Talking AdTech (for the uninitiated) with AdLib CEO Mike Hauptman

I’ll admit it, I’m a complete novice when it comes to AdTech. So when I sat down with Mike Hauptman, co-founder and CEO of AdLib DSP, I basically showed up with curiosity and a mild sense of panic. Mike walked me through the world of programmatic advertising, data marketplaces, and AI’s growing role in optimizing campaigns — but without the acronyms and the “you should already know this” tone that usually scares people off. We talked about why so many DSPs feel like they require a PhD to operate, how AdLib is trying to make buying media as easy as using Google Ads, and where AI fits into the ad-buying process (hint: it’s not replacing humans just yet). For me, this episode was a rare chance to peek into the machinery that powers the ads behind Martech — and to realize just how closely these two worlds are about to collide. If you’ve ever nodded along in a meeting pretending to understand “programmatic,” this one’s for you.