
[radically candid]
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[radically candid]
Last-click is dead! How Headless Analytics is Rewriting the Rules of Attribution with Michael Lieberman
🎧 Episode Highlights
In this deep-dive episode of [Radically Candid], Tim Rowe sits down with Michael Lieberman—Product Manager of Headless Analytics at Cognition and founder of the technology behind it—to break down how to finally solve your attribution blind spots.
From Shopify sites to CTV ads, this episode unpacks how modern measurement really works (and where everyone else is getting it wrong).
⏱️ Quick Takeaways (2-min read)
- The Problem: Why most attribution models (especially last-click) are broken in 2025.
- The Solution: How Headless Analytics gives you raw, real-time behavioral data with almost no dev lift.
- The Magic: Collaborative game theory attribution that fairly assigns credit across media touchpoints.
- The Vision: A fully transparent, composable CDP you can set up in hours.
- The Application: Shopify plug-and-play, e-comm ROI clarity, CTV performance you can prove.
📊 From Clicks to Conversions (03:10)
- What Headless Analytics actually does (and why you need it).
- Real-life use cases for tracking the full journey from ad exposure to transaction.
🔁 Attribution Meets Activation (09:30)
- How to close the feedback loop—using attribution to power smarter media buying.
- Why analytics and activation teams are now one and the same.
🧠 Game Theory Attribution (16:45)
- Why traditional attribution rules are outdated and biased.
- How Cognition uses collaborative game theory to distribute credit fairly (yes, it won a Nobel Prize).
💥 Real-World Applications (22:30)
- The scary simplicity of the copy/paste Shopify integration.
- How automotive and e-commerce brands are unlocking actual ROI visibility.
🔧 Raw Data, Real Transparency (29:00)
- You don’t just get a dashboard—you get the database.
- Plug directly into your reporting layer, build your own CDP, activate audiences at will.
🔮 Future-Proof Tech (34:00)
AI-generated creative based on behavioral signals.
- Personalized ads that feel like they were made just for you.
🛠️ Fast Setup (38:10)
- 20-second implementation. No dev dependencies. Real-time tracking.
🔁 Feedback Loop to Growth (42:00)
- Use the data to make better creative.
- Use the creative to drive better data.
- Repeat.
🎬 Listen to the Full Episode