PUBCAST: 10 Years Later (My Struggles)

Simplified campaign construction is the foundation of good Meta advertising, but there are legitimate exceptions where complexity is necessary. The problem is knowing when to add complexity versus when you're hurting your own results. Jon explains how to thread the needle between too simple and too complicated, and why you should start simple and only add layers when they solve actual problems.

Advertisers get stuck planning the perfect campaign with 20 or 30 ads across different personas, messaging angles, and formats, only to watch Meta spend most of the budget on one ad after weeks of preparation. But all that upfront planning wastes time you could spend learning from actual results. Jon explains why you should start small with one or two ads, hit publish quickly, and build based on what's actually working instead of what you think will work.

Advertisers blame Andromeda when their results tank, treating it like a boogeyman algorithm that destroyed their performance. But most don't even understand what Andromeda actually is or how it works. Jon explains what this ad retrieval engine really does, why creative diversification doesn't mean creating 50 ads, and how to use it without drowning in unnecessary work.

Conspiracy theories about Meta advertising spread because most advertisers don't understand how things actually work, making them vulnerable to believing anything. Jon challenges you to invest time learning Meta's actual mechanics, not theory or opinion, and explains why building this foundation of fact is the only way to cut through the noise and confusion.

Advertisers want clear rules, step-by-step checklists, and universal solutions they can apply to fix their campaigns. But Meta advertising doesn't work that way, and demanding certainty means missing where real solutions are found. Jon explains why "it depends" isn't a cop-out, why the best answers live in the grays, and how to get comfortable with the uncertainty that comes with actually understanding how things work.

Advertisers list every campaign detail when their results tank, like objectives, ad sets, targeting, placements, and creative counts, hoping the right setting will fix everything. But obsessing over the "how" of Meta advertising means ignoring what actually drives performance. Jon explains why you should focus on the "what" and "why" instead, and what questions you need to ask when troubleshooting bad results.

Experienced advertisers who've spent millions often blame Meta when results tank, but they're missing something crucial. Jon explains why humility might be the most overlooked trait in advertising and why new advertisers often have an advantage over veterans.

When ads stop working, most advertisers tweak targeting or try new campaign structures. But there's a static list of things that actually matter, and it never changes. Jon walks through the exact troubleshooting process you should follow, starting with why complexity is your enemy.

Advertisers resist every Meta automation because they want control over targeting, budget distribution, and creative enhancements. But this resistance isn't just about performance. Jon explains why clinging to control will make you obsolete and what you need to embrace instead.

Adding a new ad is supposed to restart the learning phase, but Jon discovered it doesn't always happen. This revelation has him rethinking everything about what the learning phase actually means and why advertisers fear it unnecessarily.