AdTechGod Pod

AdTechGod sits down with James Grant, SVP of Equativ, to explore the evolution of connected TV, AI-powered media planning, performance TV, and the future of streaming advertising. James also shares lessons from powering live sports advertising and why outcomes, identity, and new CTV ad formats are shaping the next era of ad tech.

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Takeaways:

- AI agents are making media planning more efficient and dynamic.

- Performance TV is creating new opportunities for measurable CTV outcomes.

- Live sports streaming requires scalable ad serving, testing, and strong project management.

- Pause ads and home-screen formats can create less intrusive CTV experiences.

- Contextual signals, outcomes, and deterministic identity will shape CTV’s future.

Chapters:01:05 Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod01:18 Meet James Grant of Equativ02:17 James’ Career Across TV and Ad Tech05:08 Building Equativ’s CTV Business06:25 The Biggest Opportunities in Connected TV08:40 AI and Equativ’s Media Planning Agent10:41 Moving Beyond Copy-and-Paste Media Buying12:51 AI, Workflow Efficiency and Creative15:27 Combining AI, Creative and Media Buying16:50 Live Sports and Streaming Advertising17:34 Equativ and MagentaTV18:55 Lessons From Large-Scale Live Streaming21:10 What Broadcasters Need to Get Right23:54 The Changing CTV Ad Experience24:48 Why Pause Ads Are a Major Opportunity27:13 Equativ’s TV Operating System Partnership28:15 The Future of CTV and Streaming31:11 Deterministic Identity and What Ad Tech Is Missing32:07 Closing Thoughts
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AdTechGod sits down with Alex Brownstein, CEO and Founder at AHB Advisors, to examine where advertising and ad tech are heading. They discuss The Trade Desk’s organizational evolution, why mid-size agencies could become active acquirers, how AI may reshape the agency model, and why the industry may need to rediscover memorable brand building alongside performance and measurement.

Read more from Alex Brownstein by subscribing to his Substack: https://ahbadvisors.substack.com/

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Takeaways

Ad tech companies should evolve through thoughtful expansion rather than abrupt strategic pivots.

Mid-size agencies could become more active acquirers as larger holding companies navigate structural complexity.

AI will reshape agency work, shifting value from routine execution toward strategy and business outcomes.

Agencies may find new value as intermediaries between brands and dominant technology platforms.

Advertising needs a better balance between measurable performance and memorable, long-term brand building.

Chapters00:00 Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod00:18 Meet Alex Brownstein, Strategic Advisor, former 3C Ventures and McKinsey01:22 From investment banking to LiveIntent and ad tech03:18 What finance taught Alex about advertising and business strategy05:17 The Trade Desk, CFO changes and organizational alignment09:02 Why ad tech companies are evolving their core businesses12:04 Why mid-size agencies could become major acquirers16:00 The complexity of large agency organizations17:13 What McKinsey’s operating model can teach agencies18:29 Will AI kill agencies or change how they work?20:56 A new potential role for agencies between brands and platforms22:27 Alex’s prediction for the next three years of advertising23:25 Why memorable brand building could make a comeback25:17 What advertising lost in the influencer era26:05 Have advertisers gone too far toward data and measurement?27:53 Brand recognition and the top of the marketing funnel28:21 Closing thoughts with Alex Brownstein28:38 Outro
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Mikey Garcia, VP of Advertising Engineering at Wurl, joins host AdTechGod to explore how AI, contextual intelligence, and FAST are reshaping connected TV advertising. They discuss scene-level targeting, smarter CTV signals, ad relevance, overlay ads, and why contextual advertising could unlock the next wave of CTV ad spend.
Takeaways:

AI is making scene-level contextual targeting in CTV more accurate and scalable.

FAST enables real-time contextual signals that can better match ads to what viewers are watching.

Whirl found viewers changed channels 60% more when ads were irrelevant.

Contextual works best alongside audience targeting, adding relevance and improving performance.

Better content intelligence could drive more transparency, smarter buying, and greater CTV ad spend.

Chapters:00:00 Welcome to the AdTechGod Pod00:54 Meet Mikey Garcia of Wurl 01:27 From Maker Studios to a Career in Product04:02 The Startup Lesson That Changed Mikey's Career04:49 Joining Wurl and Building Streaming Products05:40 From Creator Technology to Advertising07:47 AppLovin, Wurl and the Meaning of Contextual CTV09:29 How AI Changed Contextual Advertising10:38 Bringing Scene-Level Signals to the Bid Stream12:35 Why FAST Is Built for Real-Time Contextual Targeting14:14 Can Contextual Targeting Work for VOD?15:13 Contextual Advertising for Media Planners16:19 Why Irrelevant Ads Make Viewers Tune Out17:45 The Future of Contextual CTV20:25 Why Contextual Is Reaching a Turning Point21:43 Overlay Ads and the Next CTV Ad Experience22:47 Programmatic Product Placement and AI23:41 Why AI Still Needs Human Oversight24:37 Final Thoughts from Mikey Garcia25:28 Outro
Guests: AdTech God
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AdTechGod sits down with Ravi Viswanathan, Strategic Partnerships Lead at Google, to discuss his journey from software engineering to partnerships, more than a decade at Google, and how AI could reshape advertising. They explore generative creative, new ad-supported business models, consumer value exchange, and Ravi’s approach to building trusted partnerships.

Takeaways:

A technical background can create credibility and deeper trust in strategic partnerships.

AI’s impact extends beyond productivity into creative generation and entirely new advertising experiences.

Advertising could increasingly subsidize services such as mobile plans, hardware, and other everyday costs.

Successful ad-supported models require a transparent and fair value exchange with consumers.

Great partnerships begin by understanding the partner’s problem rather than focusing on what you want to sell.

Curiosity, technical fluency, and trust can lead to stronger client relationships and long-term career growth.

Chapters:00:00 Welcome to the AdTechGod Pod00:13 Meet Ravi Viswanathan, Strategic Partnerships Lead at Google01:12 Ravi’s Career Journey: Engineering to Strategic Partnerships04:07 Why Technical Knowledge Matters in Partnerships05:05 Why Ravi Has Stayed at Google for 11 Years07:30 The Continuing Evolution of Advertising08:09 How AI Is Changing Careers and Advertising10:02 AI-Powered Pricing, Targeting, and Generative Creative10:40 Will Consumers Accept Fully AI-Generated Advertising?14:22 What’s Next for Advertising?16:10 Advertising Across New Screens and Consumer Touchpoints17:27 The Future of Ad-Supported Business Models20:07 Creating a Fair Value Exchange for Consumers20:45 Misconceptions About Working With Google22:38 Ravi’s Career and Partnership Advice24:23 Closing Thoughts

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Josef Najm, Principal Investor at Thomson Reuters Ventures, will discuss his career journey from MediaMath and global brands to venture investing. Josef shares what investors look for in founders, the technologies that stand out, the impact of AI on advertising, and where he sees the biggest opportunities for startups over the next five years.

Takeaways:

Josef Najm shares his journey from MediaMath, L'Oréal, and Diageo to Thomson Reuters Ventures.

Learn how venture investors evaluate founders, products, and market timing.

Discover why clean data, AI workflows, creator economy, and trust are shaping the future of ad tech.

Hear Josef's predictions for AI agents, industry consolidation, and startup opportunities over the next five years.

Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:17 Meet Josef Najm, Principal Investor at Thomson Reuters Ventures00:48 Josef's Career Journey into Ad Tech05:23 Transition into Venture Capital08:23 What Makes a Great Founder?11:10 Identifying Long-Term AI & Ad Tech Opportunities17:33 The Rise of the Creator Economy19:24 Separating Innovation from Industry Hype22:49 When Is the Right Time to Raise Funding?29:10 The Future of AI, Data & Ad Tech34:52 Final Thoughts

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