AdTechGod Pod Ep. 87 SPO, AI, and the End of the Open Exchange with Taylor Simons
Jul 8, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Taylor Simons, founder of TCHT and former MediaMath executive, shares his intentional journey into ad tech. He reflects on the painful lessons learned from MediaMath's bankruptcy and the current trends reshaping the industry, such as the dynamics of SSPs versus DSPs. Taylor sheds light on the complexities of bid duplication and advocates for Supply Path Optimization. He emphasizes the limits of the open exchange and reveals how AI could revolutionize programmatic advertising, creating new opportunities in the process.
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SPO's Growth and Industry Challenges
- SPO is still developing and offers significant growth opportunities.
- Current challenges include poor cooperation between DSPs and SSPs and need for better brand safety.
SSPs Outnumber DSPs by Magnitude
- Surprisingly, there are over 200 active SSPs, far more than DSPs.
- Publishers use many SSPs to increase bid volume, but this creates bid duplication issues.
Consolidate SSP Partnerships
- Publishers should reduce SSP partners from dozens to a concentrated few to avoid duplicating bids.
- This consolidation benefits the ecosystem and improves revenue quality.