Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

In this episode, Taylor explains why the traditional creative loop—analyzing past ads, chasing CTRs, writing briefs, and hoping for better results—isn’t just inefficient, it’s actively hurting growth.
Instead, we break down what actually works in 2026: treating creative like a supply chain, not a brainstorming exercise.
You’ll learn:
Why creative strategy is no longer about ideas or opinions

How to tie creative output directly to financial forecasts and media spend

What a “creative demand plan” looks like in practice

Why volume, velocity, and systems beat “great ads” every time

How the role of creative strategist is collapsing into growth and profit engineering

This conversation is for founders, CMOs, and operators running Meta ads at scale who are tired of guessing, reacting late, and burning money on creative that doesn’t move the business.
If you’re still asking “What should this ad say?” instead of “What does the system need to produce this month?”—this episode will change how you think about creative forever.
Show Notes:
TaxCloud has you covered: https://taxcloud.com/thread/

Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com

The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have

Is AppLovin actually incremental — or just another platform taking credit for demand that already exists?
In this episode, we break down 8 real AppLovin incrementality tests run across live client accounts and share what the data actually shows. No speculation. No theory. Just results.
We cover why AppLovin’s measurement is more conservative than most platforms, how its attribution model impacts reported performance, and why every test so far has come back positively incremental. From there, we move beyond the lab and into execution — sharing tactical learnings from running AppLovin at scale across multiple brands.
You’ll hear practical insights on:
How AppLovin incrementality compares to Meta, Google, and YouTube

What we’ve learned from real spend, real revenue, and real tests

Campaign structure, bidding strategies, and when to consolidate vs segment

Creative formats that are working best inside mobile game environments

Why AppLovin is emerging as a legitimate “third platform” in the paid media stack

What Black Friday & Cyber Monday revealed about AppLovin’s scaling potential

If you’re an e-commerce operator trying to decide whether AppLovin deserves real budget — or just a test — this episode will help you make that call with confidence.
Show Notes:
TaxCloud has you covered: https://taxcloud.com/thread/

Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com

The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have

Most brands are chasing “perfect attribution.”
That’s the wrong goal.
In this episode of the Podcast, Tony sits down with Steve to break down what marketing measurement is actually for — and why accuracy with a capital-T isn’t just impossible, it’s counterproductive.
Using the “Royal Cubit” metaphor, they explain why the purpose of measurement isn’t to find universal truth, but to create a shared reality that allows teams to make confident decisions at speed. From contribution margin at the business level to ROAS targets inside ad accounts, this episode walks through how CTC connects the entire measurement stack into a single operating system.
They cover:
Why platform numbers will never match — and why that’s okay

How MMM and incrementality work together (not against each other)

The hidden cost of chasing attribution precision

How to prioritize incrementality tests that actually move revenue

Why shared metrics matter more than “correct” ones

What better measurement unlocks for upper-funnel and channel expansion in 2026

If you’re responsible for budget allocation, performance efficiency, or explaining results to a CFO, this episode reframes how measurement should work — and what actually matters when the goal is contribution margin, not dashboard perfection.
Show Notes:
Head to https://www.dash.fi/
Or book a call with our Head of Sales here: https://calendly.com/d/ct8f-w59-824/dashfi-x-common-thread-collective-intro
Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com
The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have

The last five years of DTC forced brands through extreme conditions—easy money, explosive growth, brutal pullbacks, rising CAC, tariffs, and shrinking consumer demand. In this presentation from the Commerce Roundtable, Taylor Holiday breaks down why those pressures weren’t the end of DTC—but the catalyst for its next evolution.
Taylor introduces the “Flow Era”: a new phase where winning brands stop chasing easy growth and instead master cash flow, product-led expansion, operational discipline, and constraint-driven creativity. Drawing on real data, industry trends, and the Born Primitive case study, he explains how the best operators are shifting from ROAS obsession to free cash flow as the true scoreboard.
This talk covers:
Why “easy” DTC is over—and why that’s a good thing

How capital constraints are reshaping growth strategies

The shift from revenue → EBITDA → free cash flow

Why better ads won’t save commodity products

How storytelling, category expansion, and constraints unlock durable growth

Practical lessons for operators navigating rising CAC, tariffs, and inventory risk

If you’re an operator, founder, or marketer trying to build a business that actually funds itself, this presentation lays out the mindset and mechanics required to win in the next era of DTC.
Show Notes:
Head to https://www.dash.fi/

Or book a call with our Head of Sales here: https://calendly.com/d/ct8f-w59-824/dashfi-x-common-thread-collective-intro
Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com

The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have

In this episode of the Podcast, we break down the three things brands must get right to win in 2026—based on real performance data, post-BFCM learnings, and what top-performing brands are already doing differently.
Richard is joined by Luke to unpack the foundational shifts shaping the next era of ecommerce growth. As rising costs, tighter margins, and increased competition redefine the landscape, winning brands aren’t doing more—they’re doing the right things better.
We cover:
Why system integration is now essential for faster, clearer decision-making

How creative consolidation (especially UGC-led formats) is driving scalable performance

When and how distribution expansion actually works—across platforms, products, and retail channels

The role of predictability, single-source-of-truth measurement, and profit-first thinking in 2026

Why brands that lack operational clarity will struggle to keep up this year

This episode is a practical playbook for founders, CMOs, and operators looking to move faster, eliminate guesswork, and build durable growth systems heading into 2026.
Show Notes:
TaxCloud has you covered: https://taxcloud.com/thread/

Explore the PROPHIT System: http://prophitsystem.com

The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have