Season 8, Episode 1: Articulating a bull case for the open web (with Gareth Glaser)

<p>On this week&#39;s episode of the podcast, I am joined by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethglaser/">Gareth Glaser</a> to explore the potential for a resurgence of the open web. Gareth is the CEO of <a href="https://gamera.app/">Gamera</a> and a long-time operator in the programmatic media space, having spent time at Appnexus and Magnite and having served as the PMC Chair at Prebid.js.</p><p>We explore why the open web has lagged behind walled gardens like Meta and Google in performance marketing and how a shift in focus could unlock meaningful economic value. Gareth shares insights from his extensive career in independent ad tech, discussing the evolution of programmatic infrastructure and the current state of publisher monetization. Among other things, we discuss:</p><ul><li>Whether the open web can transition from a legacy branding medium to a high-scale performance marketing opportunity</li><li>How the historical reliance on agency budgets and rebates stunted the technical development of open web advertising tools</li><li>Why current estimates of open web traffic might significantly undervalue its potential if monetization strategies are modernized</li><li>What structural changes are necessary to make open web inventory as attractive to small businesses as Meta ecosystem</li><li>If the outcome of the Google antitrust trial will truly level the playing field for independent ad tech companies</li><li>How the shift toward LTV measurement for publishers reflects the maturing operational standards of the mobile app world</li><li>Why the lack of granular ad experience descriptions remains a primary barrier to entry for performance-oriented advertisers</li></ul><p>Thanks to the sponsors of this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:</p><ul><li><a href="https://webshop.xsolla.com/home?utm_source=content-syndication&utm_medium=infuencer&utm_campaign=webshop2025&utm_content=MDMPod">⁠</a><a href="https://www.incrmntal.com/">⁠<strong>INCRMNTAL</strong>⁠⁠⁠</a>. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.</li><li><a href="https://www.branch.io/">⁠<strong>Branch</strong></a><a href="https://www.universalads.com/">⁠</a>. Branch is an AI-powered MMP, connecting every paid, owned, and organic touchpoint so growth teams can see exactly where to put their dollars to bring users in the door and keep them coming back</li></ul><p>Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact <a href="mailto:advertising@mobiledevmemo.com">Mobile De