Open Market https://openmarketpod.com/ en Copyright 2025 Joe Zappa Open Market is a podcast about building companies in the advertising industry. This is not another news podcast. Rather, hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the stories of successful companies to help listeners understand how to replicate that success. Guests such as Brian O'Kelley, Jonah Goodhart, and the Vanderhooks join to share their advice. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/62c9615e-c913-11ef-897d-07d3f8b75028/image/1c6b1a6f657344559d58a90f0ca200c0.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Open Market https://openmarketpod.com/ no episodic A pod on building companies in the advertising industry Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Open Market is a podcast about building companies in the advertising industry. This is not another news podcast. Rather, hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the stories of successful companies to help listeners understand how to replicate that success. Guests such as Brian O'Kelley, Jonah Goodhart, and the Vanderhooks join to share their advice. Open Market is a podcast about building companies in the advertising industry. This is not another news podcast. Rather, hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the stories of successful companies to help listeners understand how to replicate that success. Guests such as Brian O'Kelley, Jonah Goodhart, and the Vanderhooks join to share their advice.

]]> Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi joe@sharppenmedia.com Ibotta CRO Chris Riedy on Evolving from Founder-Led Sales to a Sales Machine Ibotta CRO Chris Riedy joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to break down one of the hardest transitions for startups: evolving from founder-led sales to a real sales organization. They discuss what great founder-led sales looks like, why the transition can break momentum, and how to professionalize without losing what made the company work early on. Chris shares how to structure teams, hire the right mix of talent, and build a strong partnership between CEO and CRO. They also cover how the shift to outcomes-based advertising is changing sales, where marketing should support, and what founders need to do to scale effectively. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:00:00 -0000 full 96 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Ibotta CRO Chris Riedy joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to break down one of the hardest transitions for startups: evolving from founder-led sales to a real sales organization. They discuss what great founder-led sales looks like, why the transition can break momentum, and how to professionalize without losing what made the company work early on. Chris shares how to structure teams, hire the right mix of talent, and build a strong partnership between CEO and CRO. They also cover how the shift to outcomes-based advertising is changing sales, where marketing should support, and what founders need to do to scale effectively. Ibotta CRO Chris Riedy joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to break down one of the hardest transitions for startups: evolving from founder-led sales to a real sales organization. They discuss what great founder-led sales looks like, why the transition can break momentum, and how to professionalize without losing what made the company work early on. Chris shares how to structure teams, hire the right mix of talent, and build a strong partnership between CEO and CRO. They also cover how the shift to outcomes-based advertising is changing sales, where marketing should support, and what founders need to do to scale effectively.

]]> 2697 Corey Ferengul on the 6 CEO Personas from Startup to $500M in Revenue Aperiam Partner Corey Ferengul joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to break down the six CEO archetypes — sales, product, CTO, visionary, operator, and CFO — and how each one shows up at different stages of a company’s growth. They walk through how these personas evolve from scrappy startup mode to scaled organizations, where they succeed, where they struggle, and when new leadership layers need to come in. They also discuss the tension between vision and execution, why certain archetypes fade or become liabilities over time, and what it takes to build a balanced leadership team. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0000 full 95 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Aperiam Partner Corey Ferengul joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to break down the six CEO archetypes — sales, product, CTO, visionary, operator, and CFO — and how each one shows up at different stages of a company’s growth. They walk through how these personas evolve from scrappy startup mode to scaled organizations, where they succeed, where they struggle, and when new leadership layers need to come in. They also discuss the tension between vision and execution, why certain archetypes fade or become liabilities over time, and what it takes to build a balanced leadership team. Aperiam Partner Corey Ferengul joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to break down the six CEO archetypes — sales, product, CTO, visionary, operator, and CFO — and how each one shows up at different stages of a company’s growth. They walk through how these personas evolve from scrappy startup mode to scaled organizations, where they succeed, where they struggle, and when new leadership layers need to come in. They also discuss the tension between vision and execution, why certain archetypes fade or become liabilities over time, and what it takes to build a balanced leadership team.

]]> 2370 Consumable CEO Mark Levin on Bootstrapping a Big Audio Business Consumable CEO Mark Levin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to share the founding story behind his audio advertising company and why he chose to bootstrap in an industry dominated by venture-backed players. They discuss what it means to make audio “addressable everywhere,” why the channel has struggled to meet its potential in the past, and how advertisers are reacting. Mark also breaks down how he built the business from the ground up, including early customer acquisition and go-to-market evolution. Finally, they explore the tradeoffs of bootstrapping, advice for founders considering that path, and what the future of audio looks like as a performance channel. Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:00:00 -0000 full 94 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Consumable CEO Mark Levin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to share the founding story behind his audio advertising company and why he chose to bootstrap in an industry dominated by venture-backed players. They discuss what it means to make audio “addressable everywhere,” why the channel has struggled to meet its potential in the past, and how advertisers are reacting. Mark also breaks down how he built the business from the ground up, including early customer acquisition and go-to-market evolution. Finally, they explore the tradeoffs of bootstrapping, advice for founders considering that path, and what the future of audio looks like as a performance channel. Consumable CEO Mark Levin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to share the founding story behind his audio advertising company and why he chose to bootstrap in an industry dominated by venture-backed players. They discuss what it means to make audio “addressable everywhere,” why the channel has struggled to meet its potential in the past, and how advertisers are reacting. Mark also breaks down how he built the business from the ground up, including early customer acquisition and go-to-market evolution. Finally, they explore the tradeoffs of bootstrapping, advice for founders considering that path, and what the future of audio looks like as a performance channel.

]]> 1735 Eric Interviews Joe: The Sharp Pen Story and CEO Evangelism Eric Franchi turns the tables and interviews co-host Joe Zappa on the founding story of Sharp Pen, how the agency evolved into a CEO evangelism machine, and what’s broken about traditional PR that they set out to fix. They dig into the company's product-market fit moment, what didn’t work early on, the biggest client wins and failures, and how Joe gets executives to say things they’d never put in a press release. They also cover where Sharp Pen goes next and what advice Joe has for adtech CEOs looking to build a voice in a noisy market. Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0000 full 93 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi turns the tables and interviews co-host Joe Zappa on the founding story of Sharp Pen, how the agency evolved into a CEO evangelism machine, and what’s broken about traditional PR that they set out to fix. They dig into the company's product-market fit moment, what didn’t work early on, the biggest client wins and failures, and how Joe gets executives to say things they’d never put in a press release. They also cover where Sharp Pen goes next and what advice Joe has for adtech CEOs looking to build a voice in a noisy market. Eric Franchi turns the tables and interviews co-host Joe Zappa on the founding story of Sharp Pen, how the agency evolved into a CEO evangelism machine, and what’s broken about traditional PR that they set out to fix. They dig into the company's product-market fit moment, what didn’t work early on, the biggest client wins and failures, and how Joe gets executives to say things they’d never put in a press release. They also cover where Sharp Pen goes next and what advice Joe has for adtech CEOs looking to build a voice in a noisy market.

]]> 2052 Marketecture CEO Jeremy Bloom on the New Adtech Media Marketecture CEO Jeremy Bloom joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why he left the operating side of adtech to build a media company and what’s driving the shift toward founder- and practitioner-led media. They break down what traditional coverage gets wrong, the opportunities and challenges of operator-driven content, and Marketecture’s strategy behind acquiring properties like AdTechGod and AdLand. Jeremy also weighs in on what makes certain creators break through and how founders should navigate the new media landscape. Wed, 01 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0000 full 92 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Marketecture CEO Jeremy Bloom joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why he left the operating side of adtech to build a media company and what’s driving the shift toward founder- and practitioner-led media. They break down what traditional coverage gets wrong, the opportunities and challenges of operator-driven content, and Marketecture’s strategy behind acquiring properties like AdTechGod and AdLand. Jeremy also weighs in on what makes certain creators break through and how founders should navigate the new media landscape. Marketecture CEO Jeremy Bloom joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why he left the operating side of adtech to build a media company and what’s driving the shift toward founder- and practitioner-led media. They break down what traditional coverage gets wrong, the opportunities and challenges of operator-driven content, and Marketecture’s strategy behind acquiring properties like AdTechGod and AdLand. Jeremy also weighs in on what makes certain creators break through and how founders should navigate the new media landscape.

]]> 2832 Does the SaaSpocalypse Apply to Adtech? With Viant’s Tim and Chris Vanderhook SaaS stocks are being routed in the public markets, and onlookers are wondering whether the same applies to adtech. In essence, the thinking goes, "Can't SaaS customers just vibe-code an alternative in-house and save millions on enterprise software?" Viant co-founders Chris and Tim Vanderhook explain the thinking behind the SaaSpocalypse, whether it applies to adtech, how investors should respond, and what entrepreneurs need to do to drive, not be overcome by, innovation. Plus, Eric and Joe share an announcement. Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:00:00 -0000 full 91 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi SaaS stocks are being routed in the public markets, and onlookers are wondering whether the same applies to adtech. In essence, the thinking goes, "Can't SaaS customers just vibe-code an alternative in-house and save millions on enterprise software?" Viant co-founders Chris and Tim Vanderhook explain the thinking behind the SaaSpocalypse, whether it applies to adtech, how investors should respond, and what entrepreneurs need to do to drive, not be overcome by, innovation. Plus, Eric and Joe share an announcement. SaaS stocks are being routed in the public markets, and onlookers are wondering whether the same applies to adtech. In essence, the thinking goes, "Can't SaaS customers just vibe-code an alternative in-house and save millions on enterprise software?" Viant co-founders Chris and Tim Vanderhook explain the thinking behind the SaaSpocalypse, whether it applies to adtech, how investors should respond, and what entrepreneurs need to do to drive, not be overcome by, innovation. Plus, Eric and Joe share an announcement.

]]> 2953 Recast CEO Michael Kaminsky on Attribution Myths and Analytics Entrepreneurship Recast CEO Michael Kaminsky joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why marketing analytics may be an even tougher business than adtech and the founding story behind Recast. They unpack the internal politics that shape how measurement tools are adopted, why upper-funnel channels are given a lack of credit, and what marketers still get wrong about attribution. Michael also explains why “interesting insights are worthless,” how CMOs and CFOs are increasingly collaborating on marketing budgets, and how AI is changing both the way he’s building the company and the future of marketing measurement. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0000 full 90 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Recast CEO Michael Kaminsky joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why marketing analytics may be an even tougher business than adtech and the founding story behind Recast. They unpack the internal politics that shape how measurement tools are adopted, why upper-funnel channels are given a lack of credit, and what marketers still get wrong about attribution. Michael also explains why “interesting insights are worthless,” how CMOs and CFOs are increasingly collaborating on marketing budgets, and how AI is changing both the way he’s building the company and the future of marketing measurement. Recast CEO Michael Kaminsky joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why marketing analytics may be an even tougher business than adtech and the founding story behind Recast. They unpack the internal politics that shape how measurement tools are adopted, why upper-funnel channels are given a lack of credit, and what marketers still get wrong about attribution. Michael also explains why “interesting insights are worthless,” how CMOs and CFOs are increasingly collaborating on marketing budgets, and how AI is changing both the way he’s building the company and the future of marketing measurement.

]]> 2260 Graphed CEO Cody Schneider on an AI-First Approach to GTM Graphed CEO Cody Schneider joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to explain how he unleashed a fleet of AI agents on his company’s go-to-market efforts, including the automated outreach that landed him on this very podcast. They break down what parts of marketing and sales AI can realistically automate today, how non-technical founders can start building simple agents (like for podcast outreach), and the results Cody has seen so far. They also discuss the tradeoffs — from bot detection to authenticity concerns — and how leaders can build organizations that encourage experimentation instead of shutting it down. Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0000 full 89 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Graphed CEO Cody Schneider joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to explain how he unleashed a fleet of AI agents on his company’s go-to-market efforts, including the automated outreach that landed him on this very podcast. They break down what parts of marketing and sales AI can realistically automate today, how non-technical founders can start building simple agents (like for podcast outreach), and the results Cody has seen so far. They also discuss the tradeoffs — from bot detection to authenticity concerns — and how leaders can build organizations that encourage experimentation instead of shutting it down. Graphed CEO Cody Schneider joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to explain how he unleashed a fleet of AI agents on his company’s go-to-market efforts, including the automated outreach that landed him on this very podcast. They break down what parts of marketing and sales AI can realistically automate today, how non-technical founders can start building simple agents (like for podcast outreach), and the results Cody has seen so far. They also discuss the tradeoffs — from bot detection to authenticity concerns — and how leaders can build organizations that encourage experimentation instead of shutting it down.


]]> 2835 How We Use AI Daily Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down how they actually use AI every day across creative work, CEO-level strategy and hiring, investing analysis, and business development, then react to Block laying off 4,000 employees in the name of AI and what that signals about how organizations will need to adapt. Finally, they tackle the cultural backlash to AI and discuss past cycles that mirror the present. Wed, 04 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0000 full 88 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down how they actually use AI every day across creative work, CEO-level strategy and hiring, investing analysis, and business development, then react to Block laying off 4,000 employees in the name of AI and what that signals about how organizations will need to adapt. Finally, they tackle the cultural backlash to AI and discuss past cycles that mirror the present. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down how they actually use AI every day across creative work, CEO-level strategy and hiring, investing analysis, and business development, then react to Block laying off 4,000 employees in the name of AI and what that signals about how organizations will need to adapt. Finally, they tackle the cultural backlash to AI and discuss past cycles that mirror the present.

]]> 2373 How to Organize an Advertising Event with Marketecture CSO Sam Khoury Last week was about how to attend events. This week is about how to throw one. Marketecture CSO Sam Khoury joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to break down why media companies and adtech firms host their own events, how to develop the right concept, set attendance and programming goals, land top speakers, and think through costs, sponsorship economics, and logistics. They also cover how to market an event, balance content with biz dev, and make events the ultimate expression of the community built around your brand. Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0000 full 87 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Last week was about how to attend events. This week is about how to throw one. Marketecture CSO Sam Khoury joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to break down why media companies and adtech firms host their own events, how to develop the right concept, set attendance and programming goals, land top speakers, and think through costs, sponsorship economics, and logistics. They also cover how to market an event, balance content with biz dev, and make events the ultimate expression of the community built around your brand. Last week was about how to attend events. This week is about how to throw one. Marketecture CSO Sam Khoury joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to break down why media companies and adtech firms host their own events, how to develop the right concept, set attendance and programming goals, land top speakers, and think through costs, sponsorship economics, and logistics. They also cover how to market an event, balance content with biz dev, and make events the ultimate expression of the community built around your brand.

]]> 2056 The Advertising Event Guide: Which Ones Actually Matter? Dozens of advertising events occur every year, but not every event is for you. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down the purpose of the six core advertising events, who should attend based on stage and ICP, and how to think about events strategically. They also cover common mistakes founders make and how to build an event calendar that drives outcomes, not optics. Wed, 18 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0000 full 86 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Dozens of advertising events occur every year, but not every event is for you. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down the purpose of the six core advertising events, who should attend based on stage and ICP, and how to think about events strategically. They also cover common mistakes founders make and how to build an event calendar that drives outcomes, not optics. Dozens of advertising events occur every year, but not every event is for you. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down the purpose of the six core advertising events, who should attend based on stage and ICP, and how to think about events strategically. They also cover common mistakes founders make and how to build an event calendar that drives outcomes, not optics.

]]> 1916 Who's Afraid of Adtech? Entrepreneurs are often wary of the adtech label for fear that it will undermine valuations, especially by generalist investors. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa weigh in on whether that concern is legitimate, why founders and investors should be optimistic about adtech in the AI era, and how to handle messaging and positioning if you straddle adtech and other industries or if you're looking to shift your sector.  Wed, 11 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0000 full 85 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Entrepreneurs are often wary of the adtech label for fear that it will undermine valuations, especially by generalist investors. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa weigh in on whether that concern is legitimate, why founders and investors should be optimistic about adtech in the AI era, and how to handle messaging and positioning if you straddle adtech and other industries or if you're looking to shift your sector.  Entrepreneurs are often wary of the adtech label for fear that it will undermine valuations, especially by generalist investors. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa weigh in on whether that concern is legitimate, why founders and investors should be optimistic about adtech in the AI era, and how to handle messaging and positioning if you straddle adtech and other industries or if you're looking to shift your sector. 


]]> 1411 Gigi CEO Adam Epstein on Building a Verticalized AI Agent for Advertising Adam Epstein, CEO of Gigi, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss what it really means to build and sell a verticalized AI agent for advertising. Adam breaks down why Gigi focused on Amazon DSP, how selling agents differs from selling SaaS, why agents should be framed as jobs, how to price and pilot AI, and what it takes to prove value and onboard customers for agentic software. Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0000 full 84 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Adam Epstein, CEO of Gigi, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss what it really means to build and sell a verticalized AI agent for advertising. Adam breaks down why Gigi focused on Amazon DSP, how selling agents differs from selling SaaS, why agents should be framed as jobs, how to price and pilot AI, and what it takes to prove value and onboard customers for agentic software. Adam Epstein, CEO of Gigi, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss what it really means to build and sell a verticalized AI agent for advertising. Adam breaks down why Gigi focused on Amazon DSP, how selling agents differs from selling SaaS, why agents should be framed as jobs, how to price and pilot AI, and what it takes to prove value and onboard customers for agentic software.

]]> 2384 tvScientific-Pinterest Takeaways Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss takeaways from tvScientific-Pinterest with a focus on B2B marketing and investing: why tvScientific's narrative struck the right notes, how they implemented the CEO evangelism playbook, and what their success signals for investors. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0000 full 83 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss takeaways from tvScientific-Pinterest with a focus on B2B marketing and investing: why tvScientific's narrative struck the right notes, how they implemented the CEO evangelism playbook, and what their success signals for investors. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss takeaways from tvScientific-Pinterest with a focus on B2B marketing and investing: why tvScientific's narrative struck the right notes, how they implemented the CEO evangelism playbook, and what their success signals for investors.

]]> 1375 4 Steps to Crush 2026 as an Adtech CEO Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss four ideas for how adtech CEOs can crush it in 2026: overcommunicate direction until you’re sick of yourself; tell a story about the industry, not just your company; design the company for AI; and center outcomes in your storytelling. Plus, Joe talks about getting punched in the face, physically and metaphorically. Wed, 07 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0000 full 82 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss four ideas for how adtech CEOs can crush it in 2026: overcommunicate direction until you’re sick of yourself; tell a story about the industry, not just your company; design the company for AI; and center outcomes in your storytelling. Plus, Joe talks about getting punched in the face, physically and metaphorically. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss four ideas for how adtech CEOs can crush it in 2026: overcommunicate direction until you’re sick of yourself; tell a story about the industry, not just your company; design the company for AI; and center outcomes in your storytelling. Plus, Joe talks about getting punched in the face, physically and metaphorically.

]]> 1573 Luck, Alex Karp, and How to Create a Category Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa commune 1:1 for a discussion of the role luck plays in entrepreneurship and how you can create your own luck, the unparalleled value of a charismatic, provocative chief evangelist (Alex Karp case study), and the three conditions required to create a category. Also, Eric offers a based take on us humans hurtling through space on a rock. Wed, 17 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 81 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa commune 1:1 for a discussion of the role luck plays in entrepreneurship and how you can create your own luck, the unparalleled value of a charismatic, provocative chief evangelist (Alex Karp case study), and the three conditions required to create a category. Also, Eric offers a based take on us humans hurtling through space on a rock. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa commune 1:1 for a discussion of the role luck plays in entrepreneurship and how you can create your own luck, the unparalleled value of a charismatic, provocative chief evangelist (Alex Karp case study), and the three conditions required to create a category. Also, Eric offers a based take on us humans hurtling through space on a rock.

]]> 1888 Solving CTV Economics with Transmit CPO Scott Young Transmit co-founder and CPO Scott Young joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to weigh in on the current state of streaming, why live sports are the crown jewel of CTV, how the YouTube TV-Disney controversy unfolded, and the role AI will play in the future of the channel. Plus, Scott makes Eric's day by de-aging him. Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 80 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Transmit co-founder and CPO Scott Young joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to weigh in on the current state of streaming, why live sports are the crown jewel of CTV, how the YouTube TV-Disney controversy unfolded, and the role AI will play in the future of the channel. Plus, Scott makes Eric's day by de-aging him. Transmit co-founder and CPO Scott Young joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to weigh in on the current state of streaming, why live sports are the crown jewel of CTV, how the YouTube TV-Disney controversy unfolded, and the role AI will play in the future of the channel. Plus, Scott makes Eric's day by de-aging him.

]]> 1777 OpenAds’ Steven Liss on Which AI Advertising Pitches Are Landing OpenAds CEO and co-founder Steven Liss joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to share which AI plays are likely to endure, how SMBs, brands, and agencies are reacting to the company's AI-native ad platform pitch, what brilliant questions VCs are asking adtech founders these days, and how OpenAds is using AI to run a more efficient startup. Plus, Steven tells the guys what the adtech equivalents of fracking and Tinder are. Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 79 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi OpenAds CEO and co-founder Steven Liss joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to share which AI plays are likely to endure, how SMBs, brands, and agencies are reacting to the company's AI-native ad platform pitch, what brilliant questions VCs are asking adtech founders these days, and how OpenAds is using AI to run a more efficient startup. Plus, Steven tells the guys what the adtech equivalents of fracking and Tinder are. OpenAds CEO and co-founder Steven Liss joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to share which AI plays are likely to endure, how SMBs, brands, and agencies are reacting to the company's AI-native ad platform pitch, what brilliant questions VCs are asking adtech founders these days, and how OpenAds is using AI to run a more efficient startup. Plus, Steven tells the guys what the adtech equivalents of fracking and Tinder are.

]]> 2183 Eric on Fundraising Dos and Don’ts Eric Franchi blesses Joe Zappa with his insights on the key dos and don’ts of fundraising, including how to get a warm intro, what makes a great pitch deck, which questions to ask VCs, and why manufacturing FOMO or including an exit slide can backfire. Plus, Eric says not to be mad at him if he's rejected you. Wed, 26 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 78 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi blesses Joe Zappa with his insights on the key dos and don’ts of fundraising, including how to get a warm intro, what makes a great pitch deck, which questions to ask VCs, and why manufacturing FOMO or including an exit slide can backfire. Plus, Eric says not to be mad at him if he's rejected you. Eric Franchi blesses Joe Zappa with his insights on the key dos and don’ts of fundraising, including how to get a warm intro, what makes a great pitch deck, which questions to ask VCs, and why manufacturing FOMO or including an exit slide can backfire. Plus, Eric says not to be mad at him if he's rejected you.

]]> 2070 Agency Exec Jay Friedman on the AI Plays CMOs Care About Agency exec Jay Friedman stops by the pod after extensive research on AI in advertising to update Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on what really matters. Jay covers the different parts of the AI city, the questions CMOs should be asking agencies and adtech companies, and how overtechnical programmatic nerds tend to get about their products. Plus, Eric stunts on not one but two bald, bespectacled counterparts. Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 77 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Agency exec Jay Friedman stops by the pod after extensive research on AI in advertising to update Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on what really matters. Jay covers the different parts of the AI city, the questions CMOs should be asking agencies and adtech companies, and how overtechnical programmatic nerds tend to get about their products. Plus, Eric stunts on not one but two bald, bespectacled counterparts. Agency exec Jay Friedman stops by the pod after extensive research on AI in advertising to update Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on what really matters. Jay covers the different parts of the AI city, the questions CMOs should be asking agencies and adtech companies, and how overtechnical programmatic nerds tend to get about their products. Plus, Eric stunts on not one but two bald, bespectacled counterparts.

]]> 2163 Why You Need a Customer Advisory Board Eric walks Joe and the listeners through Customer Advisory Boards, or CABs: What they are, why you need one, and how to build them. The guys discuss common mistakes and how to maximize the value of CABs from a marketing perspective. Wed, 12 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 76 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric walks Joe and the listeners through Customer Advisory Boards, or CABs: What they are, why you need one, and how to build them. The guys discuss common mistakes and how to maximize the value of CABs from a marketing perspective. Eric walks Joe and the listeners through Customer Advisory Boards, or CABs: What they are, why you need one, and how to build them. The guys discuss common mistakes and how to maximize the value of CABs from a marketing perspective.


]]> 1193 Shopsense President Bryan Quinn on Content-to-Commerce and Partnering with TTD Bryan joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the content-to-commerce phenomenon Shopsense is pioneering, the startup's partnership with The Trade Desk, and leadership lessons from Amazon. Shopsense is an Aperiam portco and Sharp Pen client. Wed, 05 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 75 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Bryan joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the content-to-commerce phenomenon Shopsense is pioneering, the startup's partnership with The Trade Desk, and leadership lessons from Amazon. Shopsense is an Aperiam portco and Sharp Pen client. Bryan joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the content-to-commerce phenomenon Shopsense is pioneering, the startup's partnership with The Trade Desk, and leadership lessons from Amazon. Shopsense is an Aperiam portco and Sharp Pen client.

]]> 1952 Lessons from BOK and Other Marketing Tips In part 2 of "Common Marketing Misconceptions of Adtech CEOs," Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi discuss a viral post by Scope3's Brian O'Kelley and what other adtech founders and CEOs can learn from his approach to CEO evangelism. Then they bat back and forth other common mistakes, such as worrying about overexposure and over-indexing on events as a marketing tactic. Plus, Joe provides concrete tactical advice for CEOs who don't know what to post about. Wed, 29 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 74 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi In part 2 of "Common Marketing Misconceptions of Adtech CEOs," Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi discuss a viral post by Scope3's Brian O'Kelley and what other adtech founders and CEOs can learn from his approach to CEO evangelism. Then they bat back and forth other common mistakes, such as worrying about overexposure and over-indexing on events as a marketing tactic. Plus, Joe provides concrete tactical advice for CEOs who don't know what to post about. In part 2 of "Common Marketing Misconceptions of Adtech CEOs," Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi discuss a viral post by Scope3's Brian O'Kelley and what other adtech founders and CEOs can learn from his approach to CEO evangelism. Then they bat back and forth other common mistakes, such as worrying about overexposure and over-indexing on events as a marketing tactic. Plus, Joe provides concrete tactical advice for CEOs who don't know what to post about.

]]> 2038 Scope3 COO Anne Coghlan on the AdCP Launch and Agentic Advertising Anne joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why the Ad Context Protocol matters, what it will take for agentic advertising to achieve widespread adoption, how agents will drive better outcomes for open internet advertising, and the evolution of Scope3. Plus, Joe gives Anne a chance to dunk on the company's haters.  Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:27:00 -0000 full 73 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Anne joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why the Ad Context Protocol matters, what it will take for agentic advertising to achieve widespread adoption, how agents will drive better outcomes for open internet advertising, and the evolution of Scope3. Plus, Joe gives Anne a chance to dunk on the company's haters.  Anne joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why the Ad Context Protocol matters, what it will take for agentic advertising to achieve widespread adoption, how agents will drive better outcomes for open internet advertising, and the evolution of Scope3. Plus, Joe gives Anne a chance to dunk on the company's haters. 


]]> 2353 IAS Predictions, SMB Ambitions, and AI Bets Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss the acquisition of IAS and the company's potential future directions, how an open internet adtech company could crack the SMB market and which companies are most likely to do it, and the surge of optimism around AI — from GEO to OpenAI to Silicon Valley's return to adtech investing. Wed, 15 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 72 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss the acquisition of IAS and the company's potential future directions, how an open internet adtech company could crack the SMB market and which companies are most likely to do it, and the surge of optimism around AI — from GEO to OpenAI to Silicon Valley's return to adtech investing. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss the acquisition of IAS and the company's potential future directions, how an open internet adtech company could crack the SMB market and which companies are most likely to do it, and the surge of optimism around AI — from GEO to OpenAI to Silicon Valley's return to adtech investing.

]]> 1998 Shiv Gupta on How to Build a Modern Adtech Salesforce U of Digital CEO and co-founder Shiv Gupta joins the pod to educate Joe and Eric on AI's transformation of adtech, the three legs of the modern sales stool, and how sales and marketing are blurring. Plus, Joe finds out about "jeans parties," an ancient practice handed down to Gen Xers from the Mesopotamians. Wed, 08 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 71 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi U of Digital CEO and co-founder Shiv Gupta joins the pod to educate Joe and Eric on AI's transformation of adtech, the three legs of the modern sales stool, and how sales and marketing are blurring. Plus, Joe finds out about "jeans parties," an ancient practice handed down to Gen Xers from the Mesopotamians. U of Digital CEO and co-founder Shiv Gupta joins the pod to educate Joe and Eric on AI's transformation of adtech, the three legs of the modern sales stool, and how sales and marketing are blurring. Plus, Joe finds out about "jeans parties," an ancient practice handed down to Gen Xers from the Mesopotamians.

]]> 2736 Eric and Joe on Hiring Failures, Q4 Prep, and Pullups On the Friday before Labor Day, Joe and Eric got loose (or Joe got loose and Eric tolerated his shenanigans). Joe debriefs a recent hire that went wrong, Eric discusses Q4 adtech prep, and the guys debate who can do more pull-ups. Wed, 01 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 70 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi On the Friday before Labor Day, Joe and Eric got loose (or Joe got loose and Eric tolerated his shenanigans). Joe debriefs a recent hire that went wrong, Eric discusses Q4 adtech prep, and the guys debate who can do more pull-ups. On the Friday before Labor Day, Joe and Eric got loose (or Joe got loose and Eric tolerated his shenanigans). Joe debriefs a recent hire that went wrong, Eric discusses Q4 adtech prep, and the guys debate who can do more pull-ups.

]]> 2315 10 Adtech CEO Misconceptions About Marketing Joe goes solo to rattle off 10 common misconceptions adtech CEOs have about marketing. No way to grow a business like calling out your customer. Topics include how to find great marketers, how often to communicate, and how to measure the impact of adtech marketing. Wed, 24 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 69 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe goes solo to rattle off 10 common misconceptions adtech CEOs have about marketing. No way to grow a business like calling out your customer. Topics include how to find great marketers, how often to communicate, and how to measure the impact of adtech marketing. Joe goes solo to rattle off 10 common misconceptions adtech CEOs have about marketing. No way to grow a business like calling out your customer. Topics include how to find great marketers, how often to communicate, and how to measure the impact of adtech marketing.

]]> 1602 Magnite and Streamr on the Performance TV Acquisition Magnite CPO Adam Soroca and Streamr CEO and co-founder Jonathan Moffie join the pod to discuss the leading SSP buying the CTV creative automation platform. Adam and Jonathan break down the thinking behind the deal, how it came together, and what other startup founders can learn from Streamr's example. Joe posits that performance TV is the big thesis in adtech and asks the guys what Magnite needs to do to deliver on its promise. Wed, 17 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 68 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Magnite CPO Adam Soroca and Streamr CEO and co-founder Jonathan Moffie join the pod to discuss the leading SSP buying the CTV creative automation platform. Adam and Jonathan break down the thinking behind the deal, how it came together, and what other startup founders can learn from Streamr's example. Joe posits that performance TV is the big thesis in adtech and asks the guys what Magnite needs to do to deliver on its promise. Magnite CPO Adam Soroca and Streamr CEO and co-founder Jonathan Moffie join the pod to discuss the leading SSP buying the CTV creative automation platform. Adam and Jonathan break down the thinking behind the deal, how it came together, and what other startup founders can learn from Streamr's example. Joe posits that performance TV is the big thesis in adtech and asks the guys what Magnite needs to do to deliver on its promise.

]]> 1604 Journalist Mike Shields on PR Being Even More Dead Traditional PR is dead! But don't take our word for it. Ask an actual journalist, former Wall Street Journal and AdWeek reporter Mike Shields. Mike tells Joe and Eric why Joe's shtick about throwing out the 2005 marketing playbook resonates with him, how to actually succeed at traditional PR or media relations, and what adtech companies can do instead to get the word out. Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 67 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Traditional PR is dead! But don't take our word for it. Ask an actual journalist, former Wall Street Journal and AdWeek reporter Mike Shields. Mike tells Joe and Eric why Joe's shtick about throwing out the 2005 marketing playbook resonates with him, how to actually succeed at traditional PR or media relations, and what adtech companies can do instead to get the word out. Traditional PR is dead! But don't take our word for it. Ask an actual journalist, former Wall Street Journal and AdWeek reporter Mike Shields. Mike tells Joe and Eric why Joe's shtick about throwing out the 2005 marketing playbook resonates with him, how to actually succeed at traditional PR or media relations, and what adtech companies can do instead to get the word out.

]]> 2024 Auren Hoffman on LiveRamp Lessons, Great Talent, and Contrarian Takes Serial entrepreneur and investor Auren Hoffman joins Eric and Joe to discuss why he shouldn’t have sold LiveRamp and how he’d push the company forward today, what he’s excited about in adtech, how to spot great talent, and things most people he respects believe that he disagrees with. Tune in to find out whether EQ is overrated and why Auren might start another adtech company. Wed, 03 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 66 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Serial entrepreneur and investor Auren Hoffman joins Eric and Joe to discuss why he shouldn’t have sold LiveRamp and how he’d push the company forward today, what he’s excited about in adtech, how to spot great talent, and things most people he respects believe that he disagrees with. Tune in to find out whether EQ is overrated and why Auren might start another adtech company. Serial entrepreneur and investor Auren Hoffman joins Eric and Joe to discuss why he shouldn’t have sold LiveRamp and how he’d push the company forward today, what he’s excited about in adtech, how to spot great talent, and things most people he respects believe that he disagrees with. Tune in to find out whether EQ is overrated and why Auren might start another adtech company.

]]> 2614 James Borow on Universal Ads’ Approach to CTV Universal Ads' James Borow joins Eric and Joe to discuss the key components of the performance TV category, Universal Ads' unique approach, how big an impact performance TV will have on the open web as a whole, and what he's learned from selling multiple companies. Hijinks about corporations ensue. Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 65 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Universal Ads' James Borow joins Eric and Joe to discuss the key components of the performance TV category, Universal Ads' unique approach, how big an impact performance TV will have on the open web as a whole, and what he's learned from selling multiple companies. Hijinks about corporations ensue. Universal Ads' James Borow joins Eric and Joe to discuss the key components of the performance TV category, Universal Ads' unique approach, how big an impact performance TV will have on the open web as a whole, and what he's learned from selling multiple companies. Hijinks about corporations ensue.

]]> 2150 tvScientific CEO Jason Fairchild on Fundraising Strategy tvScientific CEO and co-founder Jason Fairchild joins the pod a second time to discuss fundraising strategies. Tips for Open Marketers include taking more at-bats, choosing the right timing and making the success of the company feel inevitable, making strategics' success a part of your success, and surrounding yourself with the right people, especially for your first company. Joe also lectures Jason and Eric on proper sunscreening habits. Wed, 20 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 64 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi tvScientific CEO and co-founder Jason Fairchild joins the pod a second time to discuss fundraising strategies. Tips for Open Marketers include taking more at-bats, choosing the right timing and making the success of the company feel inevitable, making strategics' success a part of your success, and surrounding yourself with the right people, especially for your first company. Joe also lectures Jason and Eric on proper sunscreening habits. tvScientific CEO and co-founder Jason Fairchild joins the pod a second time to discuss fundraising strategies. Tips for Open Marketers include taking more at-bats, choosing the right timing and making the success of the company feel inevitable, making strategics' success a part of your success, and surrounding yourself with the right people, especially for your first company. Joe also lectures Jason and Eric on proper sunscreening habits.

]]> 1802 Building and Managing Teams with PayPal Ads' Dan Robbins PayPal's Dan Robbins joins Joe and the Italian Beef on the pod to discuss how management and collaboration changes as an organization grows from one person to over 100 (which Dan oversaw at Roku), heuristics and personality frameworks for understanding people's tendencies and motivations, and why marketing should be an input, not just an output. Plus, Joe tests the guys' patience with his fervor for astrology for business bros aka the enneagram. Wed, 13 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 63 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi PayPal's Dan Robbins joins Joe and the Italian Beef on the pod to discuss how management and collaboration changes as an organization grows from one person to over 100 (which Dan oversaw at Roku), heuristics and personality frameworks for understanding people's tendencies and motivations, and why marketing should be an input, not just an output. Plus, Joe tests the guys' patience with his fervor for astrology for business bros aka the enneagram. PayPal's Dan Robbins joins Joe and the Italian Beef on the pod to discuss how management and collaboration changes as an organization grows from one person to over 100 (which Dan oversaw at Roku), heuristics and personality frameworks for understanding people's tendencies and motivations, and why marketing should be an input, not just an output. Plus, Joe tests the guys' patience with his fervor for astrology for business bros aka the enneagram.


]]> 2190 Onetag Co-CEO Filippo Gramigna on Collaborative Leadership and International Adtech Onetag Co-CEO Filippo Gramigna joins Eric and Joe on the pod to discuss running Onetag as co-CEO with founder Daniel Pirchio, Italian vs Nordic vs American debate styles, and how and when to expand a European adtech company to the US. Filippo gives Joe and Eric some tips on how to navigate intergenerational disagreements, and the trio dives into the nuances of curation. Wed, 06 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 62 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Onetag Co-CEO Filippo Gramigna joins Eric and Joe on the pod to discuss running Onetag as co-CEO with founder Daniel Pirchio, Italian vs Nordic vs American debate styles, and how and when to expand a European adtech company to the US. Filippo gives Joe and Eric some tips on how to navigate intergenerational disagreements, and the trio dives into the nuances of curation. Onetag Co-CEO Filippo Gramigna joins Eric and Joe on the pod to discuss running Onetag as co-CEO with founder Daniel Pirchio, Italian vs Nordic vs American debate styles, and how and when to expand a European adtech company to the US. Filippo gives Joe and Eric some tips on how to navigate intergenerational disagreements, and the trio dives into the nuances of curation.

]]> 1908 Blis President Alex Boras on AI Media Planning Blis President Alex Boras joins the pod to do a live demo of Blis AI, the location-based DSP's new AI media planning and audience building tool. Alex walks Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa through the tool, showing how audience building has changed with AI from a manual, step-by-step process into a synthetic, highly customized, streamlined exchange between planner and machine. Wed, 30 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 61 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Blis President Alex Boras joins the pod to do a live demo of Blis AI, the location-based DSP's new AI media planning and audience building tool. Alex walks Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa through the tool, showing how audience building has changed with AI from a manual, step-by-step process into a synthetic, highly customized, streamlined exchange between planner and machine. Blis President Alex Boras joins the pod to do a live demo of Blis AI, the location-based DSP's new AI media planning and audience building tool. Alex walks Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa through the tool, showing how audience building has changed with AI from a manual, step-by-step process into a synthetic, highly customized, streamlined exchange between planner and machine.

]]> 1171 The Cluely Marketing Playbook Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the tenets of the Cluely marketing playbook, focusing specifically on lessons for adtech and martech founders and marketers. In short: Tell a provocative story about heroes and villains, leverage the CEO as chief evangelist, and capitalize on social channels. Also, Joe shares a big idea for scaled adtech companies: buy creator-led media, especially Marketecture, à la Hubspot and The Hustle. Wed, 23 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 60 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the tenets of the Cluely marketing playbook, focusing specifically on lessons for adtech and martech founders and marketers. In short: Tell a provocative story about heroes and villains, leverage the CEO as chief evangelist, and capitalize on social channels. Also, Joe shares a big idea for scaled adtech companies: buy creator-led media, especially Marketecture, à la Hubspot and The Hustle. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the tenets of the Cluely marketing playbook, focusing specifically on lessons for adtech and martech founders and marketers. In short: Tell a provocative story about heroes and villains, leverage the CEO as chief evangelist, and capitalize on social channels. Also, Joe shares a big idea for scaled adtech companies: buy creator-led media, especially Marketecture, à la Hubspot and The Hustle.

]]> 1530 Everything About Boards with Aperiam Partner Corey Ferengul Serial CEO and board member Corey Ferengul joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to teach the audience everything they need to know about boards, especially from the founder's perspective. When do you assemble a board? Who should be on it? How do you structure it? What types of questions are great for boards? How do you prepare for updates? And how does the marketing leader communicate with the board? Corey provides the deepest dive out there on boards for adtech founders and marketers. Wed, 16 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 59 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Serial CEO and board member Corey Ferengul joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to teach the audience everything they need to know about boards, especially from the founder's perspective. When do you assemble a board? Who should be on it? How do you structure it? What types of questions are great for boards? How do you prepare for updates? And how does the marketing leader communicate with the board? Corey provides the deepest dive out there on boards for adtech founders and marketers. Serial CEO and board member Corey Ferengul joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to teach the audience everything they need to know about boards, especially from the founder's perspective. When do you assemble a board? Who should be on it? How do you structure it? What types of questions are great for boards? How do you prepare for updates? And how does the marketing leader communicate with the board? Corey provides the deepest dive out there on boards for adtech founders and marketers.

]]> 2887 Mobian CEO Jonah Goodhart on Another Bite at the Adtech Apple Jonah joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the key factors that allowed his company Moat to exit for $850M to Oracle and how he's approaching GTM differently this time around with his marketing measurement company Mobian. Joe, Eric, and Jonah riff on the Mobian story in real-time, and Joe scintillates the audience with a detour into French philosophy (courtesy of Jonah's dad). Wed, 09 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 58 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Jonah joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the key factors that allowed his company Moat to exit for $850M to Oracle and how he's approaching GTM differently this time around with his marketing measurement company Mobian. Joe, Eric, and Jonah riff on the Mobian story in real-time, and Joe scintillates the audience with a detour into French philosophy (courtesy of Jonah's dad). Jonah joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the key factors that allowed his company Moat to exit for $850M to Oracle and how he's approaching GTM differently this time around with his marketing measurement company Mobian. Joe, Eric, and Jonah riff on the Mobian story in real-time, and Joe scintillates the audience with a detour into French philosophy (courtesy of Jonah's dad).

]]> 2885 Big Happy CEO Jonathan Frohlinger on Building a Creative Business Big Happy CEO Jonathan Frohlinger joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how he got a mobile creative tech business off the ground, learnings in GTM and hiring from his agency days, and what an adtech moat looks like in the AI era. Plus, Jon shares some news: Big Happy's expansion from mobile to DOOH. Wed, 02 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 57 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Big Happy CEO Jonathan Frohlinger joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how he got a mobile creative tech business off the ground, learnings in GTM and hiring from his agency days, and what an adtech moat looks like in the AI era. Plus, Jon shares some news: Big Happy's expansion from mobile to DOOH. Big Happy CEO Jonathan Frohlinger joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how he got a mobile creative tech business off the ground, learnings in GTM and hiring from his agency days, and what an adtech moat looks like in the AI era. Plus, Jon shares some news: Big Happy's expansion from mobile to DOOH.

]]> 2404 Duration Media CEO Andy Batkin on a Hybrid Approach to Adtech GTM Duration Media CEO Andy Batkin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why and how his company evolved from a focus on viewability to curation and combining old-school sales and marketing tactics with more modern approaches. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 56 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Duration Media CEO Andy Batkin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why and how his company evolved from a focus on viewability to curation and combining old-school sales and marketing tactics with more modern approaches. Duration Media CEO Andy Batkin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why and how his company evolved from a focus on viewability to curation and combining old-school sales and marketing tactics with more modern approaches.

]]> 1401 How AI Disruption Will Affect Advertising Jobs and Romanticizing the Open Web First, Eric shares a prediction from Anthropic's CEO on AI-fueled labor disruption and examines how that will affect jobs in advertising, media, and adtech. Then, Joe shares his critique of romanticizing the open web and clarifies three things adtech companies should be thinking about when considering the future of the open web: what consumers want, what advertisers want, and websites vs CTV, audio, and DOOH. Wed, 18 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 55 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi First, Eric shares a prediction from Anthropic's CEO on AI-fueled labor disruption and examines how that will affect jobs in advertising, media, and adtech. Then, Joe shares his critique of romanticizing the open web and clarifies three things adtech companies should be thinking about when considering the future of the open web: what consumers want, what advertisers want, and websites vs CTV, audio, and DOOH. First, Eric shares a prediction from Anthropic's CEO on AI-fueled labor disruption and examines how that will affect jobs in advertising, media, and adtech. Then, Joe shares his critique of romanticizing the open web and clarifies three things adtech companies should be thinking about when considering the future of the open web: what consumers want, what advertisers want, and websites vs CTV, audio, and DOOH.


]]> 1305 Are Ads or Micropayments the Future of the Open Internet? Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss whether micropayments will overtake ads as the default monetization model for the open internet as well as OpenAI's big hardware bet and its implications for advertising. Plus, Joe provides three marketing tips on staying the course, when to respond to criticism, and how the advertising echo chamber works. Finally, Joe reveals what animal Sharp Pen would be. Wed, 11 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 54 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss whether micropayments will overtake ads as the default monetization model for the open internet as well as OpenAI's big hardware bet and its implications for advertising. Plus, Joe provides three marketing tips on staying the course, when to respond to criticism, and how the advertising echo chamber works. Finally, Joe reveals what animal Sharp Pen would be. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss whether micropayments will overtake ads as the default monetization model for the open internet as well as OpenAI's big hardware bet and its implications for advertising. Plus, Joe provides three marketing tips on staying the course, when to respond to criticism, and how the advertising echo chamber works. Finally, Joe reveals what animal Sharp Pen would be.

]]> 1482 LUMA Recap and the 4 Big Advertising Trends Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down what happened at DMS by LUMA, highlighting four trends: the Outcomes Era, AI transformation, the war for the open internet, and the explosion of creators. They dive deep into how open internet adtech companies can position themselves against the walled gardens by leaning into transparency and whether creators represent the latest phase of the open internet. GTM tips abound. Wed, 04 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 53 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down what happened at DMS by LUMA, highlighting four trends: the Outcomes Era, AI transformation, the war for the open internet, and the explosion of creators. They dive deep into how open internet adtech companies can position themselves against the walled gardens by leaning into transparency and whether creators represent the latest phase of the open internet. GTM tips abound. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down what happened at DMS by LUMA, highlighting four trends: the Outcomes Era, AI transformation, the war for the open internet, and the explosion of creators. They dive deep into how open internet adtech companies can position themselves against the walled gardens by leaning into transparency and whether creators represent the latest phase of the open internet. GTM tips abound.

]]> 1688 SWYM Messaging Workshop with CEO Ravi Patel Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi workshop to SWYM story in real-time, unearthing with Ravi Patel how to describe SWYM's differentiated approach to its eponymous mission: helping advertisers to stop wasting their money. They discuss the many curation / quality plays out there and how SWYM differs as well as the evolution from ad buying 1.0 to 2.0 to (now) 3.0. Plus, Joe tries to find out what Ravi and Eric need to stop wasting their money on (to little avail). Wed, 28 May 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 52 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi workshop to SWYM story in real-time, unearthing with Ravi Patel how to describe SWYM's differentiated approach to its eponymous mission: helping advertisers to stop wasting their money. They discuss the many curation / quality plays out there and how SWYM differs as well as the evolution from ad buying 1.0 to 2.0 to (now) 3.0. Plus, Joe tries to find out what Ravi and Eric need to stop wasting their money on (to little avail). Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi workshop to SWYM story in real-time, unearthing with Ravi Patel how to describe SWYM's differentiated approach to its eponymous mission: helping advertisers to stop wasting their money. They discuss the many curation / quality plays out there and how SWYM differs as well as the evolution from ad buying 1.0 to 2.0 to (now) 3.0. Plus, Joe tries to find out what Ravi and Eric need to stop wasting their money on (to little avail).

]]> 2287 Retail Media Messaging Workshop with Kevel CEO James Avery Kevel CEO James Avery joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to discuss how Kevel has evolved over the years, the current retail media landscape, and what the space will look like in five years. Also, Eric and Joe do a deep dive on Kevel's story, and the three workshop the company's messaging in real-time. Wed, 21 May 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 51 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Kevel CEO James Avery joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to discuss how Kevel has evolved over the years, the current retail media landscape, and what the space will look like in five years. Also, Eric and Joe do a deep dive on Kevel's story, and the three workshop the company's messaging in real-time. Kevel CEO James Avery joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to discuss how Kevel has evolved over the years, the current retail media landscape, and what the space will look like in five years. Also, Eric and Joe do a deep dive on Kevel's story, and the three workshop the company's messaging in real-time.

]]> 1775 How to Turn Your Value Prop into a Story Joe rants at Eric about how to turn a company's value proposition into a compelling story that brings more customers and those who influence them into a company's circle. Also, Joe and Eric cover how to optimize for a team of smart folks who make complicated things simple, the value of playing long-term games with long-term people, and the emerging alternative to college. Wed, 14 May 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 50 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe rants at Eric about how to turn a company's value proposition into a compelling story that brings more customers and those who influence them into a company's circle. Also, Joe and Eric cover how to optimize for a team of smart folks who make complicated things simple, the value of playing long-term games with long-term people, and the emerging alternative to college. Joe rants at Eric about how to turn a company's value proposition into a compelling story that brings more customers and those who influence them into a company's circle. Also, Joe and Eric cover how to optimize for a team of smart folks who make complicated things simple, the value of playing long-term games with long-term people, and the emerging alternative to college.

]]> 1615 Is It POSSIBLE for Jeff Green to Crush it on LinkedIn? Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss POSSIBLE joining the ranks of adtech’s tentpole events, how many brands were there, the two ways to approach events (spontaneous connections or maniacal planning), brand-startup connections, and Joe Zawadzki’s recognizable floppy hair. Plus, Joe analyzes The Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green’s LinkedIn presence and explains how he’d approach it differently. Wed, 07 May 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 49 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss POSSIBLE joining the ranks of adtech’s tentpole events, how many brands were there, the two ways to approach events (spontaneous connections or maniacal planning), brand-startup connections, and Joe Zawadzki’s recognizable floppy hair. Plus, Joe analyzes The Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green’s LinkedIn presence and explains how he’d approach it differently. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss POSSIBLE joining the ranks of adtech’s tentpole events, how many brands were there, the two ways to approach events (spontaneous connections or maniacal planning), brand-startup connections, and Joe Zawadzki’s recognizable floppy hair. Plus, Joe analyzes The Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green’s LinkedIn presence and explains how he’d approach it differently.


]]> 2332 The Next $1B Commerce Media Business with PayPal Ads GM Dr. Mark Grether Dr. Mark Grether joins the pod to talk about the four components of a massive commerce media business, how to maximize the opportunity for advertisers, why he joined PayPal to build their commerce media network after building Uber's ad business to $1B in revenue, and how AI is changing commerce media for advertisers, media owners, and consumers. Wed, 30 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 48 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Dr. Mark Grether joins the pod to talk about the four components of a massive commerce media business, how to maximize the opportunity for advertisers, why he joined PayPal to build their commerce media network after building Uber's ad business to $1B in revenue, and how AI is changing commerce media for advertisers, media owners, and consumers. Dr. Mark Grether joins the pod to talk about the four components of a massive commerce media business, how to maximize the opportunity for advertisers, why he joined PayPal to build their commerce media network after building Uber's ad business to $1B in revenue, and how AI is changing commerce media for advertisers, media owners, and consumers.

]]> 1960 From Brand Safety to Suitability with Michael Bishop and Rich Raddon OpenAds CTO (and former Moat engineer) Michael Bishop and Zefr CEO Rich Raddon join Eric and Joe to discuss the evidence-based case (or lack thereof) for brand safety, why we should shift our mindset from safety to suitability and contextual targeting, the link between suitability and performance, and how AI is changing the space. Plus, Michael drops the term "poststructuralist" on the pod, a philosophical allusion for the ages. Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 47 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi OpenAds CTO (and former Moat engineer) Michael Bishop and Zefr CEO Rich Raddon join Eric and Joe to discuss the evidence-based case (or lack thereof) for brand safety, why we should shift our mindset from safety to suitability and contextual targeting, the link between suitability and performance, and how AI is changing the space. Plus, Michael drops the term "poststructuralist" on the pod, a philosophical allusion for the ages. OpenAds CTO (and former Moat engineer) Michael Bishop and Zefr CEO Rich Raddon join Eric and Joe to discuss the evidence-based case (or lack thereof) for brand safety, why we should shift our mindset from safety to suitability and contextual targeting, the link between suitability and performance, and how AI is changing the space. Plus, Michael drops the term "poststructuralist" on the pod, a philosophical allusion for the ages.

]]> 1819 AI, Work Productivity Gaps, and Customer Experience with Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson Friend of the pod and Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson joins Eric and Joe to discuss how AI is transforming venture scaling and bootstrapped business building, the hot sectors of adtech, and how LLMs will change the customer experience. Plus, Soren is now a car guy, and Joe presses Eric on the dark secrets of VC secret society. Wed, 16 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 46 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Friend of the pod and Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson joins Eric and Joe to discuss how AI is transforming venture scaling and bootstrapped business building, the hot sectors of adtech, and how LLMs will change the customer experience. Plus, Soren is now a car guy, and Joe presses Eric on the dark secrets of VC secret society. Friend of the pod and Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson joins Eric and Joe to discuss how AI is transforming venture scaling and bootstrapped business building, the hot sectors of adtech, and how LLMs will change the customer experience. Plus, Soren is now a car guy, and Joe presses Eric on the dark secrets of VC secret society.

]]> 2924 The OpenAI Ad Opportunity, Second-Time Founders, and Reading Your Coworkers OpenAI says it won’t build an ad business. Joe and Eric say it will — and it’ll be massive. Plus, how AI is boosting margins, why adtech disproportionately rewards second-time founders, and what Eric’s Enneagram type reveals. Wed, 09 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 45 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi OpenAI says it won’t build an ad business. Joe and Eric say it will — and it’ll be massive. Plus, how AI is boosting margins, why adtech disproportionately rewards second-time founders, and what Eric’s Enneagram type reveals. OpenAI says it won’t build an ad business. Joe and Eric say it will — and it’ll be massive. Plus, how AI is boosting margins, why adtech disproportionately rewards second-time founders, and what Eric’s Enneagram type reveals.

]]> 2911 AI for the Open Web and Product-Market Fit Is Like ... Porn? Eric dons his professorial glasses and trots out his most sumptuous-sounding microphone to hold office hours as he and Joe discuss the performance TV thesis' equivalent for the open web, how Joe can work with early-stage startup founders, and how you know you have product-market fit (hint: it's like porn). Wed, 02 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 44 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric dons his professorial glasses and trots out his most sumptuous-sounding microphone to hold office hours as he and Joe discuss the performance TV thesis' equivalent for the open web, how Joe can work with early-stage startup founders, and how you know you have product-market fit (hint: it's like porn). Eric dons his professorial glasses and trots out his most sumptuous-sounding microphone to hold office hours as he and Joe discuss the performance TV thesis' equivalent for the open web, how Joe can work with early-stage startup founders, and how you know you have product-market fit (hint: it's like porn).

]]> 2516 A Deep Dive into Adtech M&A with Azerion’s Matt Newcomb Matt Newcomb, head of Azerion in the US, UK, and APAC, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to dive deep into mergers and acquisitions. They discuss how the CEO can maximize a company's chances of a favorable exit, integration best practices, what will drive adtech M&A over the next couple of years, and war stories. Joe promises to visit Eric in his nursing home and shares what it's like to record a pod with not one but two handsome devils. Wed, 26 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 43 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Matt Newcomb, head of Azerion in the US, UK, and APAC, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to dive deep into mergers and acquisitions. They discuss how the CEO can maximize a company's chances of a favorable exit, integration best practices, what will drive adtech M&A over the next couple of years, and war stories. Joe promises to visit Eric in his nursing home and shares what it's like to record a pod with not one but two handsome devils. Matt Newcomb, head of Azerion in the US, UK, and APAC, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to dive deep into mergers and acquisitions. They discuss how the CEO can maximize a company's chances of a favorable exit, integration best practices, what will drive adtech M&A over the next couple of years, and war stories. Joe promises to visit Eric in his nursing home and shares what it's like to record a pod with not one but two handsome devils.

]]> 2517 Practical Takeaways from the Scope3 AI and Aperiam 2.0 Launches Eric and Joe discuss the three things you need to do to maximize the impact of a product launch or press announcement by analyzing the success of two launches last week: Scope3's AI products and Aperiam 2.0. Plus, Eric can't sit with Joe at lunch, and Eric is hoarding modernist wooden elephants. Wed, 19 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 42 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric and Joe discuss the three things you need to do to maximize the impact of a product launch or press announcement by analyzing the success of two launches last week: Scope3's AI products and Aperiam 2.0. Plus, Eric can't sit with Joe at lunch, and Eric is hoarding modernist wooden elephants. Eric and Joe discuss the three things you need to do to maximize the impact of a product launch or press announcement by analyzing the success of two launches last week: Scope3's AI products and Aperiam 2.0. Plus, Eric can't sit with Joe at lunch, and Eric is hoarding modernist wooden elephants.

]]> 1713 Reply Guy to "CTV for SMBs" Founder with Streamr CEO Jonathan Moffie Streamr CEO Jonathan Moffie joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss AppLovin's success, the performance TV opportunity, making streaming accessible to SMB advertisers, and returning to his natural role as a reply guy, be it on Brooklyn Nets or adtech Twitter. Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0000 full 41 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Streamr CEO Jonathan Moffie joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss AppLovin's success, the performance TV opportunity, making streaming accessible to SMB advertisers, and returning to his natural role as a reply guy, be it on Brooklyn Nets or adtech Twitter. Streamr CEO Jonathan Moffie joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss AppLovin's success, the performance TV opportunity, making streaming accessible to SMB advertisers, and returning to his natural role as a reply guy, be it on Brooklyn Nets or adtech Twitter.

]]> 2218 Creating Shareholder Value with Marpipe CEO Dan Pantelo Marpipe founder and CEO Dan Pantelo joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to talk about bringing his company back from a near-collapse during the Silicon Valley Bank crash, rejecting an acquisition offer, discovering product-market fit, and dynamic product ads' contribution to the future of performance advertising. Wed, 05 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 40 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Marpipe founder and CEO Dan Pantelo joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to talk about bringing his company back from a near-collapse during the Silicon Valley Bank crash, rejecting an acquisition offer, discovering product-market fit, and dynamic product ads' contribution to the future of performance advertising. Marpipe founder and CEO Dan Pantelo joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to talk about bringing his company back from a near-collapse during the Silicon Valley Bank crash, rejecting an acquisition offer, discovering product-market fit, and dynamic product ads' contribution to the future of performance advertising.

]]> 2495 Measuring B2B Marketing with Octane11 CEO Dan Rosenberg Octane11 CEO Dan Rosenberg joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss B2B marketing measurement, lessons from MediaMath, and differentiating from other data/measurement companies. Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 39 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Octane11 CEO Dan Rosenberg joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss B2B marketing measurement, lessons from MediaMath, and differentiating from other data/measurement companies. Octane11 CEO Dan Rosenberg joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss B2B marketing measurement, lessons from MediaMath, and differentiating from other data/measurement companies.

]]> 2340 Attention, Adtech Hype, and Getting Denied a Raise with Eric and Joe Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa talk about the the formula for generating more attention, where we are in the adtech hype cycle, the time Joe got denied a $650/month raise, and weeks where decades happen. Wed, 19 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 38 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa talk about the the formula for generating more attention, where we are in the adtech hype cycle, the time Joe got denied a $650/month raise, and weeks where decades happen. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa talk about the the formula for generating more attention, where we are in the adtech hype cycle, the time Joe got denied a $650/month raise, and weeks where decades happen.

]]> 2296 Debate! Outcomes Era vs Quality Era with Erez Levin Adtech influencer and product guy Erez Levin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to debate Joe's thesis, the Outcomes Era, and present an alternative, the Quality Era. They debate whether Outcomes or Quality is the dominant paradigm of digital advertising, what constitutes a quality or real outcome, and whether media should be primarily valued based on its quality or its propensity to drive sales, among other points. Eric leverages his experience refereeing fights in his dojo gym to moderate. Wed, 12 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 37 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Adtech influencer and product guy Erez Levin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to debate Joe's thesis, the Outcomes Era, and present an alternative, the Quality Era. They debate whether Outcomes or Quality is the dominant paradigm of digital advertising, what constitutes a quality or real outcome, and whether media should be primarily valued based on its quality or its propensity to drive sales, among other points. Eric leverages his experience refereeing fights in his dojo gym to moderate. Adtech influencer and product guy Erez Levin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to debate Joe's thesis, the Outcomes Era, and present an alternative, the Quality Era. They debate whether Outcomes or Quality is the dominant paradigm of digital advertising, what constitutes a quality or real outcome, and whether media should be primarily valued based on its quality or its propensity to drive sales, among other points. Eric leverages his experience refereeing fights in his dojo gym to moderate.

]]> 2601 The AI-Inflected Future of Ads with OpenAds Co-Founder Michael Bishop OpenAds co-founder and CTO Michael Bishop joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how AI will transform static ads into personalized experiences, the multi-hundred-billion-dollar AI "search" ad opportunity, the challenges and advantages of building an adtech AI startup, and the irrational, gut-oriented disposition tech entrepreneurs need to go after huge but hard opportunities. Wed, 05 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 36 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi OpenAds co-founder and CTO Michael Bishop joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how AI will transform static ads into personalized experiences, the multi-hundred-billion-dollar AI "search" ad opportunity, the challenges and advantages of building an adtech AI startup, and the irrational, gut-oriented disposition tech entrepreneurs need to go after huge but hard opportunities. OpenAds co-founder and CTO Michael Bishop joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how AI will transform static ads into personalized experiences, the multi-hundred-billion-dollar AI "search" ad opportunity, the challenges and advantages of building an adtech AI startup, and the irrational, gut-oriented disposition tech entrepreneurs need to go after huge but hard opportunities.

]]> 2893 The Future of AI and Customer Experiences with Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how AI will improve customer experiences, why first-party data isn’t enough to power personalization, the intersection of AI agents and advertising, and the role of the agency in an AI-driven advertising industry. Wed, 29 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 35 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how AI will improve customer experiences, why first-party data isn’t enough to power personalization, the intersection of AI agents and advertising, and the role of the agency in an AI-driven advertising industry. Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how AI will improve customer experiences, why first-party data isn’t enough to power personalization, the intersection of AI agents and advertising, and the role of the agency in an AI-driven advertising industry.

]]> 2859 How Adtech GTM Is Changing with Peer39 CEO Mario Diez Peer39 CEO Mario Diez joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why publishers banding together failed 11 years ago and still hasn't worked, the advantages of a GTM CEO and the gaps they need to fill, how adtech GTM has changed over the last 15 years, and the future of advertising data companies in an AI-driven world. Wed, 22 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 34 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Peer39 CEO Mario Diez joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why publishers banding together failed 11 years ago and still hasn't worked, the advantages of a GTM CEO and the gaps they need to fill, how adtech GTM has changed over the last 15 years, and the future of advertising data companies in an AI-driven world. Peer39 CEO Mario Diez joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why publishers banding together failed 11 years ago and still hasn't worked, the advantages of a GTM CEO and the gaps they need to fill, how adtech GTM has changed over the last 15 years, and the future of advertising data companies in an AI-driven world.

]]> 2641 Live from CES: What's Next for Viant AI with Viant CEO Tim Vanderhook Viant CEO and co-founder Tim Vanderhook joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa live at CES to discuss what's next for ViantAI, how AI will disrupt advertising, the ramifications of Google's dominance, and CES vibes. Wed, 15 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 33 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Viant CEO and co-founder Tim Vanderhook joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa live at CES to discuss what's next for ViantAI, how AI will disrupt advertising, the ramifications of Google's dominance, and CES vibes. Viant CEO and co-founder Tim Vanderhook joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa live at CES to discuss what's next for ViantAI, how AI will disrupt advertising, the ramifications of Google's dominance, and CES vibes.

]]> 1381 Building a Community with AdTech God The mysterious deity of adtech, Adtech God, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to discuss how to build an audience and community, why most adtech companies are still approaching marketing with a 2005 playbook, and what individuals and organizations can do to capture the precious attention of their audiences. Wed, 08 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0000 full 32 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi The mysterious deity of adtech, Adtech God, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to discuss how to build an audience and community, why most adtech companies are still approaching marketing with a 2005 playbook, and what individuals and organizations can do to capture the precious attention of their audiences. The mysterious deity of adtech, Adtech God, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to discuss how to build an audience and community, why most adtech companies are still approaching marketing with a 2005 playbook, and what individuals and organizations can do to capture the precious attention of their audiences.

]]> 2347 Lessons from 2024 and Predictions for 2025 https://open-market.captivate.fm It's just Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa, your humble hosts, on this episode as they break down the ever-increasing power of content to influence your reputation and relationships, the companies that dominated adtech in 2024, and the adtech and advertising sectors to watch in 2025. Plus, Eric hates dogs (if you know, you know). Wed, 01 Jan 2025 05:15:00 -0000 Lessons from 2024 and Predictions for 2025 full 31 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi It's just Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa, your humble hosts, on this episode as they break down the ever-increasing power of content to influence your reputation and relationships, the companies that dominated adtech in 2024, and the adtech and advertising sectors to watch in 2025. Plus, Eric hates dogs (if you know, you know). It's just Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa, your humble hosts, on this episode as they break down the ever-increasing power of content to influence your reputation and relationships, the companies that dominated adtech in 2024, and the adtech and advertising sectors to watch in 2025. Plus, Eric hates dogs (if you know, you know).

]]> 2845 no Inventing Performance TV with Jason Fairchild https://open-market.captivate.fm tvScientific CEO and co-founder Jason Fairchild joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to talk about the lessons he brought from OpenX to tvScientific, inventing the performance TV category, and which big players, including The Trade Desk and AppLovin, might get into performance TV (or not). Wed, 18 Dec 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Inventing Performance TV with Jason Fairchild full 30 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi tvScientific CEO and co-founder Jason Fairchild joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to talk about the lessons he brought from OpenX to tvScientific, inventing the performance TV category, and which big players, including The Trade Desk and AppLovin, might get into performance TV (or not). tvScientific CEO and co-founder Jason Fairchild joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to talk about the lessons he brought from OpenX to tvScientific, inventing the performance TV category, and which big players, including The Trade Desk and AppLovin, might get into performance TV (or not).

]]> 2584 no Rising from the Ashes of MediaMath with AdLib CEO Mike Hauptman https://open-market.captivate.fm AdLib CEO and co-founder Mike Hauptman joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to tell the story of meta DSP AdLib's reinvention after the collapse of MediaMath in 2023. We go deep into the story of the day MediaMath was shut off and explore how AdLib reoriented itself and came back stronger in the wake of that event. Plus, Joe makes fun of Eric for being old — replete with nautical metaphors! Wed, 11 Dec 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Rising from the Ashes of MediaMath with AdLib CEO Mike Hauptman full 29 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi AdLib CEO and co-founder Mike Hauptman joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to tell the story of meta DSP AdLib's reinvention after the collapse of MediaMath in 2023. We go deep into the story of the day MediaMath was shut off and explore how AdLib reoriented itself and came back stronger in the wake of that event. Plus, Joe makes fun of Eric for being old — replete with nautical metaphors! AdLib CEO and co-founder Mike Hauptman joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to tell the story of meta DSP AdLib's reinvention after the collapse of MediaMath in 2023. We go deep into the story of the day MediaMath was shut off and explore how AdLib reoriented itself and came back stronger in the wake of that event. Plus, Joe makes fun of Eric for being old — replete with nautical metaphors!

]]> 2116 no Charting New Territory for DMPs with Permutive CEO Joe Root https://open-market.captivate.fm Permutive CEO and co-founder Joe Root joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the evolution of the DMP category and how to evolve the identity of a company as market forces shift around it. Eric and Joe put Joe Root in the hot seat, too, as they workshop Permutive's message in real-time. Wed, 04 Dec 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Charting New Territory for DMPs with Permutive CEO Joe Root full 28 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Permutive CEO and co-founder Joe Root joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the evolution of the DMP category and how to evolve the identity of a company as market forces shift around it. Eric and Joe put Joe Root in the hot seat, too, as they workshop Permutive's message in real-time. Permutive CEO and co-founder Joe Root joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the evolution of the DMP category and how to evolve the identity of a company as market forces shift around it. Eric and Joe put Joe Root in the hot seat, too, as they workshop Permutive's message in real-time.

]]> 2364 no Getting in the Arena with Matt Barash https://open-market.captivate.fm Matt Barash is perhaps the best example of an adtech influencer. The master networker and content creator joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss what most people get wrong about building influence, his theory of attention, why executives shouldn't be afraid of controversy, and the opportunities Matt is excited about today in the advertising industry. Mon, 25 Nov 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Getting in the Arena with Matt Barash full 27 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Matt Barash is perhaps the best example of an adtech influencer. The master networker and content creator joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss what most people get wrong about building influence, his theory of attention, why executives shouldn't be afraid of controversy, and the opportunities Matt is excited about today in the advertising industry. Matt Barash is perhaps the best example of an adtech influencer. The master networker and content creator joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss what most people get wrong about building influence, his theory of attention, why executives shouldn't be afraid of controversy, and the opportunities Matt is excited about today in the advertising industry.

]]> 2587 no Moving Marketing to the Boardroom with Goodway Group CEO Jay Friedman https://open-market.captivate.fm Jay Friedman, CEO of Goodway Group, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to talk about elevating marketing within organizations, developing a distinct marketing philosophy, driving incremental returns on advertising, and carving out space for yourself and your business with bold, provocative takes. Wed, 20 Nov 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Moving Marketing to the Boardroom with Goodway Group CEO Jay Friedman full 26 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Jay Friedman, CEO of Goodway Group, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to talk about elevating marketing within organizations, developing a distinct marketing philosophy, driving incremental returns on advertising, and carving out space for yourself and your business with bold, provocative takes. Jay Friedman, CEO of Goodway Group, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to talk about elevating marketing within organizations, developing a distinct marketing philosophy, driving incremental returns on advertising, and carving out space for yourself and your business with bold, provocative takes.

]]> 2345 no Preaching in the Desert with ID5's Mathieu Roche https://open-market.captivate.fm Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview Mathieu Roche, CEO & co-founder of ID5, about evangelizing identity solutions before it was cool, driving urgency, competing with big players, bringing a European business to market in the US, and managing a remote-first workplace. Wed, 13 Nov 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Preaching in the Desert with ID5's Mathieu Roche full 25 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview Mathieu Roche, CEO & co-founder of ID5, about evangelizing identity solutions before it was cool, driving urgency, competing with big players, bringing a European business to market in the US, and managing a remote-first workplace. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview Mathieu Roche, CEO & co-founder of ID5, about evangelizing identity solutions before it was cool, driving urgency, competing with big players, bringing a European business to market in the US, and managing a remote-first workplace.

]]> 2284 no Expanding CTV Access to SMBs with Vibe’s Arthur Querou https://open-market.captivate.fm Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa speak with Vibe founder and CEO Arthur Querou about an unconventional adtech product launch, aligning product with marketing and sales, and the differences between enterprise and SMB sales. Mon, 04 Nov 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Expanding CTV Access to SMBs with Vibe’s Arthur Querou full 24 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa speak with Vibe founder and CEO Arthur Querou about an unconventional adtech product launch, aligning product with marketing and sales, and the differences between enterprise and SMB sales. Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa speak with Vibe founder and CEO Arthur Querou about an unconventional adtech product launch, aligning product with marketing and sales, and the differences between enterprise and SMB sales.

]]> 2206 no Deep Dive on Acquisitions with LUMA’s Terry Kawaja https://open-market.captivate.fm Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview Terry Kawaja, founder and CEO of LUMA. They cover the existential importance of marketing to acquisitions, the role of the CEO in building the brand of a startup, and the optimal conditions for exiting. Wed, 30 Oct 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Deep Dive on Acquisitions with LUMA’s Terry Kawaja full 23 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview Terry Kawaja, founder and CEO of LUMA. They cover the existential importance of marketing to acquisitions, the role of the CEO in building the brand of a startup, and the optimal conditions for exiting. Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview Terry Kawaja, founder and CEO of LUMA. They cover the existential importance of marketing to acquisitions, the role of the CEO in building the brand of a startup, and the optimal conditions for exiting.

]]> 2978 no “The Most Anticlimactic Moment” and Other Lessons from Undertone https://open-market.captivate.fm Joe Zappa interviews co-host Eric Franchi about the biggest lessons he learned building and selling Undertone. Eric talks about his best-ever hires, the biggest challenge Undertone faced in his tenure, and how he approached life and business post-exit. Wed, 23 Oct 2024 05:15:00 -0000 “The Most Anticlimactic Moment” and Other Lessons from Undertone full 22 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe Zappa interviews co-host Eric Franchi about the biggest lessons he learned building and selling Undertone. Eric talks about his best-ever hires, the biggest challenge Undertone faced in his tenure, and how he approached life and business post-exit. Joe Zappa interviews co-host Eric Franchi about the biggest lessons he learned building and selling Undertone. Eric talks about his best-ever hires, the biggest challenge Undertone faced in his tenure, and how he approached life and business post-exit.

]]> 2858 no Why Sincera Is So Bad at Marketing with Sincera Founder Mike O'Sullivan https://open-market.captivate.fm Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview Sincera founder Mike O’Sullivan about the category Sincera is creating, marketing early-stage startups, and the risks of playing it safe. Wed, 16 Oct 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Why Sincera Is So Bad at Marketing with Sincera Founder Mike O'Sullivan full 21 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview Sincera founder Mike O’Sullivan about the category Sincera is creating, marketing early-stage startups, and the risks of playing it safe. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview Sincera founder Mike O’Sullivan about the category Sincera is creating, marketing early-stage startups, and the risks of playing it safe.

]]> 3208 no Taste as a Differentiator, Hiring a Head of Growth, and Zuck https://open-market.captivate.fm This week on the pod, co-hosts Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi dig into the new frontier of taste in Silicon Valley, whether you should hire a head of growth and what they should focus on, the MrBeast memo, viral adtech social posts, and Mark Zuckerberg’s live interview on stage with the Acquired pod. Links: Taste is Eating Silicon Valley. by Anu Atluru Andrew Yeung’s LinkedIn post on “Head of Growth” MrBeast memo Wed, 09 Oct 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Taste as a Differentiator, Hiring a Head of Growth, and Zuck full 20 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi This week on the pod, co-hosts Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi dig into the new frontier of taste in Silicon Valley, whether you should hire a head of growth and what they should focus on, the MrBeast memo, viral adtech social posts, and Mark Zuckerberg’s live interview on stage with the Acquired pod. Links: Taste is Eating Silicon Valley. by Anu Atluru Andrew Yeung’s LinkedIn post on “Head of Growth” MrBeast memo This week on the pod, co-hosts Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi dig into the new frontier of taste in Silicon Valley, whether you should hire a head of growth and what they should focus on, the MrBeast memo, viral adtech social posts, and Mark Zuckerberg’s live interview on stage with the Acquired pod.

Links:

Taste is Eating Silicon Valley. by Anu Atluru

Andrew Yeung’s LinkedIn post on “Head of Growth”

MrBeast memo

]]> 2354 no Building Businesses on Thought Leadership with Eric Seufert https://open-market.captivate.fm Co-hosts Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi chat with Eric Seufert about how he's used thought leadership, especially via his blog Mobile Dev Memo, to launch successful tech, media, and investing businesses and become one of the best-known voices in mobile. Wed, 02 Oct 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Building Businesses on Thought Leadership with Eric Seufert full 19 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Co-hosts Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi chat with Eric Seufert about how he's used thought leadership, especially via his blog Mobile Dev Memo, to launch successful tech, media, and investing businesses and become one of the best-known voices in mobile. Co-hosts Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi chat with Eric Seufert about how he's used thought leadership, especially via his blog Mobile Dev Memo, to launch successful tech, media, and investing businesses and become one of the best-known voices in mobile.

]]> 2632 no The Vanderhooks on the Best Adtech Product Launch… Ever? https://open-market.captivate.fm Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa chat with Tim and Chris Vanderhook, co-founders of Viant. They discuss the Vanderhooks’ creative approach to the extremely successful launch of ViantAI, their take on “founder mode,” and how their approach to adtech entrepreneurship has evolved over 25 years. (Note: Viant is a client of Joe’s agency, Sharp Pen. This episode was not sponsored.) Wed, 25 Sep 2024 05:15:00 -0000 The Vanderhooks on the Best Adtech Product Launch… Ever? full 18 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa chat with Tim and Chris Vanderhook, co-founders of Viant. They discuss the Vanderhooks’ creative approach to the extremely successful launch of ViantAI, their take on “founder mode,” and how their approach to adtech entrepreneurship has evolved over 25 years. (Note: Viant is a client of Joe’s agency, Sharp Pen. This episode was not sponsored.) Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa chat with Tim and Chris Vanderhook, co-founders of Viant. They discuss the Vanderhooks’ creative approach to the extremely successful launch of ViantAI, their take on “founder mode,” and how their approach to adtech entrepreneurship has evolved over 25 years. (Note: Viant is a client of Joe’s agency, Sharp Pen. This episode was not sponsored.)

]]> 2580 no The Common Traits of Eric’s 3 Most Successful Investments https://open-market.captivate.fm Joe Zappa interviews co-host Eric Franchi, a general partner at the venture capital fund Aperiam, to identify the three traits his three most successful investments have in common. They discuss Kevel, Transmit.live, and tvScientific. Wed, 18 Sep 2024 05:15:00 -0000 The Common Traits of Eric’s 3 Most Successful Investments full 17 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe Zappa interviews co-host Eric Franchi, a general partner at the venture capital fund Aperiam, to identify the three traits his three most successful investments have in common. They discuss Kevel, Transmit.live, and tvScientific. Joe Zappa interviews co-host Eric Franchi, a general partner at the venture capital fund Aperiam, to identify the three traits his three most successful investments have in common. They discuss Kevel, Transmit.live, and tvScientific.

]]> 2197 no Founder Mode with mParticle's Michael Katz https://open-market.captivate.fm Michael Katz, CEO and co-founder of the customer data platform mParticle, joins Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi on the pod to discuss his take on founder mode. Michael argues that founders can most effectively build organizations by focusing on two factors, context and culture, but most leaders optimize for the wrong factors when they make key hires. Wed, 11 Sep 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Founder Mode with mParticle's Michael Katz full 16 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Michael Katz, CEO and co-founder of the customer data platform mParticle, joins Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi on the pod to discuss his take on founder mode. Michael argues that founders can most effectively build organizations by focusing on two factors, context and culture, but most leaders optimize for the wrong factors when they make key hires. Michael Katz, CEO and co-founder of the customer data platform mParticle, joins Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi on the pod to discuss his take on founder mode. Michael argues that founders can most effectively build organizations by focusing on two factors, context and culture, but most leaders optimize for the wrong factors when they make key hires.

]]> 2486 no Building a Dynamic Culture and Tackling Big Problems with Brian O’Kelley https://open-market.captivate.fm Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview adtech entrepreneur Brian O’Kelley. The former Right Media and AppNexus executive turned co-founder and CEO of marketing sustainability company Scope3 discusses how his approach to leadership has changed and how to inspire boldness and drive as organizations scale. Brian also touches on whether he’d do the AppNexus acquisition the same way today and responds to common criticisms of Scope3. Wed, 04 Sep 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Building a Dynamic Culture and Tackling Big Problems with Brian O’Kelley full 15 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview adtech entrepreneur Brian O’Kelley. The former Right Media and AppNexus executive turned co-founder and CEO of marketing sustainability company Scope3 discusses how his approach to leadership has changed and how to inspire boldness and drive as organizations scale. Brian also touches on whether he’d do the AppNexus acquisition the same way today and responds to common criticisms of Scope3. Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa interview adtech entrepreneur Brian O’Kelley. The former Right Media and AppNexus executive turned co-founder and CEO of marketing sustainability company Scope3 discusses how his approach to leadership has changed and how to inspire boldness and drive as organizations scale. Brian also touches on whether he’d do the AppNexus acquisition the same way today and responds to common criticisms of Scope3.

]]> 2949 no The Non-Founder Path to CEO with Lauren Wetzel https://open-market.captivate.fm This week on the pod, Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi interview the sharpest-tongued CEO in adtech, Lauren Wetzel. Newly minted as the CEO of InfoSum, Lauren talks about her journey to the position, including:  How her consulting background launched her into the adtech C-suite The Venn diagram between a COO and a CEO Why a company should hire a chief of staff (or not) Why CEOs shouldn’t be afraid of speaking out about industry issues Wed, 28 Aug 2024 05:15:00 -0000 The Non-Founder Path to CEO with Lauren Wetzel full 14 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi This week on the pod, Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi interview the sharpest-tongued CEO in adtech, Lauren Wetzel. Newly minted as the CEO of InfoSum, Lauren talks about her journey to the position, including:  How her consulting background launched her into the adtech C-suite The Venn diagram between a COO and a CEO Why a company should hire a chief of staff (or not) Why CEOs shouldn’t be afraid of speaking out about industry issues This week on the pod, Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi interview the sharpest-tongued CEO in adtech, Lauren Wetzel. Newly minted as the CEO of InfoSum, Lauren talks about her journey to the position, including: 

  • How her consulting background launched her into the adtech C-suite
  • The Venn diagram between a COO and a CEO
  • Why a company should hire a chief of staff (or not)
  • Why CEOs shouldn’t be afraid of speaking out about industry issues

]]> 2588 no PR Is Dead. Long Live PR! https://open-market.captivate.fm Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi mourn the death of PR as we know it. Listen to the episode to learn how PR and other forms of marketing are becoming more entwined — and how CEOs should assume the mantle of PR on social. Wed, 21 Aug 2024 05:15:00 -0000 PR Is Dead. Long Live PR! full 13 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi mourn the death of PR as we know it. Listen to the episode to learn how PR and other forms of marketing are becoming more entwined — and how CEOs should assume the mantle of PR on social. Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi mourn the death of PR as we know it. Listen to the episode to learn how PR and other forms of marketing are becoming more entwined — and how CEOs should assume the mantle of PR on social.

]]> 2129 no How Do You Become an Investor? https://open-market.captivate.fm Joe Zappa interviews his co-host, Eric Franchi, a general partner at the venture capital fund Aperiam, about how to become an investor. They cover:  The difference between being an operator and a VC How VCs decide which startups to fund  What founders should expect from investors How to get into investing Whether non-professional investors should do angel investing Wed, 14 Aug 2024 05:15:00 -0000 How Do You Become an Investor? full 12 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe Zappa interviews his co-host, Eric Franchi, a general partner at the venture capital fund Aperiam, about how to become an investor. They cover:  The difference between being an operator and a VC How VCs decide which startups to fund  What founders should expect from investors How to get into investing Whether non-professional investors should do angel investing Joe Zappa interviews his co-host, Eric Franchi, a general partner at the venture capital fund Aperiam, about how to become an investor. They cover: 

  • The difference between being an operator and a VC
  • How VCs decide which startups to fund 
  • What founders should expect from investors
  • How to get into investing
  • Whether non-professional investors should do angel investing

]]> 2463 no Marketing Grab Bag: Attribution, Cookies, and Toad! https://open-market.captivate.fm This week’s episode is a marketing grab bag! Eric and Joe discuss:  Why most companies misunderstand B2B marketing attribution How companies should respond to the latest on cookies from a GTM POV What founders can be doing early on to market themselves What companies should be getting out of a 20-person marketing team Wed, 07 Aug 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Marketing Grab Bag: Attribution, Cookies, and Toad! full 11 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi This week’s episode is a marketing grab bag! Eric and Joe discuss:  Why most companies misunderstand B2B marketing attribution How companies should respond to the latest on cookies from a GTM POV What founders can be doing early on to market themselves What companies should be getting out of a 20-person marketing team This week’s episode is a marketing grab bag! Eric and Joe discuss: 

  • Why most companies misunderstand B2B marketing attribution
  • How companies should respond to the latest on cookies from a GTM POV
  • What founders can be doing early on to market themselves
  • What companies should be getting out of a 20-person marketing team

]]> 2373 no Building Sales Orgs at Twitter and tvScientific with Chris Riedy https://open-market.captivate.fm This week on the pod, Eric and Joe are joined by Chris Riedy, former VP of Global Sales and Marketing at Twitter and current CRO at tvScientific, to discuss how to build sales organizations.  Chris has the answers to all your sales development questions, whether your business is an early-stage startup or tech behemoth. Wed, 31 Jul 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Building Sales Orgs at Twitter and tvScientific with Chris Riedy full 10 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi This week on the pod, Eric and Joe are joined by Chris Riedy, former VP of Global Sales and Marketing at Twitter and current CRO at tvScientific, to discuss how to build sales organizations.  Chris has the answers to all your sales development questions, whether your business is an early-stage startup or tech behemoth. This week on the pod, Eric and Joe are joined by Chris Riedy, former VP of Global Sales and Marketing at Twitter and current CRO at tvScientific, to discuss how to build sales organizations. 

Chris has the answers to all your sales development questions, whether your business is an early-stage startup or tech behemoth.

]]> 2563 no What Does Strategic Marketing Actually Look Like? https://open-market.captivate.fm Joe gets his Bill Simmons on in this quick solo episode on how to do strategic marketing. If you go on B2B marketing LinkedIn (God help you), you'll see tons of people talking about strategic marketing. But what actually are the components of a marketing strategy? How do you put one together? Joe explains how he writes a strategic marketing plan in this episode so that you can do the same — or know what to expect from your marketing colleagues. Wed, 24 Jul 2024 05:15:00 -0000 What Does Strategic Marketing Actually Look Like? full 9 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe gets his Bill Simmons on in this quick solo episode on how to do strategic marketing. If you go on B2B marketing LinkedIn (God help you), you'll see tons of people talking about strategic marketing. But what actually are the components of a marketing strategy? How do you put one together? Joe explains how he writes a strategic marketing plan in this episode so that you can do the same — or know what to expect from your marketing colleagues. Joe gets his Bill Simmons on in this quick solo episode on how to do strategic marketing.

If you go on B2B marketing LinkedIn (God help you), you'll see tons of people talking about strategic marketing. But what actually are the components of a marketing strategy? How do you put one together?

Joe explains how he writes a strategic marketing plan in this episode so that you can do the same — or know what to expect from your marketing colleagues.

]]> 1357 no How Eric and Mike Built Undertone to a $180M Exit https://open-market.captivate.fm Joe interviews Eric Franchi and Mike Cassidy to unearth the story of Undertone, the ad network company they sold to Perion for $180 million. How did Eric and Mike get Undertone to about $3M in revenue as an agency? Why did they switch to the ad network model? And how did they scale it from there to $100M in revenue, including key hires, GTM, and taking on private equity? Check out this deep dive to hear two founders' take on the steps required to produce a massively successful adtech outcome. Wed, 17 Jul 2024 05:15:00 -0000 How Eric and Mike Built Undertone to a $180M Exit full 8 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe interviews Eric Franchi and Mike Cassidy to unearth the story of Undertone, the ad network company they sold to Perion for $180 million. How did Eric and Mike get Undertone to about $3M in revenue as an agency? Why did they switch to the ad network model? And how did they scale it from there to $100M in revenue, including key hires, GTM, and taking on private equity? Check out this deep dive to hear two founders' take on the steps required to produce a massively successful adtech outcome. Joe interviews Eric Franchi and Mike Cassidy to unearth the story of Undertone, the ad network company they sold to Perion for $180 million.

How did Eric and Mike get Undertone to about $3M in revenue as an agency? Why did they switch to the ad network model? And how did they scale it from there to $100M in revenue, including key hires, GTM, and taking on private equity?

Check out this deep dive to hear two founders' take on the steps required to produce a massively successful adtech outcome.

]]> 4137 no Creating an Audio Behemoth with Vox's Ryan Pauley https://open-market.captivate.fm Joe and Eric interview Ryan Pauley, President of Revenue and Growth at Vox Media, to uncover how the digital media company moved into audio with great success.  They cover the best practices for expanding to audio, how to exploit what makes audio unique (think: talent, personality, and intimacy), and what differentiates audio as a marketing opportunity.  Check out the episode to learn insider tips from someone who did it right! Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:15:00 -0000 Creating an Audio Behemoth with Vox's Ryan Pauley full 7 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Joe and Eric interview Ryan Pauley, President of Revenue and Growth at Vox Media, to uncover how the digital media company moved into audio with great success.  They cover the best practices for expanding to audio, how to exploit what makes audio unique (think: talent, personality, and intimacy), and what differentiates audio as a marketing opportunity.  Check out the episode to learn insider tips from someone who did it right! Joe and Eric interview Ryan Pauley, President of Revenue and Growth at Vox Media, to uncover how the digital media company moved into audio with great success. 

They cover the best practices for expanding to audio, how to exploit what makes audio unique (think: talent, personality, and intimacy), and what differentiates audio as a marketing opportunity. 

Check out the episode to learn insider tips from someone who did it right!

]]> 2113 no 4 Ways to Win with AdTech Marketing https://open-market.captivate.fm Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss the four ways to win with adtech marketing (including great detail on how to pursue each strategy). 1. Differentiated story  2. Original data/insights 3. Thought leadership 4. Being prolific, present, and personable Check out the pod to learn about how to grow your business with each approach! Wed, 03 Jul 2024 05:15:00 -0000 4 Ways to Win with AdTech Marketing full 6 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss the four ways to win with adtech marketing (including great detail on how to pursue each strategy). 1. Differentiated story  2. Original data/insights 3. Thought leadership 4. Being prolific, present, and personable Check out the pod to learn about how to grow your business with each approach! Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss the four ways to win with adtech marketing (including great detail on how to pursue each strategy).

1. Differentiated story 

2. Original data/insights

3. Thought leadership

4. Being prolific, present, and personable

Check out the pod to learn about how to grow your business with each approach!

]]> 1892 no What Makes a Great AdTech CEO? https://open-market.captivate.fm Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dig into the evergreen question of what sets the great CEOs apart in the adtech world. Whether they’re a CEO/founder or a hired gun, a great CEO has to balance:  Product expertise A GTM strategy Company culture and values Talent acquisition We rattle off a few “shiny” CEOs that come to mind and analyze what made them so successful. If you’re curious who made the list, this episode is for you!  By the way, click here to read Auren Hoffman’s blog post on the LiveRamp acquisition. Wed, 26 Jun 2024 05:15:00 -0000 What Makes a Great AdTech CEO? full 5 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dig into the evergreen question of what sets the great CEOs apart in the adtech world. Whether they’re a CEO/founder or a hired gun, a great CEO has to balance:  Product expertise A GTM strategy Company culture and values Talent acquisition We rattle off a few “shiny” CEOs that come to mind and analyze what made them so successful. If you’re curious who made the list, this episode is for you!  By the way, click here to read Auren Hoffman’s blog post on the LiveRamp acquisition. Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dig into the evergreen question of what sets the great CEOs apart in the adtech world. Whether they’re a CEO/founder or a hired gun, a great CEO has to balance: 

  • Product expertise
  • A GTM strategy
  • Company culture and values
  • Talent acquisition

We rattle off a few “shiny” CEOs that come to mind and analyze what made them so successful. If you’re curious who made the list, this episode is for you! 

By the way, click here to read Auren Hoffman’s blog post on the LiveRamp acquisition.

]]> 2104 no What to Do If Your Market Isn’t Big Enough https://open-market.captivate.fm Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa cover what to do if your market is too small to achieve your business goals. For example: How to launch a new product or enter into a new market When and how to involve your customers in market expansion efforts What sales/marketing and product teams need to do to get aligned How to derisk your transition by enlisting customer champions If you’re eyeing a pivot to retail media and/or CTV right now, this is for you! Wed, 19 Jun 2024 05:15:00 -0000 What to Do If Your Market Isn’t Big Enough full 4 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa cover what to do if your market is too small to achieve your business goals. For example: How to launch a new product or enter into a new market When and how to involve your customers in market expansion efforts What sales/marketing and product teams need to do to get aligned How to derisk your transition by enlisting customer champions If you’re eyeing a pivot to retail media and/or CTV right now, this is for you! Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa cover what to do if your market is too small to achieve your business goals. For example:

  • How to launch a new product or enter into a new market
  • When and how to involve your customers in market expansion efforts
  • What sales/marketing and product teams need to do to get aligned
  • How to derisk your transition by enlisting customer champions

If you’re eyeing a pivot to retail media and/or CTV right now, this is for you!

]]> 2002 no How to Grow Adtech Companies from $1M to $10M https://open-market.captivate.fm Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the details of how adtech startups grow from $1M to $10M and what pitfalls to avoid along the way. They cover:  What your team should look like around the $1M / Series A mark How to transition from founder-led sales to a professionalized sales team When and how to hire marketers What to look for and how much to pay key early hires such as a VP of sales Usually you need to book time with people like Eric to get this info. Now it’s available here! Wed, 12 Jun 2024 05:15:00 -0000 How to Grow Adtech Companies from $1M to $10M full 3 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the details of how adtech startups grow from $1M to $10M and what pitfalls to avoid along the way. They cover:  What your team should look like around the $1M / Series A mark How to transition from founder-led sales to a professionalized sales team When and how to hire marketers What to look for and how much to pay key early hires such as a VP of sales Usually you need to book time with people like Eric to get this info. Now it’s available here! Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the details of how adtech startups grow from $1M to $10M and what pitfalls to avoid along the way. They cover: 

  • What your team should look like around the $1M / Series A mark
  • How to transition from founder-led sales to a professionalized sales team
  • When and how to hire marketers
  • What to look for and how much to pay key early hires such as a VP of sales

Usually you need to book time with people like Eric to get this info. Now it’s available here!

]]> 2340 no Why You Should Hire a Chief Audience Officer https://open-market.captivate.fm Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa explain why you should hire a chief audience officer. The discussion includes: The 3 things adtech customers really care about Why most adtech companies' theories of victory are wrong What to look for in a chief audience officer Who in adtech is a good example of a potential CAO Also, here is the My First Million episode we discuss on the pod: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4qNgPuS5aePbWSgjdsKn2o?si=PHfj0u_TTEKLAOV67p1QLQ Wed, 05 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0000 Why You Should Hire a Chief Audience Officer full 2 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa explain why you should hire a chief audience officer. The discussion includes: The 3 things adtech customers really care about Why most adtech companies' theories of victory are wrong What to look for in a chief audience officer Who in adtech is a good example of a potential CAO Also, here is the My First Million episode we discuss on the pod: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4qNgPuS5aePbWSgjdsKn2o?si=PHfj0u_TTEKLAOV67p1QLQ Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa explain why you should hire a chief audience officer. The discussion includes:

  • The 3 things adtech customers really care about
  • Why most adtech companies' theories of victory are wrong
  • What to look for in a chief audience officer
  • Who in adtech is a good example of a potential CAO

Also, here is the My First Million episode we discuss on the pod: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4qNgPuS5aePbWSgjdsKn2o?si=PHfj0u_TTEKLAOV67p1QLQ

]]> 2313 no How to Reverse-Engineer a $10M Adtech Exit https://open-market.captivate.fm Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into a thought experiment: how to reverse-engineer a $10M adtech exit. They touch on: What value you need to provide to get bought for $10M An actual example of an adtech company that sold for low eight figures The ideal team Adtech product ideas that could lead to a quick $10M exit right now As a VC, Eric initially hated this idea, but by the end, Joe wears him down. Check out the X thread that started the discussion: https://x.com/joe_zappa/status/1788246400020447375 Tue, 28 May 2024 16:06:00 -0000 How to Reverse-Engineer a $10M Adtech Exit full 1 Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into a thought experiment: how to reverse-engineer a $10M adtech exit. They touch on: What value you need to provide to get bought for $10M An actual example of an adtech company that sold for low eight figures The ideal team Adtech product ideas that could lead to a quick $10M exit right now As a VC, Eric initially hated this idea, but by the end, Joe wears him down. Check out the X thread that started the discussion: https://x.com/joe_zappa/status/1788246400020447375 Co-hosts Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into a thought experiment: how to reverse-engineer a $10M adtech exit. They touch on:

  • What value you need to provide to get bought for $10M
  • An actual example of an adtech company that sold for low eight figures
  • The ideal team
  • Adtech product ideas that could lead to a quick $10M exit right now

As a VC, Eric initially hated this idea, but by the end, Joe wears him down. Check out the X thread that started the discussion: https://x.com/joe_zappa/status/1788246400020447375

]]> 1855 no