Ben Kartzman is the COO of Mediaocean, a multi-billion dollar ad tech company. He was previously the CEO and co-founder of SpongeCell, an ad tech startup that was acquired by FlashTalking. Kartzman has successfully navigated multiple acquisitions and integrations throughout his career in ad tech.

In this interview, Kartzman outlines his journey from college soccer player to serial entrepreneur. He shares stories and lessons learned from the rise and fall of several startups, including gritting through the dot-com crash and having to lay off employees during the 2008 financial crisis. Kartzman stresses the importance of autonomy, transparency, building the right team, and learning to balance optimism with realism as an entrepreneur. He also provides an inside look at acquisition negotiations and building rapport with potential buyers. For entrepreneurs and aspiring founders, this interview offers hard-won wisdom on persevering through difficult times, pivoting business models, and creating successful exits. Kartzman shows that with resilience, adaptability, and the right teammates, one can navigate the turbulent waters of the startup world to build substantial companies.

(00:00:00) Introduction of Guest: Ben Kartzman

Mediaocean: https://www.mediaocean.com/

FlashTalking: https://www.flashtalking.com/

SpongeCell: https://www.spongecell.com/

Toga Builders: http://www.togabuilders.com/

Carnegie Mellon University: https://www.cmu.edu/

Seabridge: https://www.seabridgegold.com/

BridgeLine: https://www.bridgeline.com/

Accenture: https://www.accenture.com/

Union Square Ventures: https://www.usv.com/

Dissidia/Guidestar: https://www.guidestar.org/

Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com