In this episode of Brave New Digital World, Andy Carvell sits down with Dyan Khor -- growth marketing leader, ex-Cash App, and advisor to scaling startups -- for a deep dive into modern growth strategy.
Dyan shares how she built Cash App’s marketing engine from scratch, managed over $500M in ad spend, and why she believes proactive hiring beats traditional recruiting. The conversation spans the evolution of measurement post-iOS 14, media mix modeling, and why the line between brand and performance marketing is fading fast.
We also explore the rising challenges of AI-fueled competition, the importance of creative novelty, and Dyan’s perspective on when not to spend a dollar. Whether you’re scaling a startup or optimizing at enterprise level, this episode is packed with honest insights, bold predictions, and practical frameworks.
Links & Resources:
- Uber ad fraud story: https://www.marketingtodaypodcast.com/194-historic-ad-fraud-at-uber-with-kevin-frisch/
- John Egan's blog: https://jwegan.com/
- Dyan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dyankhor/
- Dyan's website: https://dyankhor.com
MMM / Incrementality solutions Dyan recommended:
- Recast - https://getrecast.com/
- Paramark - https://paramark.com/
- Analytic Partners - https://analyticpartners.com/
Chapters:
(00:00) - Intro
(00:41) - Introducing Dyan and Her Background
(08:11) - Lessons from working at gaming companies
(11:02) - Applying learnings from large-scale companies to early-stage startups
(14:06) - Measurement past iOS 14
(19:15) - MMM infrastructure: Build or buy?
(23:13) - The (controversial) role of fingerprinting today
(25:52) - Performance vs. Brand Marketing is a false dichotomy
(29:27) - AI is leading to more competition, there's a need for novelty to be successful
