EP365 - The Toggles That Cost Thousands ft Menachem Ani (video)

Don’t Launch on a Friday What happens when a Google Ads campaign burns through its budget in hours? Or when AI starts making optimisation decisions you don’t fully trust? In this candid episode of PPC Live The Podcast, Anu Adegbola sits down with Menachem Ani — founder of JXT Group and long-standing Google Premier Partner — to unpack the real mistakes PPC professionals make, the lessons that come from them, and why honesty matters more than perfection in paid media. With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, Menachem shares stories from the early days of Google Ads, campaign mishaps that still haunt him, and why modern PPC has become both more powerful and more dangerous in the age of automation and AI. Together, they discuss: Overspending budgets from simple bid mistakes Why you should never launch campaigns before a weekend The dangers of “set it and forget it” automation PMAX misconceptions agencies still get wrong AI Max, Claude, and the future of autonomous PPC Why strong client relationships matter when mistakes happen How managers should handle team errors with accountability and grace The growing pressure of keeping up with AI-driven advertising This episode is a refreshing reminder that even experienced PPC professionals make mistakes — and that learning from them is what truly matters. Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome to PPC Live The Podcast 00:52 – Menachem Ani’s 20+ Years in Google Ads 01:52 – Setting a First Google Ads Campaign in 2003 02:19 – Why PPC Was Simpler Back Then 03:30 – Why Mistakes Make Better PPC Marketers 05:02 – Accidentally Blowing Through Client Budgets 06:26 – The Golden Rule: Never Launch on a Friday 09:03 – Forgetting to Turn Off Sales Ads 10:18 – The Importance of Attention to Detail 11:47 – Building Strong Client Relationships 13:34 – What To Do When You Make a PPC Mistake 14:52 – Common Mistakes Found in Account Audits 15:41 – Why PMAX Retargeting Doesn’t Work 17:17 – Understanding What PMAX Actually Does 18:34 – The Problem With “Set It and Forget It” PPC 19:47 – Is AI Max the Next PMAX? 21:11 – When AI Max Goes Wrong for Lead Gen 21:46 – Using Claude AI for PPC Campaigns 23:58 – The Risks of Giving AI Too Much Access 24:48 – Why You Should Never Fully Trust AI Outputs 25:25 – The Hidden Dangers of Copying Campaigns 26:09 – How Managers Should Handle Team Mistakes 27:55 – Creating a Learning Culture in PPC Teams 28:34 – AI, Automation & The Future of PPC Mistakes 29:31 – Why the Industry Needs More Honest Conversations 30:28 – If PPC Was a Movie: “Heat” 31:00 – Humans vs AI in Modern PPC 31:52 – Where to Connect With Menachem Ani Menachem Ani is the founder of JXT Group, a Google Premier Partner agency specialising in paid media strategy, Google Ads automation, and performance marketing innovation. He is a respected industry speaker and contributor to publications including Search Engine Land, SMX, brightonSEO, and PPC Live. LinkedIn -   / menachemani   Twitter/X - https://x.com/MenachemAni JXT Group - https://www.jxtgroup.com/ Follow PPC Live The Podcast for honest conversations about PPC, paid media, AI, automation, and the realities of working in digital marketing today.