Real Story on Martech
Real Story on Martech
Podcast Description
This no-BS podcast cuts through the hype to bring you the “real” stories behind marketing technology. Enterprise advisors Tony Byrne and Jarrod Gingras of Real Story Group share hard-won lessons, sharp insights, and candid takes from the buyer’s side of the table. From vendor bullying and the pitfalls of “headless” platforms to smart selection strategies and tech stacks that actually deliver, nothing’s off-limits.If you’re tired of vendor spin and craving unfiltered advice, you’ve come to the right place. With over 20 years of experience helping global brands navigate the ever-changing Martech landscape, Tony and Jarrod demystify and de-hype marketing technology. Listen to “Real Story on Martech” to learn how the best stacks really work, which vendors to avoid, and how to become your firm’s next MarTech hero.Listen to “Real Story on Martech” beginning April 30 on your favorite podcast apps, YouTube and realstorygroup.com.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers crucial themes in marketing technology including vendor bullying, martech selection strategies, and emerging concepts like legless architecture. Episodes provide actionable insights, with specific examples such as the common pitfalls in martech selection and how to identify and combat vendor bullying tactics.

This no-BS podcast cuts through the hype to bring you the “real” stories behind marketing technology. Enterprise advisors Tony Byrne and Jarrod Gingras of Real Story Group share hard-won lessons, sharp insights, and candid takes from the buyer’s side of the table. From vendor bullying and the pitfalls of “headless” platforms to smart selection strategies and tech stacks that actually deliver, nothing’s off-limits.
If you’re tired of vendor spin and craving unfiltered advice, you’ve come to the right place. With over 20 years of experience helping global brands navigate the ever-changing Martech landscape, Tony and Jarrod demystify and de-hype marketing technology. Listen to “Real Story on Martech” to learn how the best stacks really work, which vendors to avoid, and how to become your firm’s next MarTech hero.
Listen to “Real Story on Martech” beginning April 30 on your favorite podcast apps, YouTube and realstorygroup.com.
Agentic AI is being hailed as the future of the MarTech stack—but is it truly transformational or just the latest hype cycle? In this episode, Jarrod Gingras and Tony Byrne break down what agentic AI really is, where it delivers real value today, and why most enterprises are still far from running their stacks autonomously. From task agents to cross-platform orchestration, they share practical use cases, hard lessons from real-world prototypes, and what MarTech leaders should watch out for next.
In this episode:
What is agentic AI in MarTech?
Agentic AI refers to goal-driven, semi-autonomous systems that can plan, adapt, and take action using real-time data—often without human input at every step. In MarTech, agents typically automate tasks, workflows, or cross-platform processes to improve speed, scale, and decision-making.What’s the difference between task agents and orchestration agents?
- Task or workflow agents operate within a single platform, automating specific functions like data enrichment or campaign setup.
- Orchestration agents work across multiple platforms, coordinating insights, decisions, and content execution across the MarTech stack.
Most vendors today focus on task agents—not true orchestration.
Can agentic AI replace core AI services?
No. Agentic AI depends on mature core AI services, including:
- Insights AI (What’s happening and why?)
- Decisioning AI (What should we do about it?)
- Generative AI (What content or experiences should we create?)
Agents build on these layers—they don’t replace them.
What are the biggest risks MarTech leaders should watch for?
- Agents deployed “willy-nilly” across the stack
- Rising and unpredictable AI processing costs
- Lack of consistency and statefulness across agent steps
- Over-reliance on immature AI foundations
- Poor customer journey coherence

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