The Ad Project, Powered by Podean · 2026-04-15 · 27 min
Joe Shelerud , CEO of Ad Advance, sits down with Ryan Craver , Chief Strategy Officer of Podean, for a candid, fast-moving conversation on what's actually happening in AI right now - and what it means for agencies and marketers. Key Takeaways: The pace is the story. From ChatGPT's launch in November 2022 to Claude Sonnet 4.6, OpenClaw, and Perplexity Computer all dropping within weeks of each other - the speed of innovation has fundamentally changed how teams need to operate. Agent orchestration is here. OpenClaw, Claude Cowork, and Perplexity Computer each offer different on-ramps to agentic workflows. Ryan and Joe break down what each one actually does and who each is best suited for. Real wins are happening. Tasks that once took an hour are taking five minutes. Recurring research, competitive intelligence, and internal reporting are being automated - right now, not someday. Input quality is everything. Weak prompts and poor context yield weak outputs. Building out skills, brand guidelines, and knowledge bases inside your AI stack is what separates teams getting real value from those just dabbling. Don't get locked in.
Expanding the Map: Amerge Joins the Podean Family50 / 100Building Culture That Actually Works: Agency Growth, Acquisitions & What's Next
Turning Upper Funnel Strategy into Measurable Growth
Unlocking the Power of Open Internet: Amazon DSP’s Evolution in Streaming Media Buying
Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2025 Results: Shopper Trends & AI’s Impact