For years, The Trade Desk (TTD +1.31%) looked almost unstoppable. The Trade Desk is still growing, remains profitable, and continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) and connected TV. On their own, those numbers don't make The Trade Desk a weak business. The debate surrounding The Trade Desk has fundamentally worsened. If existing customers continue to increase their budgets, it would indicate that The Trade Desk remains highly competitive despite growing pressure from larger rivals.