Jonathan Moffie doesn’t just think outside the box; he obliterates the box, repurposes it into a Gen AI-powered ad tool, and sells it to small businesses who didn’t even know they needed it. His bold vision for democratizing advertising is reshaping the Connected TV (CTV) space, taking it from a playground for big brands with bigger budgets to a space where your local alpaca farm can command prime-time attention.

Moffie, the founder of streamr.ai, has an irreverent charm that pairs well with his relentless pursuit of innovation. During his recent appearance on The ADOTAT Show, hosted by Pesach Lattin, Moffie laid out his grand plan to empower small businesses to leverage the same tools Fortune 500 companies use—with none of the headaches. "The goal was to build the easiest ads manager for CTV to get millions of SMBs into streaming, just like Meta does for social and Google does for search," Moffie explained.

But let’s rewind. What’s the problem he’s solving? CTV advertising has long been the exclusive domain of companies with deep pockets and even deeper patience. The process is expensive, jargon-laden, and wildly inaccessible for the average small business owner. "We’d tell a pizza shop owner to upload their ad, and they’d say, ‘I don’t have a video ad,’” Moffie recounted. “So we’d offer the cheapest creative services team, come back in a week, and then hit them with terms like DMA, and they’d go, ‘What the hell is a DMA?’”

For those of us who aren’t in advertising, that’s a fair question. The acronyms, layers of complexity, and sky-high costs have historically kept small businesses out of the game. Enter Moffie’s solution: a Gen AI-powered platform that streamlines every step of the process. From generating professional-quality commercials in minutes to automating audience targeting, streamr.ai removes the friction and intimidation factor. "We built it so all the small business owner has to do is generate their commercial, enter their credit card, and launch on TV," Moffie said.

And the best part? It’s affordable. “Small businesses can get on CTV for as little as $250,” Moffie shared, before adding, with a laugh, “Our system even makes sure your cupcake shop’s ad doesn’t end up running after Breaking Bad.”

The Vision Behind the Tech

Moffie’s approach isn’t just about simplifying ad creation; it’s about making the entire ecosystem work smarter. “We remix the best tools out there—ElevenLabs for AI audio, ChatGPT for scripting, Google Maps for hyper-local targeting—and build a purpose-built CTV commercial,” he explained. His platform is designed to analyze the business, match it with contextually relevant audiences, and ensure ads reach the right people at the right time.

But it’s not just about throwing tech at the problem. Moffie is adamant that small businesses need practical solutions, not pie-in-the-sky promises. "Retail locations are our bread and butter—restaurants, law firms, fitness influencers," he said. "They’re the ones who should be on TV, and we’ve made it so easy they can start generating ads immediately."

Of course, no innovation comes without its challenges. Pesach Lattin pressed Moffie on whether Gen AI’s rapid-fire ad creation could lead to oversaturation or low-quality campaigns. Moffie acknowledged the risks but was quick to defend the progress his team has made. "Our V1 wasn’t perfect," he admitted. "But our V2 is already in beta, and it’s a game-changer—better transitions, more dynamic overlays, and call-to-actions that actually drive results."

Moffie’s relentless drive to iterate and improve stems from his product-first mindset. Despite not being a coder, he’s deeply involved in every aspect of development, often leaning on his engineers to bring his vision to life. “We are like an AI DJ,” he quipped, “remixing the best tech out there to build something entirely new.”

The Man Behind the Machine

What makes Jonathan Moffie such an intriguing figure isn’t just his innovative approach to adtech—it’s his personality. Equal parts charming and self-deprecating, Moffie is the kind of guy who can seamlessly pivot from discussing AI algorithms to recounting his childhood passion for Gettysburg reenactments. “I was a huge history buff,” he revealed. “We dressed up as soldiers, slept in tents, and ate this terrible beef jerky. It was great.”

And while his days of reenacting Civil War battles are behind him, Moffie’s appreciation for history seems to inform his approach to innovation. He’s all about taking lessons from the past—like the early days of digital advertising—and applying them to the challenges of today. "Advertising has always been at the forefront of technical changes," he noted. "Gen AI is no different. It’s going to revolutionize everything, from creatives to campaign optimization."

Despite his success, Moffie remains refreshingly grounded. When Lattin asked him about the failures that shaped his career, Moffie didn’t hold back. "I got laid off from Whirl during their acquisition by AppLovin," he said. "It was brutal, especially watching the company’s stock soar afterward. But that experience taught me resilience. Now, I’m channeling that into building streamr.ai into something incredible."

The Future of CTV

So, where does Moffie see the industry heading? For starters, he’s bullish on small publishers building their own walled gardens—a concept that’s both celebrated and criticized in adtech circles. "Walled gardens get a bad rap," he said, "but they also get all the money. If small publishers can control their monetization, they can carve out valuable niches."

He’s also keenly aware of the challenges ahead, particularly around privacy. “The endless consent pop-ups are ridiculous,” he said, taking a swipe at Europe’s regulatory overreach. “But at the end of the day, users don’t really care about privacy. They just want better ads and free content.”

When asked about the long-term implications of Gen AI, Moffie struck an optimistic tone. "Five years from now, CTV advertising will be super effective for small businesses. If you’re not experimenting with Gen AI now, you’ll be left behind."

The Action Is the Juice

As the conversation wound down, Moffie shared a personal mantra: "The action is the juice." It’s a line from Heat, one of his favorite movies, and it perfectly encapsulates his approach to business. For Moffie, it’s not just about the end result; it’s about the thrill of building something new, solving problems, and pushing boundaries.

Jonathan Moffie isn’t just an adtech entrepreneur. He’s a disruptor, a dreamer, and, let’s face it, a bit of a mad scientist. Whether his vision for democratizing CTV will succeed or implode spectacularly remains to be seen.

But one thing’s for sure: he’s making advertising fun again—and that’s something we can all get behind. WATCH THE FULL EPISODE NOW