Unfiltered: Monetization Myths, Signal Scraping, and What’s Really Broken

The open web isn’t dead - but it is being remodeled, re-priced, and reshaped. In this episode of Web Without Walls, Lila Hunt, VP of Display at System1, joins us to pull back the curtain on curation fees, signal scraping, and the real forces at work behind falling CPMs. From header bidding’s early days to the future of identity, Lila’s candid take on monetization strategy offers mid-market publishers a playbook for surviving and thriving.

Lila Hunt is VP of Display at System1 and one of the most respected voices in programmatic strategy today. With over 15 years in ad tech, she’s led monetization strategy across the sell-side and serves on multiple industry advisory boards. Known for her clarity, wit, and straight-shooting style, Lila brings a rare blend of tactical insight and fearless perspective on what’s broken and what might still be fixable.

Vijay Kumar is the Founder and CEO of Mile, where he has spent over a decade helping publishers navigate modern Ad Tech. His work spans pricing strategy, yield optimization, and infrastructure decisions, always focused on giving publishers more clarity and control.

As host of Web Without Walls, Vijay brings real-world experience and thoughtful curiosity to every conversation. He asks the questions publishers care about, challenges assumptions when needed, and creates space for honest, practical industry dialogue.

• “If the publisher created the signal, they should be actually getting incentivized for providing that signal. In this case, they're not receiving any additional dollars. And that is a problem”
• “We all kind of want to like keep on to our secret sauce, but we don't want to like, we do help each other like move in the same direction, which I think is kind of unique. so for me, I just, I just want to be like, Hey, that's not actually the way this works. Like that's, that's what I've tried to do, which is, I don't know, kind of plain and pragmatic.”