Best Joe Zappa Podcasts (2025)

1
Magnite and Streamr on the Performance TV Acquisition 26:44

Play Pause

2h ago26:44

26:44

Magnite CPO Adam Soroca and Streamr CEO and co-founder Jonathan Moffie join the pod to discuss the leading SSP buying the CTV creative automation platform. Adam and Jonathan break down the thinking behind the deal, how it came together, and what other startup founders can learn from Streamr's example. Joe posits that performance TV is the big thesi…

1
Journalist Mike Shields on PR Being Even More Dead 33:44

28m ago33:44

33:44

Traditional PR is dead! But don't take our word for it. Ask an actual journalist, former Wall Street Journal and AdWeek reporter Mike Shields. Mike tells Joe and Eric why Joe's shtick about throwing out the 2005 marketing playbook resonates with him, how to actually succeed at traditional PR or media relations, and what adtech companies can do inst…

1
Auren Hoffman on LiveRamp Lessons, Great Talent, and Contrarian Takes 43:34

14d ago43:34

43:34

Serial entrepreneur and investor Auren Hoffman joins Eric and Joe to discuss why he shouldn’t have sold LiveRamp and how he’d push the company forward today, what he’s excited about in adtech, how to spot great talent, and things most people he respects believe that he disagrees with. Tune in to find out whether EQ is overrated and why Auren might …

1
James Borow on Universal Ads’ Approach to CTV 35:50

13d ago35:50

35:50

Universal Ads' James Borow joins Eric and Joe to discuss the key components of the performance TV category, Universal Ads' unique approach, how big an impact performance TV will have on the open web as a whole, and what he's learned from selling multiple companies. Hijinks about corporations ensue.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
tvScientific CEO Jason Fairchild on Fundraising Strategy 30:02

22d ago30:02

30:02

tvScientific CEO and co-founder Jason Fairchild joins the pod a second time to discuss fundraising strategies. Tips for Open Marketers include taking more at-bats, choosing the right timing and making the success of the company feel inevitable, making strategics' success a part of your success, and surrounding yourself with the right people, especi…

1
Tracii Guns on Sound, Survival, and Staying Power 1:07:12

26d ago1:07:12

1:07:12

Tracii Guns of LA Guns joins Greg Koch for a refreshingly honest exploration of what makes rock and roll endure through decades of industry upheaval. Their conversation weaves through Tracii's musical awakening at age five—hearing Led Zeppelin's theremin breakdown in "Whole Lotta Love" from the backseat of a car—to building and maintaining LA Guns …

1
Building and Managing Teams with PayPal Ads' Dan Robbins 36:30

29d ago36:30

36:30

PayPal's Dan Robbins joins Joe and the Italian Beef on the pod to discuss how management and collaboration changes as an organization grows from one person to over 100 (which Dan oversaw at Roku), heuristics and personality frameworks for understanding people's tendencies and motivations, and why marketing should be an input, not just an output. Pl…

1
Onetag Co-CEO Filippo Gramigna on Collaborative Leadership and International Adtech 31:48

1M ago31:48

31:48

Onetag Co-CEO Filippo Gramigna joins Eric and Joe on the pod to discuss running Onetag as co-CEO with founder Daniel Pirchio, Italian vs Nordic vs American debate styles, and how and when to expand a European adtech company to the US. Filippo gives Joe and Eric some tips on how to navigate intergenerational disagreements, and the trio dives into th…

1
Blis President Alex Boras on AI Media Planning 19:31

1M ago19:31

19:31

Blis President Alex Boras joins the pod to do a live demo of Blis AI, the location-based DSP's new AI media planning and audience building tool. Alex walks Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa through the tool, showing how audience building has changed with AI from a manual, step-by-step process into a synthetic, highly customized, streamlined exchange betwe…

1
Dweezil Zappa 1:19:16

2M ago1:19:16

1:19:16

Greg Koch sits down with guitar virtuoso Dweezil Zappa for a fascinating deep dive into musical authenticity, technical mastery, and the challenge of preserving a legendary legacy. Their conversation reveals the extraordinary dedication required to perform Frank Zappa's intricate compositions, with Dweezil candidly sharing his 14-year journey to tr…

1
The Cluely Marketing Playbook 25:30

2M ago25:30

25:30

Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the tenets of the Cluely marketing playbook, focusing specifically on lessons for adtech and martech founders and marketers. In short: Tell a provocative story about heroes and villains, leverage the CEO as chief evangelist, and capitalize on social channels. Also, Joe shares a big idea for scaled adtech compani…

1
Tom Bukovac 1:41:50

2M ago1:41:50

1:41:50

There's something uniquely captivating about listening to two master musicians simply talk shop. When Nashville session legend Tom Bukovac (affectionately known as "Uncle Larry") sits down with Greg Koch for this episode of Chewing the Gristle, their conversation unfolds like a masterclass. Bukovac pulls back the curtain on the Nashville session sc…

1
Everything About Boards with Aperiam Partner Corey Ferengul 48:07

2M ago48:07

48:07

Serial CEO and board member Corey Ferengul joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to teach the audience everything they need to know about boards, especially from the founder's perspective. When do you assemble a board? Who should be on it? How do you structure it? What types of questions are great for boards? How do you prepare for updates? And how does…

1
Tyler Bryant 1:04:34

2M ago1:04:34

1:04:34

Tyler Bryant's musical journey embodies the purest essence of artistic dedication. From the moment he left his tiny Texas town of 1,700 people at age 17, armed with nothing but talent and determination, his singular focus has been creating authentic music that resonates. That unwavering commitment has evolved into a Grammy-winning career spanning p…

1
Mobian CEO Jonah Goodhart on Another Bite at the Adtech Apple 48:05

2M ago48:05

48:05

Jonah joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the key factors that allowed his company Moat to exit for $850M to Oracle and how he's approaching GTM differently this time around with his marketing measurement company Mobian. Joe, Eric, and Jonah riff on the Mobian story in real-time, and Joe scintillates the audience with a detour into French p…

1
Joe Bonamassa Returns 1:09:44

3M ago1:09:44

1:09:44

Guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa returns to Chewing the Gristle, bringing his characteristic wit and wisdom as he prepares for an ambitious European tour season. This conversation between two master guitarists reveals the realities of sustaining a music career with both artistic integrity and business savvy. Bonamassa takes us behind the scenes of his…

1
Big Happy CEO Jonathan Frohlinger on Building a Creative Business 40:04

3M ago40:04

40:04

Big Happy CEO Jonathan Frohlinger joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how he got a mobile creative tech business off the ground, learnings in GTM and hiring from his agency days, and what an adtech moat looks like in the AI era. Plus, Jon shares some news: Big Happy's expansion from mobile to DOOH.…

1
Ben Eller 1:03:34

3M ago1:03:34

1:03:34

Greg Koch welcomes YouTube guitar sensation and touring musician Ben Eller (Uncle Ben) to the Gristle fire for a conversation that meanders from lighthearted Waffle House tales to profound insights about musical authenticity. Ben shares how his guitar journey and popular YouTube channel were born from simple boredom - first as a homeschooled kid wi…

1
Duration Media CEO Andy Batkin on a Hybrid Approach to Adtech GTM 23:21

3M ago23:21

23:21

Duration Media CEO Andy Batkin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why and how his company evolved from a focus on viewability to curation and combining old-school sales and marketing tactics with more modern approaches.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
Mike Irish 1:08:30

3M ago1:08:30

1:08:30

What happens when two guitar virtuosos reunite after years apart? Greg Koch welcomes his former mentor Mike Irish to Chewing the Gristle for a masterclass in musical wisdom that spans far beyond technique. Mike Irish, who taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point when Greg was a student, shares his refreshingly inclusive teaching philosop…

1
How AI Disruption Will Affect Advertising Jobs and Romanticizing the Open Web 21:45

3M ago21:45

21:45

First, Eric shares a prediction from Anthropic's CEO on AI-fueled labor disruption and examines how that will affect jobs in advertising, media, and adtech. Then, Joe shares his critique of romanticizing the open web and clarifies three things adtech companies should be thinking about when considering the future of the open web: what consumers want…

1
Albert Castiglia 1:03:24

3M ago1:03:24

1:03:24

When blues powerhouse Albert Castiglia crossed paths with Bill Murray, neither could have predicted the musical partnership that would follow. In this captivating conversation with Greg Koch, Castiglia pulls back the curtain on how a Hollywood legend became his unexpected bandmate through a series of serendipitous connections that began with Murray…

1
Are Ads or Micropayments the Future of the Open Internet? 24:42

3M ago24:42

24:42

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…

1
Dave Hill 1:04:00

3M ago1:04:00

1:04:00

Dave Hill seamlessly blends virtuosic guitar playing with razor-sharp comedy, creating an entirely unique performance experience that defies categorization. In this captivating conversation with Greg Koch, Dave reveals the unexpected path that led him from his Cleveland roots as a rock musician to becoming a multifaceted comedian, author, and perfo…

1
LUMA Recap and the 4 Big Advertising Trends 28:08

4M ago28:08

28:08

Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down what happened at DMS by LUMA, highlighting four trends: the Outcomes Era, AI transformation, the war for the open internet, and the explosion of creators. They dive deep into how open internet adtech companies can position themselves against the walled gardens by leaning into transparency and whether creators r…

1
Seth Rosenbloom 1:05:37

4M ago1:05:37

1:05:37

Seth Rosenbloom, the fiery young blues guitarist from Massachusetts, brings his wealth of musical knowledge and performing experience to the Chewing the Gristle podcast. What begins as a gear chat about Two Rock amplifiers quickly evolves into a fascinating exploration of musical authenticity and the hard realities of making a living as a performin…

1
SWYM Messaging Workshop with CEO Ravi Patel 38:07

4M ago38:07

38:07

Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi workshop to SWYM story in real-time, unearthing with Ravi Patel how to describe SWYM's differentiated approach to its eponymous mission: helping advertisers to stop wasting their money. They discuss the many curation / quality plays out there and how SWYM differs as well as the evolution from ad buying 1.0 to 2.0 to (now)…

1
Daniel Kimbro 1:07:04

4M ago1:07:04

1:07:04

What does it take to become a musical chameleon who commands respect across diverse genres? Daniel Kimbro delivers a masterclass in musical versatility on this episode of Chewing the Gristle. From his beginnings in a family folk band called Mountain Soul to his current status as bassist for Jerry Douglas and session player on Eric Clapton records, …

1
Retail Media Messaging Workshop with Kevel CEO James Avery 29:35

4M ago29:35

29:35

Kevel CEO James Avery joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to discuss how Kevel has evolved over the years, the current retail media landscape, and what the space will look like in five years. Also, Eric and Joe do a deep dive on Kevel's story, and the three workshop the company's messaging in real-time.…

1
How to Turn Your Value Prop into a Story 26:55

4M ago26:55

26:55

Joe rants at Eric about how to turn a company's value proposition into a compelling story that brings more customers and those who influence them into a company's circle. Also, Joe and Eric cover how to optimize for a team of smart folks who make complicated things simple, the value of playing long-term games with long-term people, and the emerging…

1
Is It POSSIBLE for Jeff Green to Crush it on LinkedIn? 38:52

4M ago38:52

38:52

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 explai…

1
The Next $1B Commerce Media Business with PayPal Ads GM Dr. Mark Grether 32:40

5M ago32:40

32:40

Dr. Mark Grether joins the pod to talk about the four components of a massive commerce media business, how to maximize the opportunity for advertisers, why he joined PayPal to build their commerce media network after building Uber's ad business to $1B in revenue, and how AI is changing commerce media for advertisers, media owners, and consumers.…

1
From Brand Safety to Suitability with Michael Bishop and Rich Raddon 30:19

5M ago30:19

30:19

OpenAds CTO (and former Moat engineer) Michael Bishop and Zefr CEO Rich Raddon join Eric and Joe to discuss the evidence-based case (or lack thereof) for brand safety, why we should shift our mindset from safety to suitability and contextual targeting, the link between suitability and performance, and how AI is changing the space. Plus, Michael dro…

1
AI, Work Productivity Gaps, and Customer Experience with Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson 48:44

5M ago48:44

48:44

Friend of the pod and Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson joins Eric and Joe to discuss how AI is transforming venture scaling and bootstrapped business building, the hot sectors of adtech, and how LLMs will change the customer experience. Plus, Soren is now a car guy, and Joe presses Eric on the dark secrets of VC secret society.…

1
The OpenAI Ad Opportunity, Second-Time Founders, and Reading Your Coworkers 48:31

5M ago48:31

48:31

OpenAI says it won’t build an ad business. Joe and Eric say it will — and it’ll be massive. Plus, how AI is boosting margins, why adtech disproportionately rewards second-time founders, and what Eric’s Enneagram type reveals.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
AI for the Open Web and Product-Market Fit Is Like ... Porn? 41:56

6M ago41:56

41:56

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).…

1
A Deep Dive into Adtech M&A with Azerion’s Matt Newcomb 41:57

6M ago41:57

41:57

Matt Newcomb, head of Azerion in the US, UK, and APAC, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to dive deep into mergers and acquisitions. They discuss how the CEO can maximize a company's chances of a favorable exit, integration best practices, what will drive adtech M&A over the next couple of years, and war stories. Joe promises to visit Eric in his nu…

1
Practical Takeaways from the Scope3 AI and Aperiam 2.0 Launches 28:33

6M ago28:33

28:33

Eric and Joe discuss the three things you need to do to maximize the impact of a product launch or press announcement by analyzing the success of two launches last week: Scope3's AI products and Aperiam 2.0. Plus, Eric can't sit with Joe at lunch, and Eric is hoarding modernist wooden elephants.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
Reply Guy to "CTV for SMBs" Founder with Streamr CEO Jonathan Moffie 36:58

6M ago36:58

36:58

Streamr CEO Jonathan Moffie joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss AppLovin's success, the performance TV opportunity, making streaming accessible to SMB advertisers, and returning to his natural role as a reply guy, be it on Brooklyn Nets or adtech Twitter.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
Creating Shareholder Value with Marpipe CEO Dan Pantelo 41:35

7M ago41:35

41:35

Marpipe founder and CEO Dan Pantelo joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to talk about bringing his company back from a near-collapse during the Silicon Valley Bank crash, rejecting an acquisition offer, discovering product-market fit, and dynamic product ads' contribution to the future of performance advertising.…

1
Measuring B2B Marketing with Octane11 CEO Dan Rosenberg 39:00

7M ago39:00

39:00

Octane11 CEO Dan Rosenberg joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss B2B marketing measurement, lessons from MediaMath, and differentiating from other data/measurement companies.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
Attention, Adtech Hype, and Getting Denied a Raise with Eric and Joe 38:16

7M ago38:16

38:16

Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa talk about the the formula for generating more attention, where we are in the adtech hype cycle, the time Joe got denied a $650/month raise, and weeks where decades happen.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
Debate! Outcomes Era vs Quality Era with Erez Levin 43:21

7M ago43:21

43:21

Adtech influencer and product guy Erez Levin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to debate Joe's thesis, the Outcomes Era, and present an alternative, the Quality Era. They debate whether Outcomes or Quality is the dominant paradigm of digital advertising, what constitutes a quality or real outcome, and whether media should be primarily val…

1
The AI-Inflected Future of Ads with OpenAds Co-Founder Michael Bishop 48:13

8M ago48:13

48:13

OpenAds co-founder and CTO Michael Bishop joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how AI will transform static ads into personalized experiences, the multi-hundred-billion-dollar AI "search" ad opportunity, the challenges and advantages of building an adtech AI startup, and the irrational, gut-oriented disposition tech entrepreneurs need to go …

1
The Future of AI and Customer Experiences with Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson 47:39

8M ago47:39

47:39

Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how AI will improve customer experiences, why first-party data isn’t enough to power personalization, the intersection of AI agents and advertising, and the role of the agency in an AI-driven advertising industry.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
How Adtech GTM Is Changing with Peer39 CEO Mario Diez 44:01

8M ago44:01

44:01

Peer39 CEO Mario Diez joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why publishers banding together failed 11 years ago and still hasn't worked, the advantages of a GTM CEO and the gaps they need to fill, how adtech GTM has changed over the last 15 years, and the future of advertising data companies in an AI-driven world.…

1
Live from CES: What's Next for Viant AI with Viant CEO Tim Vanderhook 23:01

8M ago23:01

23:01

Viant CEO and co-founder Tim Vanderhook joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa live at CES to discuss what's next for ViantAI, how AI will disrupt advertising, the ramifications of Google's dominance, and CES vibes.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
Building a Community with AdTech God 39:07

8M ago39:07

39:07

The mysterious deity of adtech, Adtech God, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to discuss how to build an audience and community, why most adtech companies are still approaching marketing with a 2005 playbook, and what individuals and organizations can do to capture the precious attention of their audiences.…

1
Lessons from 2024 and Predictions for 2025 47:25

9M ago47:25

47:25

It's just Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa, your humble hosts, on this episode as they break down the ever-increasing power of content to influence your reputation and relationships, the companies that dominated adtech in 2024, and the adtech and advertising sectors to watch in 2025. Plus, Eric hates dogs (if you know, you know).…

1
Inventing Performance TV with Jason Fairchild 43:04

9M ago43:04

43:04

tvScientific CEO and co-founder Jason Fairchild joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to talk about the lessons he brought from OpenX to tvScientific, inventing the performance TV category, and which big players, including The Trade Desk and AppLovin, might get into performance TV (or not).By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi