In this intriguing episode of Growth Mastermind, host John Koetsier chats with industry veteran Farhan Haq, founder of independent growth agency Hyper HQ. They explore crucial strategies to enhance CPMs, discussing the importance of manual calls and real-time bidding in optimizing ad ops within a real-time bidding world. Farhan provides an in-depth look at how games developers and publishers can navigate these processes for effective growth in the mobile gaming landscape. He further delves into ad placements, A/B testing, market strategy, and innovative methods like adjusting in-game rewards based on real-time user worth. The conversation wraps up with an exploration of emerging trends and projections for the future of in-app purchase, subscription, and ad monetization models. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation 01:05 Understanding Ad Operations in an RTB World 01:57 The Importance of Manual Calls and Realtime Bidding 03:46 Optimizing Networks and Running AB Tests 04:05 The Role of Competition in Ad Monetization 04:27 Understanding the Fundamentals of AB Testing 05:53 The Impact of Ad Placement and Pricing on Monetization 06:02 The Importance of Ad Units in Monetization 07:27 The Impact of Automation on Ad Monetization 07:27 The Importance of Hands-On Approach in Ad Monetization 08:48 The Role of Google Ad Manager in Monetization 10:17 The Role of User Acquisition in Monetization 20:23 The Impact of Geographical Location on Monetization 26:59 The Future of Ad Monetization 32:13 Conclusion and Final Thoughts