The CDP fantasy is over

Tejas Manohar, co-CEO of Hightouch, dismantles the CDP playbook and discusses the shift toward composable data architectures and AI-driven decisioning.

By ,
Founder, Marc Sirkin Consulting
Published on December 3, 2025 • Last updated on December 3, 2025 • 2 minutes read

Table of Contents

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    Customer data platforms promised clarity, unity and true personalization — but reality didn’t live up to the hype.

    In this episode, Hightouch Co-CEO Tejas Manohar joins us to dismantle the outdated CDP playbook and reveal why modern teams are shifting toward composable data architectures and AI-driven decisioning.

    Manohar shares the inside story of the CDP market’s evolution, why most organizations still struggle to activate their data, and how AI is finally enabling the kind of individualized marketing the industry chased for decades.

    From broken batch-and-blast tactics to the rise of automated insights, this conversation exposes what’s not working — and what B2B teams must embrace next.

    If you’re re-thinking your stack, your strategy or your role in an AI-powered marketing world, this episode is required listening.

    Episode guide

    00:16: Guest introduction: Tejas Manohar
    00:54: The evolution of CDPs
    09:26: The role of AI in marketing
    12:23: The future of marketing playbooks
    20:10: Personalization in marketing: Myth or reality?
    23:53: AI in marketing: A new workflow
    30:40: The technical shift in marketing
    35:08: The future of UX and AI integration
    38:52: Personal journey: Pivoting during COVID

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    Marc Sirkin
    Founder, Marc Sirkin Consulting

    Marc Sirkin is a former CEO, CMO, and digital transformation leader known for driving growth, innovation, and exits at iconic brands including Microsoft, PwC, and Autism Speaks. As Founder of Marc Sirkin Consulting and host of the “Playbook Broken” podcast, he helps executives navigate existential change by integrating AI, aligning teams, and accelerating outcomes. He led the integration of Third Door Media into Semrush post-acquisition by preserving editorial independence while transforming virtual events and launching AI-powered products.

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