On the latest episode of The Aperiam Podcast, Corey Ferengul moderates…sort of a debate…between Joe Zawadzki and Erica Chriss on whether cookie deprecation was a crisis or a catalyst.

Was identity always essential—or have retail media and curation shown us a better path?

Smart, fast-paced, and full of insights for CMOs, investors, and adtech insiders.

M&A in AdTech: Dead or Just Sleeping?

In this week's Aperiam Podcast, Corey and Joe dive into what’s really happening in the M&A market, why being “ready” matters even when you're not for sale, and how founders should think about story, data, and the art of the soft pitch. Get an indepth view on how Corey and Joe think about running an M&A process.

Plus, an Easter egg offer for our listeners…

Is Microsoft’s DSP shutdown a bold AI bet or a quiet surrender?

In this episode, Joe Zawadzki and Corey Ferengul unpack Microsoft's decision to wind down Xandr by 2026 — and what it signals about the future of DSPs in an agentic, AI-driven world. 🚫📈🤖

We talk:

• Why big companies fail at ad tech rollups
• How agentic AI disrupts the programmatic model
• The rise of modular, API-first ad stacks
• Whether we’re heading toward 3 mega-DSPs or 3,000 micro-platforms
• Why Microsoft might be doing with ads what Harvard once did with linguistics (yes, really)

If you care about the future of ad tech, automation, or why sometimes blowing things up is the right move — this one’s for you.

#AperiamPodcast #AdTech #AI #DSP #Programmatic #Azure #Microsoft #Advertising #MediaBuying #Innovation #AgenticAI