PubMatic’s Journey: Scaling Ads, Targeting, and Innovation
In a world saturated with advertisements, it’s easy to overlook the complex technology and psychology behind their placement. To shed light on this intricate process, we sat down with Mukul Jumar, the Co-Founder and President of Engineering at PubMatic. With over 17 years of experience, Jumar provides valuable insights into PubMatic’s founding principles, the architecture behind ad placement, and the innovative services the company offers to its clients.
Jumar takes us back to 2006 when PubMatic was born out of an idea scribbled on a paper napkin. Jumar, along with his co-founders Amarin and Rajiv, embarked on an exciting journey of building a groundbreaking product. Working from a three-bedroom house in Pune, India, the team started with just two laptops and a clear vision. In a matter of months, they launched their alpha version and served their first thousand ad impressions. Today, PubMatic serves over 500 billion ads a day, a remarkable testament to their growth and success.
While consumers encounter countless ads daily, they rarely consider the technology and psychology employed in their placement. Jumar emphasizes two crucial aspects: targeted ads and scale. Targeting ensures that ads are personalized and relevant to the viewer, optimizing their browsing experience. Jumar explains the intricate process of ad targeting, involving extensive data analysis and consent from the users. Additionally, PubMatic’s ability to handle the staggering scale of over 500 billion daily ad impressions showcases their expertise in building software that can process massive volumes of data seamlessly and deliver ads in under 200 milliseconds.
PubMatic offers a range of products catering to both publishers and buyers. For publishers, they provide PubMatic SSP, Connect, and Identity Hub, empowering them to monetize their inventory effectively. On the buyer side, PubMatic offers ProBid, SSP Connect, and recently introduced Activate, a groundbreaking product enabling direct connections between buyers and publishers for video inventory. With a strong foothold in video advertising, PubMatic helps publishers in India and the US, such as Z5 and Voot, maximize their revenue in the rapidly growing CTV and OTT space.
As the Co-Founder and President of Engineering, Jumar oversees the entire technology landscape at PubMatic. His responsibilities span research and development, engineering, innovation, and infrastructure management. With a dedicated team of developers, testers, and infrastructure managers, Jumar ensures the seamless operation of PubMatic’s vast data centers spread across the globe. Jumar’s passion for innovation and high-performance systems drives PubMatic’s continuous pursuit of cutting-edge technology.
Adapting to a Changing Landscape: Jumar acknowledges the rapidly changing technology landscape and its impact on PubMatic’s research and innovation processes. He highlights the importance of staying at the forefront of emerging technologies, such as AI and machine learning, to deliver superior ad targeting and optimization. PubMatic embraces the evolving landscape, constantly exploring new avenues and architecting innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of their clients.
PubMatic’s remarkable journey, spearheaded by Mukul Jumar, exemplifies the power of innovation, scale, and targeted ad placement. From humble beginnings to serving billions of ads daily, PubMatic has revolutionized the advertising industry. Through their range of products and unwavering commitment to research and development, PubMatic continues to shape the future of digital advertising, empowering both publishers and buyers in an increasingly digital.
