicism preventing the industry from moving forward. They explore TTD's new PubDesk tool and question whether more transparency will actually lead to more money for publishers or if it's just another way for a middleman to capture margin.Packed with insights on industry politics, technical details, and a healthy dose of rage against the machine, this episode tackles the fundamental question: can the open web be saved, or are we stuck in a cycle of self-interest and over-complication?Tune in for a fiery discussion and get ready for next week's special episode with Jeff Green of The Trade Desk!0:00 - Intro0:35 - Welcome & DataBricks Sponsor Shoutout2:19 - Google Antitrust Trial: The Publisher's Perspective3:46 - Pro-Google or Just Tired of Constant Change?5:25 - Technicals of a Google Divestiture: GAM, AdSense & Prebid8:02 - Is a Better Ecosystem Worth the Short-Term Pain?9:46 - Is Google's Ad Stack "Too Big to Fail"?11:11 - Peak of Bullsh*t: Google's First-Party Data Claims12:48 - DOJ Politics and Google's Settlement with Trump14:48 - The Trade Desk vs. Prebid: Is Prebid Poorly Governed?16:51 - A Brief History of Prebid's Origins22:13 - Q&A: TTD's Transaction ID vs. Raptive's25:21 - What is The Trade Desk's New "PubDesk" Tool?26:23 - Why Are Publishers Mad at The Trade Desk?28:54 - Industry Cynicism & The Breakdown in Communication31:54 - Q&A: PubDesk Availability34:17 - Does More Information Lead to More Revenue?37:45 - Revisiting the Question: Is the Open Web Beyond Saving?39:12 - Will The Trade Desk's Prebid Fork Actually Work?43:52 - Adam's Rage Against "Middleman Overcompromises"46:07 - AdTech News Roundup46:12 - Meta to Use Chatbot Conversations for Ad Targeting51:44 - Podcast Ad Spend to Surpass $3 Billion in 202553:20 - Wrap-up & Teaser for Next Week with Jeff Green

0:00 Intro & Adam's Stressful Week 6:40 Special Guest Introduction: Gio Sollazzo of Aidem Ads10:50 Aidem Ads Platform Deep Dive27:00 Gareth's ID-Bridging Conspiracy Theory37:00 Google Remedies Trial48:00 Headlines of the Week48:30 IAS Acquired by PE Firm Novacap for $1.9B54:30 OpenAI Looks to Build In-House Ad Infrastructure

YEAH YOU KNOW ME!0:00 Intro and Gareth "Old Yellering" TIDs12:30 The Future of Ad Tech and Rising Above the "Doom and Gloom"32:00 Agent-Based Content37:00 MCP's40:40 AI + OOH Advertising45:45 Headlines of the Week!46:20 Rembrand x Spaceback Merger49:15 Magnite Acquires streamr.ai53:30 TTD Sunsets Periodic Table UI

Gareth hosts former Goodway Group CEO, Jay Friedman.1:40 – Introducing Jay – the outcomes OG6:20 – Demand creation, harvesting, and measurement16:30 – What’s real?25:26 – How does AI connect strategy and execution?43:26 - TID Drama reality check

0:00 Special Guest Intro: Jana Meron of Lioness4:00 Jana's Google Experience, "The Trial", and Everything in Between15:10 Jana's Business Insider Tenure23:45 Are Advertisers Really the Devil?29:00 The Influencer Effect37:00 Fees, Fees, Fees40:00 Lioness: Startup Progress47:00 The Philosophies of Hiring the Right Seller

Featuring a special surprise appearance by Sincera founder Mike O'Sullivan.

The boys talk markets, markups, and potential regulation.

0:00 Intro, "Yield" by Ari Paparo, and Gareth's Dramatic Morning6:00 Special Guest Reveal: Justin Wohl of Aditude17:00 Open Path Deep Dive29:00 ID-Bridging and Trust Issues in the Ad Tech Ecosystem39:00 Gareth Breaks Down the Latest Jounce Report42:00 Contextualization: Application or Infrastructure?55:00 Vibe Coding and Justin's Pod Feedback

0:00 Intro, Gareth's Viral Tweet, and "Jeans Parties"5:00 Prebid Server, Snowflake, and Modularization10:00 Gareth's Fundraising and Pitch Updates18:00 Publishers and Their 1P Data26:50 "Post-Taxonomy World"35:00 Open Web vs the Big Guys42:00 Viewability's Advantages and Disadvantages45:00 Quality Companies Hate Pubs?48:00 Resellers: What to Look Out For

Logs don't lie: Adam and Gareth talk middlemen, markets, and clarity.0:00 – Intro1:40 – The Möbius Strip of Adtech4:30 – Dynamic Rev Shares18:00 – Publishers, Buyers & Hidden Fees36:00 – Why Log Files Matter50:00 – Throttling Mysteries

01:00 – What Is AI, Really? Data, Predictions & Modeling04:40 – OpenAI, Feedback Loops, and Magic Tricks09:10 – Comprehension vs Prediction in LLMs12:30 – Profitability in AI: OpenAI's Next Business Model17:00 – AdTech’s Infrastructure Problem22:42 – Micropayments & Pubs27:00 – On-Prem vs. Cloud vs. Bare Metal43:00 – Data Access, DSPs, and Log Transparency46:00 – Should Google Be Broken Up Like Standard Oil?50:30 – Data Markets, Commoditization & Panel Power