Why playing it safe won’t keep you safe: Michael Rubenstein on building Firsthand, AI and the future of ad tech

During Advertising Week New York, Mike O’Sullivan, co-founder of Sincera and general manager of Product at The Trade Desk, sat down with Michael Rubenstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Firsthand, for an unfiltered founder-to-founder conversation about building companies, taking risks and redefining innovation.

Rubenstein, whose career spans DoubleClick, AppNexus and now Firsthand, says success — whether you’re a founder or an intrapreneur — comes from creativity, vision and the willingness to take risks.

“Playing it safe will not keep you safe as a company,” Rubenstein says. “It’s the willingness to fail and the willingness to take risks that will lead companies to succeed.”From his early days at DoubleClick to leading Firsthand, Rubenstein has seen the ad tech industry evolve from programmatic buying to AI-driven brand engagement. Yet one thing remains constant: the need to build with AI and with purpose.

“Every business today is either an AI startup or an AI transformation,” he says. “Your business needs to be fundamentally about unlocking the value of AI and leveraging AI. And I think if you do that, you’ll be well positioned to compete in this new era.”

Listen to the full conversation of The Big Impression — wherever you get your podcasts.