Adtech & AI: Built not Bullshit with Jason White of Mula AI

Jason White has spent 20+ years actually BUILDING technology at Viacom, OpenX, CBS, Fox MySpace, and multiple startups. Unlike the PowerPoint warriors flooding LinkedIn, he's coded real systems, invented RTB structures, and survived every hype cycle from the dot-com bubble to today's AI frenzy. In this brutally honest conversation, Jason exposes: ❌ Why 60-70% of "AI features" are just rule-based logic with an LLM wrapper ❌ The platform risk nobody talks about (spoiler: when ChatGPT builds your feature, you're done) ❌ Why ChatGPT is only right 50% of the time—and argues when it's wrong ❌ How ad blockers are inexplicably allowed in buying platforms ❌ Why programmatic "transparency" is the industry's biggest joke ❌ The real reason companies blow $100M on shiny objects (metaverse, anyone?) ✅ But also what ACTUALLY works: ✅ The three-circle test for real innovation (save money + bandwidth + revenue = unicorn) ✅ Why ad networks worked better than what replaced them ✅ How to build culture that doesn't turn teams into "office hostages" ✅ The future of AdCP and agents talking to each other ✅ Why democratizing information still matters 🔥 CONTROVERSIAL TAKES: "Programmatic guaranteed pricing makes no sense" - Google's $0.40 on $2 CPM vs $6 on $30 CPM "SSPs were taking 30-50% margins as intermediaries" "The Trade Desk hasn't integrated with a new SSP in 8 years" "Token costs are going to rise—this automation party won't last" "ChatGPT will lose a billion dollars a month... not for long" 📊 BY THE NUMBERS: 60-70% of AI features are just rule-based logic AI costs went from $50/month to $1,000/month in one year 30-50% margins taken by intermediary SSPs Only 10% of companies survive hype bubbles—but they change the world 🎯 WHO IS JASON WHITE? 20+ years building advertising technology across: Fox MySpace (invented client-side programmatic) CBS Interactive (built MyAds) OpenX (ad exchange infrastructure) TrueCar (growth) Arena Group (revenue turnaround) Jiffy AI (RPA-based ad operations) Mula (current: combining ML, RTB, header bidding, analytics) Survived: dot-com bubble, ad networks, programmatic, mobile, and now AI hype 🗣️ QUOTES THAT HIT DIFFERENT: "I've never seen an absolute. I immediately discount it when somebody says everything." "There's little people behind the green curtain running data back and forth." "Maybe if ad networks were just transparent with their margins..." "Culture is how people behave when things go wrong, not the posters you put up." "My religion is democratizing information." "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." 📚 READ THE FULL SERIES: This interview is being turned into a 4-part article series: Part 1: The AI Hype Bubble (FREE) Part 2: Revenue Discipline in the Age of Shiny Objects (FREE) Part 3: The Programmatic Paradox (PAID) Part 4: The Future of Advertising Technology (PAID) 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more unfiltered conversations with people who actually build technology instead of selling PowerPoint decks. 👍 LIKE if you're tired of AI theater and want to hear the truth. 💬 COMMENT: What's the biggest BS claim you've heard about "AI" in your industry? 🎙️ The ADOTAT Show Hosted by Pesach Lattin Where we separate real innovation from LinkedIn theater #AIinAdvertising #AdTech #Programmatic #ChatGPT #MarketingTechnology #DigitalAdvertising #AdOperations #SSP #DSP #AIHype #TechForGood #StartupLessons #JasonWhite #ProgrammaticAdvertising #AdExchange #RevenueGrowth