Most brands either drown in low-quality content or agonize over a few ‘perfect’ ads. In this episode, Adam Pivko shares how to get 1% better every day and build a modern creative engine that truly scales.
In this episode, Doug and Adam Pivko discuss:
- Creative ladder framework
- CPA–LTV performance metrics
- Scaling creative with feedback loops
- Continuous testing and 1% daily improvement
- Media buying as data acquisition
Key Takeaways:
- Treat creatives like a ladder, not a lottery, and that means ranking assets by effort and forcing every idea to “earn” its way up by proving performance at lower rungs first.
- Clicks and surface-level engagement can mislead; what truly matters is how efficiently you acquire customers and what they’re worth over time.
- Build a tight feedback loop between data and creatives.
- Chase 1% daily improvement instead of home runs because compounding small wins through continuous testing will move your business further than rare “hero” ads that you hope will save the quarter.
- When you see each dollar spent as a way to acquire better, richer insight, you expand what you’re willing to test, learn faster, and unlock more profitable scale.
“To me, media buying is the acquisition of data, and the byproduct of buying better and better data is more profitable revenue.” - Adam Pivko
Adam Pivko at SubSummit:
Adam will be at SubSummit in May. His session is presented along with Phoenix Ha, catch her episode on The SubSummit Podcast as well. The title of the session is “Building & Deploying High-Volume, High-Value Creative Engines.”
About the guest, Adam Pivko:
Adam Pivko is the Chief Marketing Officer at Direct Meds and a long-time operator in the recurring revenue and subscription space. At Direct Meds, he focuses on building and scaling high-volume, high-value creative engines, leveraging a “creative ladder” framework to systematically test and improve ad performance. Adam is deeply driven by an ethos of getting 1% better every day, using continuous experimentation, CPA-to-LTV metrics, and data-driven media buying—where he views media buying primarily as the acquisition of better data. A frequent participant in the Sub Summit community, Adam shares his expertise with founders, CMOs, and growth leaders who are scaling paid media and creative at significant daily spend levels.
Connect with Adam Pivko:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampivko/
Company: https://www.tryautumn.com/ | https://directmeds.com/
SubSummit will be in Kansas City, May 13-15, 2026
Attend SubSummit FOR FREE Here:
https://subsummit.com/hosted-merchant-meetings-program/
You can also register here: https://subsummit.com/tickets/
Book your meeting with Christopher George from SubSummit here:
https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris3306/linkedin-profile?uuid=0c103e97-4adc-4c16-bbe6-794c92ab9c61
About SubSummit:
SubSummit brings together thousands of executives and operators from established enterprises, direct-to-consumer, fast-growing startups, innovative tech companies, active investors, and more. These pioneers come from across a broad range of industries, including e-commerce, media, publishing, retail, streaming, SaaS, digital, automotive, and beyond.
From FabFitFun to Walmart+ to MasterClass, the world’s leading brands leverage SubSummit to remain catalysts in consumer engagement and product experiences.
Simply put, if you’re in subscription, membership, or recurring revenue, you’re at SubSummit.
Website: https://subsummit.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/subsummit/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sub_summit/
Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
