AdTechGod Pod

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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Jonathan Frohlinger, CEO of Big Happy, shares why creative remains advertising's biggest competitive advantage. From building high-impact 3D and CGI campaigns to discussing the future of mobile, digital out-of-home, and AI, Jonathan explains how brands can stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Takeaways

Jonathan shares his journey from Starcom and Verve to founding Big Happy.

Why creative is still the biggest driver of advertising effectiveness.

How CGI and 3D advertising help brands stand out and improve recall.

Why emotion is processed before logic and what that means for marketers.

The role of mobile and digital out-of-home in modern media strategies.

Why creative matters more than targeting once the right audience is reached.

How AI should enhance creativity instead of replacing it.

Why brands should focus on outcomes instead of simply being "AI-powered."

Leadership lessons from growing Big Happy over the past seven years.

Advice for marketers looking to build successful careers in advertising and technology.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Jonathan Frohlinger & Big Happy

01:08 Jonathan's journey into advertising and founding Big Happy

03:18 What Big Happy does and its unique value proposition

04:02 Why high-impact creative and CGI capture attention

06:45 The emotional science behind memorable advertising

08:03 Why brands buy on emotion but stay for performance

09:22 Mobile and digital out-of-home as growth channels

10:55 Creative vs. targeting: Which matters more?

12:20 The future of mobile advertising and media investment

15:25 What's next for mobile, DOOH, and ad tech

16:02 AI's impact on creativity and advertising workflows

19:40 AI hype versus real business value

24:20 Scaling Big Happy and building a strong company culture

27:02 Closing thoughts and farewell

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AdTechGod sits down with Tyler Denk, Co-Founder & CEO of beehiiv, to discuss how beehiiv evolved from a newsletter platform into a complete creator operating system. Tyler shares lessons from Morning Brew, why creators should own their audience, AI's role in publishing, and how beehiiv is reshaping newsletter and podcast monetization.
Takeaways:

Tyler shares how Morning Brew inspired the creation of beehiiv.

Learn why owning your audience matters more than relying on social platforms.

Discover how AI and automation are simplifying creator workflows.

Hear how beehiiv is expanding into podcasts, communities, and advertising.

Learn how the beehiiv Ad Network helps creators monetize newsletters of every size.

Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Tyler Denk & beehiiv00:41 Tyler's journey from Morning Brew to founding beehiiv05:13 Reinventing newsletter publishing and growth07:46 Website builder, SEO, and content automation09:42 AI tools, MCP, and creator workflows11:05 The future of AI for content creators13:03 Building an all-in-one creator operating system15:35 Why creators should own their audience18:14 Social media strategy and platform integrations19:49 Inside the beehiiv Ad Network and newsletter monetization22:59 Helping small publishers earn advertising revenue24:57 Final thoughts and Tyler's personal newsletter
Guests: AdTech God
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