The Human Side of MarTech
The marketers and operators actually running the stack — what’s working, what wasted budget, and how they really think about vendors, AI, and data when the P&L is theirs.
Latest from The Human Side
SORTED BY NEWEST- Reddit Marketing Strategy: Most Brands Don’t Have One But Should Before They Fail
Jonny Waite of RECHO — one of the only full-service White Hat Reddit agencies in the US — breaks down Reddit marketing strategy for brands: paid vs. organic, how to get started, and why Reddit is quietly shaping how AI tools talk about your brand. - From Naval Officer to AI Champion: How Coty’s Rafael Lopez de Azua Thinks About Global MarTech
Rafael Lopez de Azua went from the Naval Academy to Coty’s AI champion for global media. He breaks down why the unified tech stack is a myth, how to navigate global-local tension with data, and what agentic buying actually means for the future of media agencies. - AI Isn’t Replacing Your Team. It’s Exposing What You Never Fixed.
Batteries Plus e-commerce leader Angela Hill explains why she tests AI on real problems instead of chasing hype, and what it actually takes for a vendor to earn her attention in a 20,000-company market. - Your MarTech Stack Is Failing Quietly — Here’s How Enterprise Teams Fix It
Jean Guan, 15-year CDW MarTech leader, shares vendor selection strategies, adoption tactics, and change management lessons. Human Side of MarTech. - Why DTC Brands Lose the Customers They Think Are Already Theirs
Agnes Seville of Little Sleepies reveals why DTC brands confuse activity with loyalty—and the paid media strategies that keep customers coming back without burning budget. - What Vendors Get Wrong — A Fractional CMO’s Honest Take on MarTech Sales
Fractional CMO Chris Seahorn shares what makes vendors win deals, why demos fail, and how conversion rate is the fastest path to proving value. Human Side of MarTech. - Dear Mr. Vendor: Lead With the Problem You Solve (Not the Product You Sell)
Thomas Mercier has sat on every side of the table — vendor, agency, brand, publisher, consultant. In Episode 3 of The Human Side of MarTech, he reveals what buyers actually need from vendors, why credibility goes both ways, and how sustainability is becoming a real differentiator in MarTech. - Evaluating MarTech: Insights from a DTC Operator
Vincero Watches co-founder Sean Agatep reveals how operators with P&L ownership evaluate MarTech — and what vendors get wrong every time on The Human Side of MarTech. - Kill the ROAS Crutch: Build a Profit Stack
Mark Deruyter of Mark & Anthony Partners reveals why ROAS has become a misleading KPI and how performance marketers can build a profit-first measurement strategy.
What is The Human Side of MarTech?
What is The Human Side of MarTech?
It’s The MarTech Matrix’s buyer-side show. Instead of vendors, we talk to the marketers, eCommerce leaders, and agency operators who live with the stack every day — how they evaluate tools, what they’d never buy again, and how they actually use AI and data when the results are on them.
Who should listen?
CMOs and growth leaders, eCommerce and DTC operators, and agency strategists who want honest peer perspective rather than a vendor narrative. If you make or influence MarTech buying decisions, these are the conversations you wish you could have over coffee with someone who’s already done it.
How is this different from Inside the Blurbs?
Inside the Blurbs is the vendor’s view — the people building the tools. The Human Side is the buyer’s view — the people choosing and running them. Together they give you both ends of every MarTech decision.
Hear how operators really decide.
New conversations weekly — straight to your feed.