Mobile Dev Memo Podcast

On this week's episode of the podcast, I am joined by Maor Sadra, the co-founder and CEO of INCRMNTAL, to discuss the current cycle of M&A in digital advertising and the industry-wide shift toward intelligence-based measurement. Maor is well-positioned to discuss this topic, as INCRMNTAL was recently acquired by Smartly.
Maor and I analyze how acquisitions are moving away from simple inventory reach toward deeper integration of data, identity, and causal signal. Among other things, we discuss:
Why causal measurement is becoming a strategic necessity for large-scale creative and media optimization platforms
How the transition from legacy to AI-first companies creates opportunities for consolidation across the advertising stack
Whether enterprise clients will prioritize deep domain expertise over general machine learning capabilities when selecting partners
If the recent investment in AppsFlyer signals a permanent shift toward a collaborative industry-wide attribution infrastructure
What the rise of zero-click platforms like ChatGPT means for traditional performance marketing metrics and models
How e-commerce and retail media giants are leveraging CTV acquisitions to challenge established advertising platforms
When the current wave of AI-labeled startups will face the reality of high-volume performance requirements
Thanks to the sponsors of this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:
⁠⁠INCRMNTAL⁠⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.
⁠Branch⁠. 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
Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact Mobile Dev Memo advertising.
The Mobile Dev Memo podcast is available on:
Spotify
YouTube
Apple Podcasts

On this week's episode of the podcast, I am joined by Offer Yehudai, the co-founder of Arya, to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence and human intimacy. We explore the development of AI-driven companions designed to improve relationship health and the delicate balance between automation and human expertise. Among other things, we discuss:
Whether the lack of human judgment in AI interactions encourages users to share more intimate personal details
Why a hybrid model combining automated intelligence with human oversight remains necessary for maintaining consumer trust in sensitive topics like intimacy
What role long-term contextual memory plays in developing sophisticated AI tools that truly understand complex human dynamics
If the current explosion of low-quality AI applications will lead to a permanent erosion of consumer confidence
How utility app developers can leverage community roll-ups to achieve sustainable growth in a competitive advertising market
When the integration of commerce and physical products will become a standard component of digital wellness subscriptions
Thanks to the sponsors of this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:
⁠⁠INCRMNTAL⁠⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.
Xsolla⁠. With the Xsolla Web Shop, you can create a direct storefront, cut fees down to as low as 5%, and keep players engaged with bundles, rewards, and analytics.
⁠Branch⁠. 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
Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact Mobile Dev Memo advertising.
The Mobile Dev Memo podcast is available on:
Spotify
YouTube
Apple Podcasts

On this week's episode of the podcast, I am joined by Michael Kaminsky, co-founder and co-CEO of Recast. We explore the rise of open-source Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) tools and the challenges of measuring modern ad spend. Among other things, we discuss:
Whether open-source MMM libraries like Robyn and Meridian are truly unbiased tools or subtle instruments for big tech self-grading
How marketers can effectively evaluate the accuracy of MMM outputs through techniques like parameter recovery and predictive forecasting
Why smaller, performance-driven brands might actually find more value in last-touch attribution than in complex econometric modeling
If the inherent uncertainty in MMM estimates makes them fundamentally incompatible with the fast-paced feedback loops of digital advertising
What role generative AI and large language models play in democratizing access to sophisticated marketing data science analysis
When a brand should transition from simple attribution methods to a multi-layered approach involving incrementality and econometric modeling
How the shift toward CTV and non-trackable channels is forcing a resurgence in probabilistic measurement frameworks like MMM
Thanks to the sponsors of this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:
⁠⁠INCRMNTAL⁠⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.
Xsolla⁠. With the Xsolla Web Shop, you can create a direct storefront, cut fees down to as low as 5%, and keep players engaged with bundles, rewards, and analytics.
⁠Branch⁠. 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
Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact Mobile Dev Memo advertising.
The Mobile Dev Memo podcast is available on:
Spotify
YouTube
Apple Podcasts

On this week's episode of the podcast, I am joined by Ananya Sen and Saharsh Agarwal to discuss their research on the impact of Google's AI Overviews on web publisher traffic. We explore the results of their field experiment, currently in pre-print, which utilized a custom browser extension to measure how generative search results influence outbound clicks and user satisfaction.
The results of the field experiment suggest a significant reduction in traffic for certain queries, challenging the narrative that these interfaces only filter out low-quality interactions. We dive into the implications for the broader web ecosystem, including the risks posed to smaller publishers and the role of data licensing deals. Among other things, we discuss:
How generative search interfaces might fundamentally alter the symbiotic relationship between search engines and the publishers who provide their data
Whether the removal of low-quality clicks truly compensates publishers for the overall decline in traffic driven by AI-generated summaries
What happens to smaller publishers when major outlets secure exclusive data licensing deals that prioritize their content in search results
Why AI Mode represents a potential endpoint for search that could essentially eliminate outbound traffic for a majority of queries
Whether the long-tail of the internet can survive a transition where search engines become information destinations rather than mere conduits
Thanks to the sponsors of this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:
⁠⁠INCRMNTAL⁠⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.
Xsolla⁠. With the Xsolla Web Shop, you can create a direct storefront, cut fees down to as low as 5%, and keep players engaged with bundles, rewards, and analytics.
⁠Branch⁠. 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
Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact Mobile Dev Memo advertising.
The Mobile Dev Memo podcast is available on:
Spotify
YouTube
Apple Podcasts

On this week's episode of the podcast, I am joined by Tricia Han, CEO of Mistplay, and Sampsa Jaatinen, Chief Data and AI Officer at Mistplay, to explore the rapidly evolving world of rewarded user acquisition. We dive into how the rewarded model has matured from a niche Android-focused strategy into a primary growth engine for mobile gaming across both major platforms. Among other things, we discuss:
Why rewarded user acquisition has moved from a niche tactic to a cornerstone of modern mobile gaming growth strategies
How the shift in Apple's App Store policies regarding incentivized installs has created a new frontier for iOS developers
Whether the rich behavioral data sets generated by rewarded platforms provide a significant competitive advantage over traditional ad networks
What role machine learning and reinforcement learning play in optimizing the timing and nature of user rewards and recommendations
If the play-and-earn philosophy can be successfully exported to non-gaming industries like retail, finance, and quick-service restaurants
How the blurring lines between mobile and console gaming will influence the way platforms compete for limited user attention
When the industry will fully realize the potential of direct-to-consumer web shops coupled with highly personalized reward mechanisms
Thanks to the sponsors of this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:
⁠⁠INCRMNTAL⁠⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.
Xsolla⁠. With the Xsolla Web Shop, you can create a direct storefront, cut fees down to as low as 5%, and keep players engaged with bundles, rewards, and analytics.
⁠Branch⁠. 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
Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact Mobile Dev Memo advertising.
The Mobile Dev Memo podcast is available on:
Spotify
YouTube
Apple Podcasts