Meta, Apple and Google ads designed from peer reviewed research
Run ads scientifically, avoid vanity metrics
You don’t need better ads, you need ads based on science, not dashboards
I’m a solo operator and former engineer. I optimize for measured revenue lift, not clicks or ROAS. If you want cheap conversions, go to Fiverr. If you want profit, start here.
Why your dashboards look good, while profit doesn’t
If a metric can lie, it will. Here are the three lies I actively design against.
ROAS is a vanity metric
ROAS goes up when revenue goes down. I optimize for incremental revenue and payback, not ratio theatrics.
Free offers destroy average revenue per user
Add the word “free”, conversions spike, revenue collapses. I prefer value framing and clean intent.
Ad engines optimize for cost, not profit
Platforms don’t care if you win, they care if you spend. I architect signal quality so the algo chases value, not CPM.
The science behind profitable behavior
These are the kinds of papers I break down in the newsletter, short, practical, sourced.
Ad impact overstated when attribution ignores natural converters
Harvard Business Review, What Digital Advertising Gets Wrong, 2021 source
Selection of the free option under zero price conditions
Shampanier, Mazar, Ariely, Zero as a Special Price, 2007 source
Purchase rate with smaller choice set compared to large set
Iyengar, Lepper, When Choice is Demotivating, 2000 source