The MarTech landscape isn’t short on tools — or hype. AI features are being rolled out faster than they can be meaningfully evaluated, acronyms like CDP, MAP, and MTA are flying around with little shared understanding, and teams are under pressure to modernize while still delivering results.
In this episode of Data Driven Voices, we spoke with Phil Gamache — growth marketer, advisor, and co-host of the Humans of Martech podcast — to cut through the noise. The conversation focused on how to approach AI and composability without falling into buzzword traps, and why successful MarTech teams always start with a clear problem to solve — not a tool to implement.
In this blog, we’ll share some of the key takeaways from the discussion
Don’t start with tools — start with problems
If your MarTech initiative starts with choosing a vendor, you’re probably already off track. We’ve seen too many teams jump into tooling decisions without fully aligning on the problem they’re trying to solve.
“The biggest red flag is when teams start with the tech stack instead of the use case. You can end up implementing something for a problem you didn’t really understand.”
The advice is simple but powerful: solve for problems, not platforms.
AI needs use cases — not just branding
AI is reshaping MarTech — but that doesn’t mean every “AI-powered” tool delivers value. Phil encourages a healthy skepticism, especially toward vendors riding the hype wave.
“AI is being bolted on to every product right now. But just because it’s in there doesn’t mean it’s helping your team do better work.”
Rather than chasing AI features for the sake of it, Phil recommends looking at where AI can actually save time, automate repetitive work, or enhance existing content — and ignoring the rest.
Multi-touch attribution: Use with caution
Multi-touch attribution models are still widely used — but Phil questions whether they’re as helpful as they seem. While they offer structure, they can also mislead when treated as absolute truth.
“We’ve made attribution models too central. They should be one of many signals, not a final answer.”
Instead, he recommends triangulating insights: combine quantitative attribution with qualitative data, customer feedback, and a clear view of the full buyer journey.
MarTech maturity = progress over perfection
One of Phil’s most grounded messages from the episode is that MarTech transformation isn’t about getting everything right at once. It’s about making progress toward business outcomes, one use case at a time.
“There’s no perfect stack. You just need something that helps you ship.”
Instead of chasing the ultimate configuration, the best teams focus on shipping real use cases, measuring impact, and iterating from there.
Inspiration for marketing, sales, and data professionals
Data Driven Voices is a podcast where Avaus together with industry experts, thought leaders, and partners discuss how to harness data, technology, and strategy to drive meaningful change and business results in primarily marketing and sales. The podcast shares actionable insights, success stories, and thought-provoking challenges to help professionals with new perspectives.
