Taking Inventory

MAJOR UPDATE from James & Daniel + Conor McKenna, Partner at LUMA, on the state of M&A markets and what to watch for heading into 2025

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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During the intro James and Daniel share a big update about Market AI and the reason for the short break between episodes. 
After the intro, Conor McKenna, Partner at LUMA Partners, rejoins the podcast to share what he's seeing in the M&A markets across sectors within adtech and martech, and what's driving that activity. Conor discusses the impact of the upcoming presidential election, the economy, and the potential M&A implications of the Google antitrust trial.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter
 

Snap Mafia: David Shim, founder of Read AI, on building a better future of work with AI and the story of his $175M acquisition by Snap

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Read a transcript of the full episode from Read AI: https://app.read.ai/analytics/meetings/01J486QZFQ1JVSEY6BR92K77RP
David Shim is the founder and CEO of Read AI, the leader in gen AI meeting summaries. David and his co-founders started Read AI with a mission of building the future of work, where every interaction is improved with AI. Read AI has raised over $32M  and is applying AI and analytics to video conferencing that analyzes, prescribes, and prevents bad meetings.
 
Prior to founding Read AI, David was the CEO of Foursquare and before that was the founder and CEO of Placed, which was acquired by Snap for $175M in 2017. Hear David talk about his “aha” moment going all in on location measurement, the Placed acquisition story and what he wished he knew then, why meeting summaries will be most people’s first experience with AI, and what the future of AI has in store.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter
 

The rise of self-service and what it means for advertisers, publishers, and markets with Jeffrey Mayer, Managing Director, US at DanAds

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Jeffrey Mayer is the Managing Director, US, and Head of Product at DanAds, which is an industry leading provider of self-serve technology. They power fully automated, and white-labeled self-serve infrastructure that enables global media owners like Roku, Spotify, Paramount, Zillow, WSJ, and more to support advertisers interested in buying ad inventory through owned tools. During our conversation Jeffrey discusses the importance of self-service tools and their growth over the years, how publishers are using AI automation to drastically reduce costs, and the impact of ad platform fragmentation.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Gokul Rajaram on one of the biggest mistakes startups and founders make, the role of board members, and leadership qualities from some of the greats

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Gokul Rajaram has been an integral part of the digital ad ecosystem for more than 20 years. He was a product leader on Google’s AdSense, product director of ads at Facebook, and is on the boards of The Trade Desk, Pinterest, and Coinbase among others.
 
Gokul now invests in early-stage technology startups and partners with founders to help them build enduring companies. As he puts it, he’s “an investor and company helper”. This is one of the most thought provoking episodes of Taking Inventory. Hear Gokul talk about one of the biggest mistakes founders and early stage companies make, how the role of board members is changing, similarities among the great leaders he’s worked with, and much more.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

What any company can do to can improve ad measurement today, and the top measurement trends to know, with Andrew Covato

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Andrew Covato, Founder and CEO of Growth by Science and former measurement lead at Netflix, Meta, Snap, and Google, returns to the podcast to provide an update on the measurement trends that advertisers need know and what big and small companies can do  to improve their measurement today.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Brendan McCarthy, CMO of Criteo, on marketing during periods of transformation and how to maintain customer trust

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Brendan McCarthy is Chief Marketing Officer at Criteo. He joined Criteo in late 2020, bringing nearly 20 years of Fortune 500 strategic marketing and communications experience to the company. Under his leadership, Brendan spearheaded key transformational initiatives at Criteo, including a brand refresh and an integrated marketing campaign, “The Future is Wide Open,” which signaled the company’s new vision and commerce media strategy.
Previously, Brendan was Head of Communications and Product Marketing for Nielsen Global Media, where he spent five years helping to transform the company’s reputation from a legacy television ratings provider to a leading-edge data and technology company.
Brendan joins the podcast to discuss all facets of marketing including marketing during company transformation, the importance of embedding within cross-functional teams, how to build a marketing org that supports multiple stakeholders.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

What startups get wrong about lawyers and how to use legal for growth, with Adam Greenberg, former GC / head of legal at Warby Parker, Ro, and Blank Street

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Adam Greenberg is a former attorney from Skadden Arps who left big law to join Warby Parker as their second legal hire, later joined health platform Ro as their General Counsel, and most recently joining Tiger-backed Blank Street as General Counsel. He’s helped startups scale legal teams from a team of 1, working primarily with outside counsel, to full legal teams supporting all aspects of the business.
During our conversation Adam shares his experience growing the legal functions at three high-growth startups and the legal framework that supported all aspects of the business. He shares stories from his time lobbying and working with politicians, his view on how legal can be set up to support teams across a company, how to turn legal into an offensive asset for company growth, and much more.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Gabriel Ornelas, host and creator of “On The Pass” podcast, talks the rise of chef influencers and the intersection of media, food, and hospitality,

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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In this episode of Taking Inventory we welcome Gabriel Ornelas, a renowned strategist and producer in the hospitality, food and beverage, entertainment, and lifestyle industries. Gabriel works with brands to develop and produce impactful branded experiences through content, media, and strategic partnerships. His portfolio includes collaborations with industry giants like Faena Group, Sbe, Mercedes Benz, Perfect Day Foods, Citi, Perrier-Jouet Champagne, Moet Hennessy, and Valrhona.
As the host, creator, and producer of "On The Pass," a Top 100 podcast in Food, Gabriel brings listeners engaging conversations with leading figures in the food and beverage, hospitality, and travel industries.
In this episode, discover how Gabriel’s global experiences and innovative approach have driven growth for major brands, and get a behind-the-scenes look at how he built "On The Pass" from the ground up. Tune in for an inspiring discussion that promises to deliver valuable insights and motivation for anyone interested in the intersections of food, travel, hospitality, and culture. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the industry's most dynamic figures.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Nik Milanović, founder of “This Week in Fintech” and The Fintech Fund, on current trends and the future of Fintech

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Nik Milanović is  one of the leading figures in fintech as the founder of “This Week in Fintech” a global newsletter with over 100K subscribers and the General Partner at The Fintech Fund where he invests in early-stage companies. Before founding his newsletter and fund, Nik was an exec at Google Pay, Petal, and Funding Circle. Nik breaks down what’s happening in fintech, why international markets will create the next unicorns, how tech is democratizing financial products, and more.
Note: This episode was recorded several weeks ago prior to several of the recent headlines involving Synapse, Evolve, etc.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Turner Novak, founder of Banana Capital, talks VC investing and the power of meme accounts

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Turner Novak is a former banker turned Twitter / meme influencer with 170K followers, and has built that account into an empire with newsletter, podcast, and early stage investment fund Banana Capital. Through the fund Turner has made 50+ investments, including companies like BrowseAI, BinStar and Chaingaurd. During our conversation Turner explains the meaning behind the Banana Capital name, how a single Twitter account was the jumping off point for all of his businesses, and where he thinks we are in the investment cycle. 
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!
 

Snap’s President of Americas, Patrick Harris, from Meta to Snap and the changes driving its breakout

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Patrick Harris is the President of Americas at Snap where he’s brought his 10+ years of experience from Meta and 5+ years from Microsoft. Hear what it was like building the organization at Meta and what he’s bringing to Snap to change the culture and advertiser experience. Patrick talks about the misconceptions that the market has about Snap, how it has turned a corner on performance / DR, and how Snap continues to lead the market when it comes to consumer experiences.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Snap Mafia: Rajan Vaish, founder of Easel, on building at the intersection of social and Gen AI and what he learned doing research at Stanford and Snap

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Rajan Vaish is the founder and CEO of Easel, an AI-powered app that lets you create scenes with your AI avatar to express yourself with friends in fun and imaginative ways, all directly from iMessage. Prior to founding Easel, Rajan was a senior research scientists in Snap Research's HCI Group working on projects across AR, smart glasses, and social computing. During our conversation Rajan shares his story going from academic research to Snap, how a research mentality is critical for founders, and why the next wave of social will be built alongside generative AI.
 
Download Easel at https://easelapps.ai/
Check out Rajan's research: http://www.rajanvaish.com/index.html
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support us. And subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Mike Dupree, CRO of Teads, gives us an insider's look at the Twitter to X transition and why he made the move from walled garden to open web

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Mike Dupree is the Chief Revenue Officer at Teads where he oversees the commercial organization, including field sales, agency partnerships and strategic sales initiatives. Mike joined Teads after spending nearly 10 years at Twitter / X where he was leading the brand and performance advertising business across verticals including entertainment, sports, news, tech and audio. During his time at Twitter he oversaw Ads Policy development globally, directed ad product and measurement strategies, and developed new categories for the business. During our conversation we talk about Mike's experience during the Twitter-to-X transition, his POV on open web vs walled gardens, how Teads is tackling cookie deprecation, and more.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

The State of the Podcast Industry with with Bryan Barletta, founder of Sounds Profitable

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Bryan Barletta is the founder of Sounds Profitable, a trade association for the podcast industry. As a seasoned professional with over 16 years in the advertising and technology space, Barletta played a key role in the world’s first shakeable ad in 2009 and held leadership positions at prominent podcast companies like Megaphone and Claritas. He’s an advocate for digital audio, pioneering the first-ever Podcasting at SXSW- Sound Summit in 2024, which brought big players – like ESPN, Wondery, SiriusXM and more – together with celebrities and podcast hosts, including Marsha Cooke, Nick Viall and others, to give the industry the recognition it deserves.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Why the app economy is booming w/ the President of AppsFlyer, Brian Quinn

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Brian Quinn is the President and GM of North America at AppsFlyer. Brian has over 15 years of experience in sales leadership and business development—scaling revenue, building high performing growth teams, & executing go-to-market strategies in a variety of internet software businesses across the mobile, marketing, and data/analytics industries such as App Annie, Kenshoo and AT&T. During our conversation Brian tells us about the current state of the app economy, the rapid pace of innovation especially as consumers move from web to app, how cookie deprecation will lead to more growth in 1P data, changing consumer habits, and much more.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Amazon’s $50B ads business still hasn’t scratched the surface, and why non-endemic and social partnerships are the future, with Amazon expert Daniel Tejada

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Daniel Tejada is Co-founder and Chief Learning Office at Straight Up Growth, the Amazon agency that has nearly $750M in Amazon sales. Daniel was one of the first people to start advertising on Amazon and has since become a global leader in Amazon ads and sales strategy. Daniel helps make sense of Amazon’s full ad suite, why the platform is still in its infancy, and what Amazon has in store for the future (hint: non-endemic ads, more cross-channel partnerships, and AI).
 
Check out Straight Up Growth: https://straightupgrowth.com/
 
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Snap Mafia Edition: Garrett Rothstein, founder of Queue, the modern day TV guide, on partnering with Zillow’s founder and getting on Chamath's radar

This episode is brought to you by Market. Use AI to chat directly with your marketing and sales channels to get the answers you need to grow your business. Sign-up for Market at https://www.withmarket.ai/. 
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Garrett Rothstein is the founder and CEO of Queue, an app that helps user keep track of all the content across streaming services and queue movies and shows to watch. Hear Garrett’s story going from Snap to Quibi, and then having the idea for Queue and linking up with famed founder and investor Spencer Rascoff. Garrett tells us the story of starting Queue, going from zero to growth, and where the company is today.
Download Queue on Apple and Android
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support us. And subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Selling Undertone, setting up a family office, and reinventing retail ads with M3’s Michael Cassidy

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Michael Cassidy is an entrepreneur who has started and exited multiple companies, including founding and serving as Undertone CEO for 14 years (acquired by Perion). Hear his journey from the early 2000’s of tech (the wild west!), to exiting, then creating a family office (August Spark) to make direct investments, including purchasing BVA, the largest Shopify Plus agency in the US (acquired by Accenture). Michael talks about his 3rd act, M3 (Make Merchants Money), where he’s helping retailers unlock new revenue streams while creating impactful opportunities for brands to reach audiences when they're most open to new ideas.
 
Visit M3: https://www.m-three.co/
 
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

AI & Big Tech w/ Big Technology’s Alex Kantrowitz

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Alex Kantrowitz is an independent journalist that started Big Technology, which has more than 150K newsletter subscribers and is a top 10 tech podcast with more than 1M annual downloads. He jumped on the Taking Inventory podcast to discuss all things AI, from how fast everything is moving, the startup vs. big tech battle, changing corporate culture across tech, the move to self-driving, and more.
 
Big Technology Newsletter: https://www.bigtechnology.com/
Big Technology Podcast: https://pod.link/1522960417/
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

The WTF is Roblox and how brands play in the metaverse episode w/ F84’s Geoffrey Reed

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Geoffrey Reed is the COO of Floor 84, a digital game and experience studio that that works with brands like the NBA, Disney, Mattel, Lego, and more. Geoff has a stacked background as a lawyer, McKinsey consultant, strategy at Mattel, strategy at Snap, and now COO. He helps us understand what's happening on Roblox, how brands are getting involved, and the future of new digital experiences like Roblox, Fortnite, and others. 
 
Floor 84: https://floor84studio.com/
F84's Roblox NBA Avatar Catalog: https://www.roblox.com/games/15515610365/EARN-FREE-UGC-NBA-Avatar-Catalog
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Sunil Rayan, CBO of Moloco and former President of Disney+ Hotstar, on growing to 50M+ subscriber, the convergence of media & digital, and why it all comes down to LTV

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Sunil Rayan is the Chief Business Officer at Moloco, one of the leading mobile DSPs for many years and more recently a leading Retail Media platform and CTV platform. Sunil's background is uniquely fit for Moloco having served as President and Head of Disney+ Hotstar, leadership roles at Google across cloud and mobile app ads, and at McKinsey where he helped dozens of technology companies. Our conversation touches on Sunil's path from consulting, to digital, to media, and now ML serving all of those industries. He also discusses the trends in retail media and CTV, why performance advertisers are slow to adopt the open web, and how ML will help in a cookieless future. 
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Alex Collmer, the co-founder of VidMob (and Def Jam Rapstar!) talks creative in an AI world and how marketers can adapt

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating or review. It’s the best way to help support the podcast. 
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Alex Collmer is co-founder and CEO of VidMob, the leading AI creative performance platform for marketers. The company has raised over $200M to date from investors like Adobe, Shutterstock, Shamrock Capital, DraftKings, and others. Listen to our conversation with Alex as he shares how the company has pushed the creative bar forward using creative intelligence, the role of AI and how it will transform the creative environment, and he talks about the need for businesses to give back, which is what they've done with VidMob Gives where a portion of every dollar Vidmob receives is used to fund pro bono creative services for non-profits.
 
Check out VidMob: https://www.vidmob.com/
Vidmob Gives: https://www.vidmob.com/vidmob-gives 
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Snap Mafia Edition: Ellis Hamburger, founder of Meaning, storyteller at The Browser Co, and the voice of Snap for 7 years

This episode is brought to you by Market. Use AI to chat directly with your marketing and sales channels to get the answers you need to grow your business. Sign-up for Market at https://www.withmarket.ai/. 
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Ellis was Snapchat’s first writer, building and refining the brand voice and executing it across all channels — from marketing campaigns to press pitches, UX writing, sales narratives, product packaging, and even the receipts from the Spectacles vending machine. Ellis wrote Snapchat’s first TV commercial, and concepted its first global brand campaign, Real friends, solidifying Snapchat’s value proposition to consumers.
Ellis was previously at The Verge and Insider where he wrote about the brightest products of the time, like Mailbox, Path, Paper by FiftyThree, VSCO, Tumblr, Foursquare, and more.
Since Snap he has worked at The Browser Company and is now bringing his experience across marketing, comms, and design to his newly founded Meaning Company where he is helping founders craft holistic product storytelling that moves culture and drives impact.
 
Check out what Ellis is building with Meaning and how he’s helping founders they’ll their story.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support us. And subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Spotify’s Per Sandell on the business of audio, building a $2B+ ads business, and embracing the hedged garden model

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support
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Per Sandell is the VP of Product Management at Spotify, which generated $14B+ of revenue last year. He’s leading the development and growth of its ads business. Per has a history of building performant ads systems, having helped build Snap’s ads API, self-service ad tools, and auction which has grown to $5B of annual revenue. Per discusses how Spotify manages its subscription and ads businesses together, why audio is such a powerful tool for brands, and the key innovations happening that will accelerate the growth of audio.
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Eric Seufert returns to discuss the state of the digital economy

This episode is brought to you by Market. Use AI to chat directly with your marketing and sales channels to get the answers you need to grow your business. Sign-up for Market at https://www.withmarket.ai/. 
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Eric rejoins the podcast to discus the state of the digital economy. He covers why walled gardens are winning, the existential threats to open web, EU's battle against big tech, TikTok banning in the US, and much more. Eric is a media strategist, quantitative marketer, and author who has spent his career working for transformative consumer technology and media companies. Eric  runs Mobile Dev Memo, a mobile advertising and freemium monetization trade blog, and QuantMar, a knowledge-sharing platform for quantitative marketers. Eric has been featured and quoted in The Information, Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and more.
 
Subscriber to MDM Pro: https://mobiledevmemo.com/subscribe/ 
———
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support us. And subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

The Checkmate founders on hustling their way to the top of the App Store, how Gen Z thinks, and what the future of retail looks like

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support
———
Harry Dixon and Rory Garton-Smith are co-founders (2 of 3) of Checkmate, the app that unlocks savings at over 50,000 online stores. During our conversation Harry and Rory share what they saw happening in retail that gave them the realization that online shopping is broken. They also tell us how they grew to over 1M+ users with no paid media, how Gen Z shops vs. everyone else, the fragmented brand market and so much more.
———
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Meta Reality Labs’ VP of Marketing, Shachar Scott, on how Meta is building the future in front of our eyes and redefining AR & VR

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support
———
Shachar Scott is the VP of Marketing at Meta Reality Labs. She’s led marketing for some of the most transformative businesses in tech including at Apple, Snap, Bumble, and now Meta. Listen to our conversation with Shachar as she discusses augmented and mixed reality, the importance of strong leadership, marketing a brand new industry category, and the importance of mentorship.
———
 
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

The Bitcoin Episode w/ @dotkrueger: why it’s up and why he thinks it’s going to change the world

James and Daniel sit down with Fred Krueger, renowned Bitcoin analyst and someone who has years of experience in tech and on wall street, to chat about the recent surge in the price of Bitcoin. Fred explains why he's so bullish on the Bitcoin, examples in history of what we're witnessing, and what the future holds. 
Follow Fred on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dotkrueger
 
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Snap Mafia Edition: Dante DiCicco, founder of Zitti AI, and Snap user #10

In this new series we talk to founders that are part of the growing "Snap Mafia", former Snap employees that turned in their corporate badges to become entrepreneurs. These are the inside stories of working at Snap, their journey to become founders, and the companies that they're building to disrupt industries.
 
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

46: The future of digital privacy with former Google & Meta executive and privacy expert, Rob Leathern

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support
———
Rob Leathern is a respected data and privacy expert. He was most recently at Google as the VP of Product Management leading privacy and security product teams. Prior to that he led the Business Integrity product team at Facebook. He recently founded Trust2ai where he is CEO. Rob sits down with James and Daniel to talk about the evolution of digital data and privacy, the role of AI in privacy, and what he thinks consumer should understand.
———
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

45: Nick Bell, CEO of Fanatics Live, on Rupert Murdoch, building Snap, leading Google Search, and why the future of media is all about the attention economy

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support
———
Nick Bell, CEO of Fanatics Live, has made a career out of understanding and tapping into the ‘Attention Economy’. He transformed News Corp’s digital media business, changed how people watch content by launching new media at Snap, and led product for the world’s most visited site in Google Search. He’s doing it one more time at Fanatics Live, where he’s bringing social commerce, sports, and media together. Nick explains why the Attention Economy is everything for media businesses, how media has evolved, and what he’s learned at some of the most influential companies in the world.
———
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

44: Building an ads business around faith with Pray.com's Steve Gatena

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support us!
———
Steve Gatena and his co-founders have built Pray.com into one of the biggest platforms for and prayer and the #1 App for Daily Prayer and Bedtime Bible Stories. They’re now expanding on their mission through the use of ads – a unique experience that pairs religion with advertising. Steve opens up about why he started Pray.com, challenges as they’ve grown (surprisingly similar to mobile apps of all categories), and why ads if done right are a natural fit for religious content and communities. 
Website and app: https://www.pray.com/
Visit Beyond The Brotherhood to support Navy Seals as they transition into the private sector.
———
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

43: Inside Amazon’s $50B ads biz w/ Adam Epstein

If you like Taking Inventory, do us a favor and give us a 5-star rating and review. It’s the best way to help support us!
———
Amazon had another blowout quarter (Q4) reporting $14.7M of ad revenue and exceeding every analysts’ expectations. Despite being one of the fastest growing ads businesses, it’s still one of the most misunderstood. We brought in Adam Epstein, former President of Perpetua, one of Amazon’s biggest ads partners to explain the inner workings of one of the biggest ads businesses in the world.
 
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Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

42: Morning Brew’s 2nd employee and Beehiiv CEO dives into the BIG business of newsletters, the truth about building in public, and some surprising data on the power of newsletters

Rate and subscribe to Taking Inventory wherever you listen to the podcast and don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter.
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This week on Taking Inventory we were joined by Tyler Denk, CEO and Co-founder of Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth. Tyler helped build many of the early growth tools and strategies at Morning Brew and is now making those available to all creators through Beehiiv. He shares his story of starting the company while at Google, the long-term vision to build an email ad network, and how building in public has helped accelerate innovation at the company. 
Find Tyler on Twitter @denk_tweets and subscribe to his newsletter Big Desk Energy at https://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/.
———
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

41: Alex Heath, Deputy Editor for The Verge, on interviewing the biggest names in tech, debating the AI wars, what sets the best leaders apart, and more

Don’t forget to rate and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen – we appreciate all of your support!
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This week on Taking Inventory we welcome renowned tech reported, Alex Heath. Alex shares his path from iPhone blogging as a 15-year old to interviewing the most powerful names in tech. He talks about what it’s like to cover leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk and what all of us have in common. Alex, James, and Daniel debate the future of Snap, what to expect in AI, and so much more.
Alex is a deputy editor for The Verge and the author of Command Line, a weekly newsletter about the tech industry’s inside conversation. Heath has been covering the technology industry for more than a decade in previous roles at The Information, Insider, and other outlets. His work has been cited by Congress and recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. He has appeared as an expert voice on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, among other programs.
 
 
Read Alex’s latest interview with Mark Zuckerberg on Meta’s AI reorg and Google internal memo on their 2024 company goals
Command Line: https://www.theverge.com/command-line-newsletter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexeheath
———
Connect with James and Daniel!
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ and follow Taking Inventory on LinkedIn and Twitter!

40: CES takeaways & how Shipt went from same-day delivery to building a massive retail media network, and what RMNs can learn from Meta

In this week's episode we cover our highlights from CES and we interview Katie Stratton, the first-ever Chief Growth Officer of retail technology company, Shipt. She discusses her journey from Meta to Shipt and how Shipt's unique consumer services feeds into their media solution for advertisers. Katie shares insights into Shipt’s evolution of retail media platforms, discusses how the customer journey guides their retail curation strategy, and why they prioritize quality partnerships over quantity. The conversation also covers the topic of transparency in retail media networks and the future of last-mile delivery. Tune in to learn more about Shipt’s innovative approach to retail technology and the future of retail media networks.
 
—
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

39: Breaking down the biggest media company you’ve never heard of, the new age of growth marketing, and all things Mansion Group with John Sutton

John Sutton is the Co-Founder of Mansion Group, a PropTech meets FinTech company focused on building the next great hospitality brand. Prior to founding Mansion Group, John spent 12 years with Red Ventures most recently as President and Chief Digital Officer. Red Ventures is likely the biggest media company that most people have never heard of, but they tout brands such as BankRate, The Points Guy, Healthline, Lonely Planet, CNET and many more. John is also an active investor and advisor, working with companies like Open Door, ZPG, and Venture and Private Equity investors. 
—
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

38: Looking back at 2023 with guest highlights and industry changes, and predictions for 2024

Thank you to all the listeners that joined Taking Inventory this past year. We could not do this without your support and we’re more excited than ever about what’s still to come. Wishing you a wonderful 2024!
 
This week James and Daniel take a look at the past year, including launching Taking Inventory, publishing 37 episodes, hosting many incredible guests, announcements that changed the industry, launching Market, and much more. The guys also make their predictions for 2024 and share what they’re most excited about.
—
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

EP: 37 A Taking Inventory Classic: Eric Seufert on the future of ads, ecom, the walled gardens, and more

Eric is a media strategist, quantitative marketer, and author who has spent his career working for transformative consumer technology and media companies. Eric founded Agamemnon, a start-up that built a mobile marketing analytics platform, which was acquired in 2017. Following the acquisition Eric launched Heracles Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on the mobile ecosystem. Eric also runs Mobile Dev Memo, a mobile advertising and freemium monetization trade blog, and QuantMar, a knowledge-sharing platform for quantitative marketers. Eric has been featured and quoted in The Information, Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and more.
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eric_seufert
MobileDevMemo: https://mobiledevmemo.com/
 
Links:
The profound, unintended consequence of ATT: content fortresses
Eric’s Book Freemium Economics: https://www.amazon.com/Freemium-Economics-Leveraging-Analytics-Segmentation/dp/0124166903
Theseus Growth, open-source cohort analysis and general marketing performance analysis: https://github.com/ESeufert/theseus_growth

36: How investment banks evaluate tech companies, a bull market for ads, and 2024 market outlook with ROTH MKM’s Rohit Kulkarni

In this episode of the Taking Inventory Podcast, Rohit Kulkarni, Managing Director at ROTH MKM, an investment bank, explains the process and game theory involved in evaluating public tech companies. He breaks down everything that goes into good analysis from financial models, buyer and supplier interviews, and even “battle testing” tech. We cover all of that and much more in this week’s episode. And make sure to listen as James finally gets his answer for why The Trade Desk is worth so much; his take may surprise you.
 
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Where to find Rohit
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohitkulkarnilnkd
Learn more about ROTH MKM: https://www.roth.com/
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

35 - James Borow & Daniel Druger, get interviewed on the Marketecture podcast

In this special episode of 'Taking Inventory', Daniel Druger and James Borow are interviewed by the hosts of the Marketecture podcast. They talk about their ad tech startup, Market, their vision for an AI-driven future of marketing, and share their insights on topics from social commerce to retail media. Additionally, they discuss the inception of the 'Taking Inventory' podcast, the role of personality in business branding, and updates on recent developments in the advertising tech space. The discussion also covers potential strategies suggested for Twitter/X amid recent leadership changes, and a review of Google's new AI model, Gemini. This episode offers a deep dive into the ever-evolving world of marketing technology.
—
Where to find Marketecture:
Website: https://www.marketecture.tv/
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

34: Building a business with TikTok and the power of UGC with Sapphire Studio’s Anish Dalal

In this episode of the Taking Inventory Podcast, Anish Dalal, CEO and Co-founder of Sapphire Studios, a performance content marketing agency, reveals the surprising power of user-generated content (UGC), especially on platforms like TikTok. Anish discusses Sapphire's strategy behind scripting successful UGC for clients, their innovative work using AI for scripting, the future of the creative space, and the pitfalls brands often encounter. He also reflects on his journey as an entrepreneur, from app development to performance creative. We touch on a bunch of themes including AI assistance for e-commerce marketing, the impact of UGC on social media marketing, and the growth journey of TikTok.
 
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Where to find Anish Dalal:
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/anish-dalal-1b503472/
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

33: Ali Manning, Co-Founder of Chalice, on the future of AI and advertising across the open web

In this episode of Taking Inventory Podcast, we sit down with Ali Manning, co-founder and COO of the Chalice Custom Algorithms. Ali shares her insights about the power of AI in e-commerce and how custom algorithms empower brands to make more informed, real-time advertising decisions. She discusses the concept of data as a competitive advantage and the significant impact of AI on ad agencies. Also, explore how Chalice is integrating with open web platforms and third-party data providers to deliver predictive capabilities. Tune in to discover the future of AI in the advertising industry!
 
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Where to find Ali Manning:
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alimanning/
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

32: James Avery & Andrew Covato on $AMZN playing nice w $SHOP/$META/$SNAP, where $TTD goes next, and how ad platforms are ignoring the measurement realities of 2023.

Andrew Covato (Former Snap & Netflix Exec) and James Avery (CEO of Kevel) join for a special episode to talk all things retail media and measurement. Key topics include $AMZN playing nice with $SHOP/$META/$SNAP, where $TTD goes next, and how most ad platforms are ignoring the measurement realities of 2023. 
 
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Where to find Andrew Covato:
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcovato
Where to find James Avery:
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/averyj/
—
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

31 Ray Ghanbari, the CTO of Index Exchange, talks building for massive scale and how ad tech, fintech and healthcare tech are more similar than you would think.

In this episode of the Taking Inventory, we welcome Ray Ghanbari, the CTO of Index Exchange. As an experienced technologist with a deep understanding of analytics and data-driven value creation, Ray shares his insights into the changing landscape of AdTech. The discussion covers topics including the role of AI in e-commerce marketing, the importance of transparency and efficiency in the AdTech ecosystem, the challenges of managing Internet-scale transactions, combating ad fraud, and the future of the industry. Ray draws on his varied experiences with companies like Solera Holdings, FICO, Yahoo, and many more to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state and future of AdTech.
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Where to find Ray Ghanbari:
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/rghanbari/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndexExchange/status/1488538452979240973
—
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

30: Steven Rosenblatt on going from operator to VC, transforming Foursquare, and launching iAd during the Steve Jobs era

This week, we spoke with Steven Rosenblatt, Co-Founder of Oceans Ventures. As an operator, he launched the iAd platform for Apple under Steve Jobs' leadership. Subsequently, he served as the President of Foursquare, where he spearheaded the company's transformation into a location data powerhouse. Steven shared his thoughts on the transition from ad industry leadership to professional investing and discussed his strategies for collaborating with founders as an operator-turned-investor.
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Where to find Steven Rosenblatt:
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenrosenblatt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenjr76
—
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

29 - Ali Kashani on why self-driving delivery robots and advertising are going to lower the cost of commerce

This week we talk with Ali Kashani, Co-Founder & CEO of Serve Robotics about the startup's journey from Postmates' special projects team to its acquisition by Uber, and spin-out, and how advertising is a key driver to lowering the costs of commerce.
 
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Where to find Ali Kashani:
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alikashani/
—
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

28: Jessica Yellin tells us why people are turning to news influencers and away from cable news, how political ads really work, and what to expect this election cycle

EPISODE NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the start of the Israel and Hamas war.
 
This week's guest: Jessica Yellin
Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, which brings news to people in new and engaging ways. She breaks down complicated issues, interviews experts, and answers questions with facts and context, all from the phone. Prior to that, Yellin was the Chief White House Correspondent for CNN where she interviewed President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama, among others. Jessica is a Peabody, Gracie and Emmy award-winning political journalist and also the author of Savage News, which was published in 2019.
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Where to find Jessica:
Instagram (Jessica also reports directly from this account): https://www.instagram.com/jessicayellin/
X: https://twitter.com/jessicayellin 
News Not Noise: https://newsnotnoise.com/  
—
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/

27: Oren Schauble on the power shift in the creator economy, creating brand content, building brands the right way, and more

This week's guest: Oren Schauble
Oren Schauble is a designer, content creator and entrepreneur. He was most recently the President of public CPG company, Unrivaled Brands. Prior to that, he worked as a product development and marketing executive specializing in regulated and luxury products. Today, Oren runs marketing at consumer electronics company Gel Blaster, writes a newsletter including Product People and Hyper, and he also creates content on Instagram and TikTok breaking down consumer and brand trends.
 
–––––––––––––––––––––––
 
Where to find Oren Schauble:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orenmeetsworld
Website: https://orenjohn.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/orenmeetsworld 
Newsletters:
Product World: https://www.productworld.xyz/
Hyper: https://mail.hyperstudios.us/ 
—
 
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/ 
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/ 
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow 
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/ 

26: Pt 3 of the Creators Strike Back series: Jesse Pujji, founder & CEO of Gateway X on bootstrapping an 8-figure business, his biggest lessons for entrepreneurs, building a following, and more

This week's guest: Jesse Pujji
Jesse Pujii is a self-made entrepreneur who bootstrapped his first business, Ampush, into an 8-figure powerhouse. He's partnered with big brands like Uber and Hulu, and today, he's building Gateway X, a venture studio and investment company. You may also know Jesse from Twitter or LinkedIn where he shares lessons, insights and stories or through his podcast The Crazy Ones. 
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Where to find Jesse:
Gateway X: https://www.gateway.xyz/
X: https://twitter.com/jspujji 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessepujji/ 
Book a 1:1 call with Jesse: https://intro.co/jessepujji 
—
Where to find James and Daniel:
LinkedIn:
James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesborow/
Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldruger/
Twitter: 
James: https://twitter.com/jamesborow
Daniel: https://twitter.com/ddruger
—
Don't miss an episode of Taking Inventory. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.takinginventorypod.com/