Shows
Open MarketDuration Media CEO Andy Batkin on a Hybrid Approach to Adtech GTMDuration 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. 2025-06-2523 minOpen MarketHow AI Disruption Will Affect Advertising Jobs and Romanticizing the Open WebFirst, 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.
2025-06-1821 minOpen MarketAre 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.2025-06-1124 minOpen MarketLUMA Recap and the 4 Big Advertising TrendsEric 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.2025-06-0428 minOpen MarketSWYM Messaging Workshop with CEO Ravi PatelJoe 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). 2025-05-2838 minOpen MarketRetail Media Messaging Workshop with Kevel CEO James AveryKevel 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.2025-05-2129 minOpen MarketHow to Turn Your Value Prop into a StoryJoe 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. 2025-05-1426 minOpen MarketIs 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.
2025-05-0738 minOpen MarketThe Next $1B Commerce Media Business with PayPal Ads GM Dr. Mark GretherDr. 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.2025-04-3032 minOpen MarketFrom Brand Safety to Suitability with Michael Bishop and Rich RaddonOpenAds 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.2025-04-2330 minOpen MarketAI, Work Productivity Gaps, and Customer Experience with Crosshatch CEO Soren LarsonFriend 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.2025-04-1648 minOpen MarketThe OpenAI Ad Opportunity, Second-Time Founders, and Reading Your CoworkersOpenAI 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.2025-04-0948 minOpen MarketAI 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). 2025-04-0241 minOpen MarketA Deep Dive into Adtech M&A with Azerion’s Matt NewcombMatt 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.2025-03-2641 minOpen MarketPractical Takeaways from the Scope3 AI and Aperiam 2.0 LaunchesEric 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.2025-03-1928 minOpen MarketReply Guy to "CTV for SMBs" Founder with Streamr CEO Jonathan MoffieStreamr 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.2025-03-1236 minOpen MarketCreating Shareholder Value with Marpipe CEO Dan PanteloMarpipe 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.2025-03-0541 minOpen MarketMeasuring B2B Marketing with Octane11 CEO Dan RosenbergOctane11 CEO Dan Rosenberg joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss B2B marketing measurement, lessons from MediaMath, and differentiating from other data/measurement companies.2025-02-2639 minOpen MarketAttention, Adtech Hype, and Getting Denied a Raise with Eric and JoeEric 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.2025-02-1938 minOpen MarketDebate! Outcomes Era vs Quality Era with Erez LevinAdtech 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.2025-02-1243 minOpen MarketThe AI-Inflected Future of Ads with OpenAds Co-Founder Michael BishopOpenAds 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.2025-02-0548 minOpen MarketThe Future of AI and Customer Experiences with Crosshatch CEO Soren LarsonCrosshatch 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.2025-01-2947 minOpen MarketHow Adtech GTM Is Changing with Peer39 CEO Mario DiezPeer39 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.2025-01-2244 minOpen MarketLive from CES: What's Next for Viant AI with Viant CEO Tim VanderhookViant 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.2025-01-1523 minOpen MarketBuilding a Community with AdTech GodThe 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.2025-01-0839 min
Open MarketLessons from 2024 and Predictions for 2025It'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).2025-01-0147 min
Open MarketInventing Performance TV with Jason FairchildtvScientific 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).2024-12-1843 min
Open MarketRising from the Ashes of MediaMath with AdLib CEO Mike HauptmanAdLib 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!2024-12-1135 min
Open MarketCharting New Territory for DMPs with Permutive CEO Joe RootPermutive 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.2024-12-0439 min
Open MarketGetting in the Arena with Matt BarashMatt 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.2024-11-2543 min
Open MarketMoving Marketing to the Boardroom with Goodway Group CEO Jay FriedmanJay 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.2024-11-2039 min
Open MarketPreaching in the Desert with ID5's Mathieu RocheEric 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.2024-11-1338 min
Open MarketExpanding CTV Access to SMBs with Vibe’s Arthur QuerouCo-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.2024-11-0436 min
Open MarketDeep Dive on Acquisitions with LUMA’s Terry KawajaCo-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. 2024-10-3049 min
Open Market“The Most Anticlimactic Moment” and Other Lessons from UndertoneJoe 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. 2024-10-2347 min
Open MarketWhy Sincera Is So Bad at Marketing with Sincera Founder Mike O'SullivanEric 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. 2024-10-1653 min
Open MarketTaste as a Differentiator, Hiring a Head of Growth, and ZuckThis 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 AtluruAndrew Yeung’s LinkedIn post on “Head of Growth”MrBeast memo2024-10-0939 min
Open MarketBuilding Businesses on Thought Leadership with Eric SeufertCo-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.2024-10-0243 min
Open MarketThe Vanderhooks on the Best Adtech Product Launch… Ever?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.)2024-09-2543 min
Open MarketThe Common Traits of Eric’s 3 Most Successful InvestmentsJoe 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.2024-09-1836 min
Open MarketFounder Mode with mParticle's Michael KatzMichael 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.2024-09-1141 min
Open MarketBuilding a Dynamic Culture and Tackling Big Problems with Brian O’KelleyEric 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 Scope3.2024-09-0449 min
Open MarketThe Non-Founder Path to CEO with Lauren WetzelThis 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
2024-08-2843 min
Open MarketPR Is Dead. Long Live PR!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. 2024-08-2135 min
Open MarketHow Do You Become an Investor?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
2024-08-1441 min
Open MarketMarketing Grab Bag: Attribution, Cookies, and Toad!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
2024-08-0739 min
Open MarketBuilding Sales Orgs at Twitter and tvScientific with Chris RiedyThis 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.2024-07-3142 min
Open MarketWhat Does Strategic Marketing Actually Look Like?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.2024-07-2422 min
Open MarketHow Eric and Mike Built Undertone to a $180M ExitJoe 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.2024-07-171h 08
Open MarketCreating an Audio Behemoth with Vox's Ryan PauleyJoe 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! 2024-07-1035 min
Open Market4 Ways to Win with AdTech MarketingCo-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/insights3. Thought leadership4. Being prolific, present, and personableCheck out the pod to learn about how to grow your business with each approach!2024-07-0331 min
Open MarketWhat Makes a Great AdTech CEO?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 acq...2024-06-2635 min
Open MarketWhat to Do If Your Market Isn’t Big EnoughCo-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!2024-06-1933 min
Open MarketHow to Grow Adtech Companies from $1M to $10MCo-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!2024-06-1239 min
Open MarketWhy You Should Hire a Chief Audience OfficerCo-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_TTEKLAOV67p1QLQ2024-06-0538 min
Open MarketHow to Reverse-Engineer a $10M Adtech ExitCo-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/17882464000204473752024-05-2830 min