HWYD: Do you remember your first step into affiliate - how did it happen?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Yes, it was the most random step. I was working in another field and was offered a job in the affiliate industry. That's how it all started.

HWYD: Was it a conscious choice or more of an accident?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: At first, it was an accident, of course. But after a while, it became a conscious choice to continue developing in this area.

HWYD: What stuck with you the most in the industry then?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: It's hard to say, because at that time I wasn't familiar with this area at all. Many things were discovered in the process of work.

HWYD: What was your entry point to affiliate?

Artem, COO of CashYard: I started by launching ads and working with partners. Over time, I began to understand more about how the operating system works.

HWYD: At what point did you realize that you wanted to stay in this field?

Artem, COO of CashYard: When I saw how quickly the result could be scaled up if the processes were built correctly.

HWYD: What did you find the least obvious or most challenging at the start of your work?

Artem, COO of CashYard: The number of nuances in working with traffic and partners. Many things become clear only with experience.

HWYD: What period in your career has shaped you the most as a leader?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: It was the time when we had to make decisions quickly and take responsibility for the results of the entire team.

HWYD: What is it about your character that helps you the most in your role as CEO today?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Ability to see the bigger picture and quickly adapt to changes.

HWYD: What work tasks give you the most energy?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Strategy, development of partnerships and launch of new directions.

HWYD: What experience has most influenced your approach to operations?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Work in new projects where all processes were built from scratch.

HWYD: What are you personally responsible for and control in your work today?

Artem, COO of CashYard:  Operational processes, system stability, and interaction with partners.

HWYD: What tasks in your work give you the greatest professional drive?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Optimizing processes and building a system that works stably even with growth.

HWYD: How do you usually make difficult decisions - more through numbers or through feelings?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Most often, it's the numbers, but intuition also plays a role.

HWYD: When do you feel most responsible for the team?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: When you need to make difficult decisions that affect the entire team.

HWYD: What management habit helps you keep your focus the most?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Set priorities clearly and don't spread yourself thin.

HWYD: What does a typical working day look like for you, without any embellishments?

Artem, COO of CashYard: A lot of communication, operational tasks and constant monitoring of processes.

HWYD: What processes are you most demanding of and why?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Those that affect the stability of the affiliate's work and its scaling.

HWYD: What operational mistake does a team most often underestimate at the start of growth?

Underestimation of process scaling and staff expansion.

HWYD: When did you first feel that CashYard was starting to gain momentum in the market?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: When new partners began to actively come and a steady stream of traffic appeared.

HWYD: What was the team's main focus in the first months of work?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Building trust with partners.

HWYD: What was crucial for you to get right from the very beginning?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Transparency of work and high-quality communication with partners.

HWYD: CashYard received the «Best Affiliate» award from Buyer Media after only six months on the market. How did you manage to do it?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Thanks to a strong team and high-quality work.

HWYD: What is the most significant result of these six months?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Trust of partners and stable growth of indicators.

HWYD: The market has definitely noticed your online presence. Are you ready for a full-fledged offline entry?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: We have always seen online as a foundation, but not as a limit. To be honest, the market has long been pushing us to have a more visible offline presence, and we have been preparing for this. I will say this: the coming months will be very interesting for CashYard. We are planning several steps that will allow our partners to get to know us not only in chats or on calls, but also in person. And one of these moments will happen very soon. We won't reveal all the cards yet, but I advise those who follow us to take a closer look. I think that very soon we will have many reasons to say, «Let's talk offline.».

HWYD: From an operational point of view, where does a stable affiliate actually start?

Artem, COO of CashYard: From clear processes, stable payments, and transparent traffic analytics.

HWYD: What was the most difficult process to set up at the start?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Automation of processes, building an operational structure without unnecessary bureaucracy.

HWYD: Where was the most handmade in the beginning?

Artem, COO of CashYard: In building departments and their proper functioning.

HWYD: Where has CashYard become significantly stronger operationally over these six months?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Process stability and system scalability.

HWYD: Which process is more stable today than at the start?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Communication between departments.

HWYD: What kind of operational load is the team ready for now, even though it looked ambitious at the start?

Artem, COO of CashYard: To a much larger volume of traffic.

HWYD: Who are the people you intuitively feel are “yours” in the team?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Those who are responsible for their work and share our values.

HWYD: What is more important to you when hiring: experience or a person's approach to work?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Approach to work and desire to develop.

HWYD: What are you most pleased with in the team's development over these months?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: How quickly the team grows and takes responsibility.

HWYD: At what point do you realize that a person can be trusted with autonomous work?

Artem, COO of CashYard: When it consistently shows results and makes the right decisions.

HWYD: Where has the team grown the most in these six months from an operational point of view?

Artem, COO of CashYard: The speed of independent decision-making and the quality of work with partners.

HWYD: What request do you hear from webmasters most often nowadays?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Stability, unique offers, transparency of transactions, and fast payouts.

HWYD: How do you usually recover from intense periods?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: To be honest, there is no special ritual. I can go to the shooting range and shoot, and that's enough to reboot.

HWYD: How easy is it for you to switch between work and personal life in general?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: It's not always easy, but I try to find a balance.

HWYD: What helps you to return the resource faster?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Time with loved ones.

HWYD: How do you switch gears after hard weeks of work?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Sports, relaxing with friends.

HWYD: What helps you not to burn out at this pace?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Desire for dynamic growth of the project.

HWYD: What is the habit that keeps you balanced the most right now?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Regular sports.

HWYD: What kind of vacation or travel format really resets you?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Mountains and training at the training ground.

HWYD: Are there any places you are consistently drawn to return to?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Yes, I have a few favorite places.

HWYD: What hobby most recharges you after a day at work?

Olga, CEO of CashYard: Shooting.

HWYD: What do you like to do outside of work when you have time for yourself?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Sports.

HWYD: What trip or vacation format did you remember the most over the past year?

Artem, COO of CashYard: Travel to a conference in sunny Barcelona.

AFFHUB - is a Ukrainian affiliate community and media platform that combines events, educational content, and media for the arbitration community. They operate at the intersection of networking and expertise: they help newcomers enter the industry and help experienced players stay connected to the market and each other.

The AFFHUB format itself was originally built around the idea of community. In a field where competition is high and changes occur every week, they relied on mutual support as a core value. And charity naturally grew out of this culture - not as a separate area, but as a continuation of the internal logic of the community.

In 2025, the team launched the initiative One Day For Good Things - a format of regular, systematic assistance. Every month, AFFHUB teams up with a new partner to address a specific social need: support for the military, assistance to the elderly, orphanages, or animal shelters. These are not one-time events or ad hoc fundraisers. It is a rhythm in which charity becomes an expected part of community life.

At the same time, charity auctions have become a regular feature of their events. Participants come for networking, but leave with the understanding that they have become part of something bigger. It's not just the amount of money raised that matters here - it's the mechanics of collective action itself. The industry is learning to help together.

Wintevents - is an international event agency specializing in organizing affiliate events around the world. Their job is to create platforms where advertisers, buyers, partners, and teams meet, and business turns into long-term relationships. But over time, these events have acquired another function - charity.

Within the series Affiliate Networking Series (ANS) The team has made charity auctions an integral part of each event. This is important: help here is not a “separate item on the program”. It is built into the very structure of the meetings. Participants come for networking and automatically become a part of the collection. In recent months, ANS auctions have been held in London, Lisbon, Rome, Barcelona, Dubai, and Warsaw. Each city had its own result and specific targeted cases of assistance.

ANS Dubai 2023 was the most indicative. record $68 000. These funds turned into real things: components for medical equipment, medicines, equipment for mobile hospitals, mine safety training for children in Chernihiv region, and support for an art school in Luhansk region. And even in 2026, the team continues to scale this area. Over the past six months, the auctions have raised another €13,000.

Rockit Media - is a Ukrainian media band that has been active in the affiliate marketing market in the gambling vertical for over six years. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Rockit CEO Oleg and his colleagues have founded a charity foundation “A chance for change” to help defenders and victims of military aggression, children deprived of parental care.

At the early stage, it was emergency assistance: food packages, closing of specific military requests, and housing restoration. Thanks to the foundation's work, we managed to repair more than 60 houses in the Kyiv region. But over time, the focus shifted to helping children left without parental care. In addition to financial support, the Chance for Change Foundation has launched a psychological education program for children and a mentoring program for teenagers, which you can also join.

The most illustrative case for the foundation was one that did not end in the expected success. For a whole year, the team tried to fulfill the long-held dream of a girl from an orphanage to enter medical school. Tutors, separate housing, preparation for admission, and finally the girl started her studies. But faced with the complexity of the program and the constant workload, she decided to leave the college and returned to the orphanage. This story revealed an important limit of charity: even the biggest help cannot change a child and her desire to move forward.

LEGENDS TEAM - an affiliate team that works with several market verticals and builds internal analytical systems to scale traffic. In their corporate culture, charity does not exist separately from work - it is integrated into the company's structure.

Fund 603.7, created by the team's co-founders, has become not a one-time project but a stable assistance infrastructure. Its task is to respond to specific requests from Ukrainians as quickly and transparently as possible. In four years, the foundation's initiatives have raised more than $5 million, and there are thousands of real stories behind these figures.

The peculiarity of the LEGENDS approach is the decentralization of assistance. Within the company, individual teams independently initiate collections, support volunteer projects, and engage partners. This creates a different culture: employees see the result of their help and feel directly connected to those who need it.

Stars Partners - is an affiliate program that combines exclusive offers and strong product expertise. They are looking for the best traffic and are ready to offer high rates with transparent conditions.

Within the company, charity is organized as systematically as business: not through chaotic actions, but through a clear model of regular assistance.

Stars Partners were the first to launch open format Charity - an initiative that anyone in the partner ecosystem can join. This is important: charity here is not closed within the company, it works as a collective action. The goal is to unite people around a shared responsibility.

The main focus of Stars Partners is animal shelters. And these are not symbolic donations. The team works on a targeted basis: shelters send a list of specific needs, after which everything they need is purchased - medicines, food, warm blankets, equipment. This approach allows us to respond to real requests as accurately as possible.

The shelter in Lisbon was a particularly emotional experience. An unfinished space, only four employees and 150 dogs surviving in difficult conditions. This trip was a turning point for the team: charity ceased to be an abstract concept and turned into a personal story. After this meeting, the assistance to the shelter became systematic. For many employees, it is no longer a corporate initiative, but their own responsibility.

Vita: Oooh, where to start 😅 In fact, quitting my stable job and plunging into complete obscurity was one of the best and at the same time one of the most difficult decisions of my life!

Behind this were doubts, fears, love, big dreams and ambitions. That's why my little confession is for your attention.

Vita: It all started with the fact that I came to this market without having any idea what affiliate, traffic, verticals, and gambling were. It was a dark forest for me. I accidentally came across a vacancy for an SMM manager and decided to give it a try. I had 6 years of experience in different, dissimilar jobs and a 100$ SMM course that I bought during Covid to change my life😂. Oh, and a marketing degree, which I have never been asked for).

I've always been an idea person, so a small salary didn't scare me - the main thing was to have the opportunity to learn and grow in a new field. They believed in me (or I convinced myself 😅), and as a result, I was hired for a project that had just launched and was actively developing. My own growth occurred simultaneously with the project's growth.

Over time, I came to understand the stereotypes that money is flowing here and that this is a fairly developed and charged area in the CIS space. But a good picture does not come by itself. To achieve something, we needed the EBU. And given that the project was quite young, we had to be a universal soldier and work for three people. I don't know why, but from the very beginning, there was no desire to dive too deep into the market. It was always more appealing to be behind the scenes, but to raise the project and realize career ambitions. Perhaps because somewhere inside I felt that this broadcast lifestyle was not quite my thing.

I immersed myself in the processes - at some point, this work became my whole life. My social circle, topics, tasks - everything was somehow related to work, displacing my own preferences and dreams that made me me. Over time, I became a team leader, was helped with relocation (for which I am grateful separately, as it was a life-changing move), and raised my salary. It seemed that I had achieved everything I wanted. But there was a constant feeling of dissatisfaction inside.

Vita: In fact, my first thoughts came during an English class. What is the connection, you may ask. Once, in one of the classes, the teacher asked a trivial question: "What would you do if money didn't matter?"

And I answered without a shred of doubt: "I would travel the world, make videos about it and show them to people. And at the end of my life, I would make a big autobiographical movie in which I would try to convey how important it is to listen to yourself and live your life the way you want to, not the way it was imposed on you." When I left the office, I realized that I was not living the life I dreamed of. It sounds a bit pretentious, yes, hahaha. But I realized that I was at work solely for the money, although I have always been and remain an ideological person. So I made a decision to be myself and not change my principles.

Yes, I was actively developing in this area, and I could most likely have reached great heights. I had money and recognition. But did this success make me me? At the age of 25 (perhaps it was an age crisis), I began to think more and more often that I was not following my soul's call and doing something wrong. The business Olympus no longer attracted me, and climbing the career ladder turned into a grueling cardio workout.

All these deep reflections on life were greatly influenced by the war and then the move.

At that time, I had already lived in Warsaw for six months. As I said above, the move was life-changing for me. Hearing my thoughts, whether the universe helped me or it was just a banal coincidence, it was at that moment that I met my future boyfriend, who began to broadcast to me that work is work, it should not be the meaning of your life. And we met him, by the way, at work (ahahaha, and this is another reason why I'm grateful to her). At first, I was skeptical, convincing him that he needed to run, reach the top, make more money, more money, and then more money. And then I thought - money and success are all great, but ask representatives of the field what, behind all these daily checks of wealth and office work, made them childishly happy the last time, and I'm sure most of them will not be able to answer this question.

So I quit my job. By the way, there's a little story behind that, too. My boyfriend persuaded me to quit because he was quite traditional and my career ambitions did not impress him. But I, being "strong and independent," was afraid to depend on a man and said that I would not quit until I had saved a certain amount of money. I gave myself six months to do it. But it was not to be. One evening, he took a glass of wine for himself and handed me another, and made a toast: "To your release!". At my surprised expression, he showed me my Binance, which had the amount I had announced 😂 Under his "well, you promised", I wrote to my manager about my resignation.

Before that, we each had a pool of countries visited, and we realized that this was our common passion, which we wanted to spend the coming years on and which we could monetize. By the way, he eventually quit his job as well. So, taking our pillows, we started traveling the world.

Vita: Absolutely not. On the contrary, I am grateful to myself for it. Now we are completely absorbed in traveling. We try to choose the most remote and least touristy parts of the world. The very thought that we are making our own dreams come true gives us goosebumps and makes us ecstatic. Constant adventures, trials, interesting acquaintances with completely different cultures and people, exoticism and asceticism - all this has become the rhythm of our life.

We have already completed a two-week ocean kayaking trip on the Raja Ampat Islands, explored green oases in the heart of Oman, conquered the mountain peaks of Georgia, and visited many more interesting places that would not be enough for an article. By the way, we are currently on an expedition in Africa. We are going to ride around the continent on a motorcycle in 365 days. This is the confirmation of the right choice for me personally.

Here, somewhere not always in comfortable conditions on different parts of the world, I feel truly and unquestionably happy. I want to experience these emotions here and now, to memorize and engrave every moment in my memory. You can feel life here.

Vita: In fact, this is probably the question I hear most often. Yes, in practice, things are not as simple as I described above. Unfortunately, money does not fall from the sky like tropical rains)

Now we are traveling on the capital of a guy who has been saving it since he was 18. As for me, I'm not sitting still either. And now there will be an answer to the question whether it is possible to leave the arbitration world forever 😂

In the spring, Kostia, whom I met at my previous job, approached me with a proposal to use my marketing skills and help launch the project. The concept of media really appealed to me. But with my lifestyle, it was difficult to promise anything. We agreed that I would launch the project, take care of all the operational processes, and then transfer the media into safe hands. But it didn't happen as expected. I got sucked in 😂.

But with the only difference being that now I'm prioritizing my life correctly. And as I wrote above, I'm an ideological person, and HWYD is an unrealistically soulful media outlet, just like the idea to create it. That's why it's a pleasure to manage the operational processes here. I've recruited a great team that works like clockwork. And now we are developing a story together, in the success of which I believe as much as anyone else. Well, except for Kostya)

So, nice to meet you, I'm Vita - COO at HWYD.

Is it difficult to combine everything? Yes, it is. But I love my life very much now and what is happening in it. I am sure that in my old age I will definitely have no regrets. If I live, of course, because in Africa, you know how much danger there is...

I also have an incredible amount of support. So, most likely, after some time, when I can let go of HWYD, I will pass it on to good hands. But for now, I'm here.

In the meantime, subscribe to Instagram and witness my new story.

There are things that can never be measured in ROI, digitized in a spreadsheet, or budgeted for.
For example, care. Especially the one that comes in the form of simple words from those who have already gone a little further than you.

This article is about such care. We asked women who have been working in affiliate marketing for a long time to write a few words to girls who are just entering this field. It turned out to be not about instructions, but about experience. Not about rules, but about feelings.

HWYD: Where were you born? Tell us a little bit about your hometown.

MARINA: I was born near Kyiv, in a town with a beautiful name - Ukrainka. It's a very beautiful place. There is the Dnipro River, the Stugna River, and there used to be a lot of forest... Now, however, there are buildings instead of forest. But back then, in my childhood, it was a very atmospheric, cozy place. It was a small town with a population of about 14 thousand. But it seemed to me that we were all like a big family. Everyone knows each other, helps each other, communicates.

HWYD: What was your family like?

MARINA: I was born into a modest family: my father was a military man and my mother was a doctor. As long as I can remember, my parents have been working constantly. They tried very hard to give me and my sister a future. Those were difficult times, dark times, I think, for many of us. But my parents did their best to make sure we grew up to be decent people.

HWYD: What was your childhood like?

MARINA:  I don't remember my childhood very clearly. I can't even tell you what I dreamed of or what I really wanted. But there is one incident that I remember very well. I had a sister who always knew what she wanted. What kind of gift she needed from Santa Claus, what kind from St. Nicholas. And what's interesting is that everything she wanted was always given to me. Why is it so? I don't know... But this moment is very deeply etched in my memory.

HWYD: How did you find school?

MARINA: To be honest, I did not do well at school. For the first five years, I was lazy, there's nothing to say. My parents were often called to school, even to the principal. But somewhere in the seventh or eighth grade, something switched in me. I suddenly realized: I can do more! And I gradually started studying. I finished the ninth grade with excellent marks. And since then, the desire to learn has not let me go. On the contrary, I still adore all kinds of courses, programs, and trainings. I am constantly learning something, and I get high from it every day.

HWYD: Did you have a childhood dream?

MARINA:Yes, since childhood I have dreamed of owning my own business. It seemed to be something extremely difficult, even unrealistic... But at the same time, it was pathetic and attractive. Honestly, I never believed that I could actually do it. And now I'm building something of my own, and it's so dear, so real...

HWYD: What is the most vivid memory from your childhood that has stayed with you?

MARINA: This is definitely my family. I can say that I had a real childhood. And, perhaps, I felt like a child until I was fourteen. And for this, I am incredibly grateful to my sister, grandmother, parents... For all those moments-for toys, for playgrounds, for laughter. For the fact that back then there was no such heavy responsibility that children in Ukraine now bear. Children who grow up in times of war... This is a completely different reality.

HWYD: Where did you continue your studies after school?

MARINA: I studied in the capital, in my native Kyiv. And since then, I have not left Kyiv - I still live here. To be honest, I didn't have much choice. I considered the options that were close to me: accounting, banking, finance. I've always been good with numbers, so there was little doubt about the direction. And here I'm grateful to my dad - it was he who suggested that I should go into finance, "grab the maximum," as he said. I found a college, passed the exams, and entered the finance program.

HWYD: What do you remember most vividly from your student years?

MARINA: The most precious thing that remains from those times is my friends. People who are still with me today. They had a great influence on me, on my worldview, on my choices. College and university taught me the most important thing - to be close to "my" people. And I still adhere to this principle. At every stage of my life, I found people who became a part of my path and stayed for a long time.

HWYD: Did you have to work while studying?

MARINA :Yes, I was studying on a contract, and I remember that it was not easy for my parents to pay for it. That's why I started working part-time when I was a student. Now, of course, students have more opportunities, and their salaries are completely different. But my first job was as a mayonnaise promoter (smiles). How I see myself now: I stand in the Ecomarket, near the refrigerator, for three or four hours, and offer people to try mayonnaise. I was paid 20 hryvnias per hour. But even this small job was important to me - I learned to appreciate what I earned and to be independent:

Adult life

HWYD: How did you get into iGaming?

MARINA: Honestly? By accident (smiles). At that time, I was working as a financier in a company and had no idea what iGaming was. But about a year later, I began to understand this niche better, and at the same time, marketing in general. It was then that I started to get fascinated by it.
While working as a financier, I gradually began to study marketing and affiliate marketing. Later, I moved to the position of an affiliate manager, hoping that this area would provide more opportunities for growth than finance. And, in fact, I was not mistaken.
In a fairly short time, I grew from an affiliate manager to a Team Lead, then to a Project Manager, the head of the affiliate program, and later became a CEO.

HWYD: What are you doing now?

MARINA: I am currently working as a CMO - Chief Marketing Officer. I have more than 40 people in my team. We deal with traffic and all the tools related to it. I'll be modest here - no pathos. It's just a daily job that I love.

HWYD: Did you assemble the team on your own?

MARINA: Yes, completely from scratch - in a year. And for me, as an introvert, it was a real challenge. It was very, very difficult to let 40 people get close to me. But at the same time, it became a point of growth.
I am probably different because I can see the potential in everyone. I always look for growth points in a person. And I try to meet them halfway, to be a human being - not a manager, but a human being.
My strong point is building processes from scratch. In both my current company and my previous job, I had a deep understanding of all aspects of work. When I recruit a team, people know that they can always rely on me. I will give them a hint, advice, contact, and find a solution. Because the mindset of an entrepreneur, a C-level employee, is to always see one step ahead. And I think I manage to do that.

HWYD: You own a chain of coffee shops. Tell us how, when, and under what circumstances the idea came about.

MARINA: In fact, this idea has always lived in me. But for a long time I thought: "I'm not smart enough to start a business... let alone keep it going." It was only in 2016, when I had the first free money, that I faced the question: an apartment or a business? And here I am very grateful to my boyfriend, who is now my husband - it was he who convinced me to try. He said: "We will succeed". And so our family business began.

HWYD: Where did you start?

MARINA: We decided to start with a coffee shop. And it was something! We had no experience. We didn't even know the difference between espresso and cappuccino. In just a week, we decided to buy a ready-made coffee shop together with the team that worked there. I remember the first night after the purchase: we had to open in the morning, and you didn't understand anything. It was a crazy six months, when we were getting our feet wet, learning on the go-not so much about coffee as about business, people, and service. And although it was scary, it was also very exciting. The first outlet turned out to be profitable, and we eventually sold it.

HWYD: How did your coffee story develop further?

MARINA: Nine months after we started, we signed a franchise agreement in Dnipro with our favorite chain, Fedets Family Bakery. Our first coffee shop was France.ua at VDNH. This coffee shop has existed for 8 years. It is like our first child: we raised it, put our hearts and souls into it. Even the administrator who worked there from the very first days is still with us.

HWYD: How did you balance all of this with your day job?

MARINA: It was not easy, but somehow I managed. I remember working as an affiliate manager during the day and making coffee at night. It was a time when I had a lot of energy, ambition, and faith in myself.
Now I am a passive investor. I manage my business only in critical moments. One of them was on February 24, 2022, the first day of the full-scale war. I spent it in coffee shops, closing them, going through everything with my team. Coffee shops became a point of support for me then.

HWYD: What has this entrepreneurship given you?

MARINA:The most important thing is self-confidence. It was in coffee shops that I learned to feel people, see their potential, and invest in them. This experience helps me a lot now, both when hiring and managing teams. For almost 10 years, I have opened and closed about 20 coffee shops and bakeries. There was everything - profits and losses, nerves, tears, and crazy joy. Now I have three facilities left - but they are of high quality, stable, proven.

HWYD: Do you plan to scale your business?

MARINA: No, I'm not thinking of scaling the coffee business. Now I'm thinking more about diversification. Over the past three months, I have come up with several new ideas and projects that I am launching from scratch. I hope to have something to share soon, but for now, this is an NDA.

HWYD: What advice do you have for those who are just dreaming of starting their own business?

MARINA: Try it out. Make mistakes. Lose money - and don't regret it. Start again. And smile. As Yaroslava Gres said in the play "Blue Dress": "There is no need to give up. Only go forward - and then everything will work out for sure."

HWYD: Tell us how Gentle Partners came to be?

Anya: Gentle PartnersI just couldn't help but appear. It was something that was already in the air. Now it seems to me that it was fate. I had a very difficult period in May. I didn't expect such a dramatic turn of events at all, because I was preparing for childbirth, not a job change. My dismissal from the position of CEO at the previous company was very painful news - it was very difficult for the team to take. All my tops with whom we worked, built, and grew took it to heart. That's when the idea was born that we could build a new team. Gentle Partners. Because business is based solely on people and personal relationships, and nothing else. And we had every opportunity to do that. And because we didn't get along very well with the previous team, we just decided to fully immerse ourselves in the new one.

HWYD: How long did it take you to create your own new brand from scratch?

Anya: When you have professionals and personal experience, you don't need much time. If you have a taste, a vision, an understanding of how everything should look, and you follow the right examples, two weeks is really enough to create something of high quality. I can't say that everything was perfect right away - no. Of course, there were some gaps and it took another two weeks to fill them. In fact, it took a month from the idea to the finished product. Why did it happen so quickly? Because we have professionals. Almost all of the employees who are with us now are people I've worked with for many years in various projects. They are not just friends, they are specialists whose results I have seen with my own eyes. That's why we managed to assemble a strong team. And when they come together, it happens quickly. Even in two weeks, or even earlier.

HWYD: Why the name Gentle Partners?

Anya: Gentle - This is about us. Our policy is that we care about both our partners and our team. Gentle - is tenderness, politeness, something pleasant. And these are our values. We have a small team, so every employee is very important. We have no staff turnover. People work steadily - without running from one team to another. For us, this is a red flag, because we invest as much as possible in training our staff and aim to build long-term relationships with the team, where everyone is focused on the result. So the name "Gentle"In addition to sounding good, it fully reflects our values and positioning. The brand name has a lot of meanings that resonate with the team and partners. It looks great in communication, style, and design.

HWYD: How did the partners you have known and worked with for many years react to your transition and the creation of the new PE?

Anya: I wouldn't say "transition". This is the creation of a new company. And here, everything was decided by the reputation that we have all been working on for years. Every employee who is now in our team has always cared and cares about their own reputation, regardless of the brand they work under. This is a rule that we have all been following for many years. That is why we have received a lot of support. Our partners have shown loyalty and trust. There was practically no negativity - everything went as smoothly as possible. Many offered to invest in a new project, which was very nice. And we are still considering offers, deciding who we are ready to join forces with and who is ready to share our values. In general, the market has received us well. Of course, everyone wanted to know "what happened," but globally, everything is fine.

HWYD: Ania, how did you take the news of the shake-up in the company you represented?

Anya: I was not ready for this at all. I was preparing to give birth. I was scheduled for the end of May. And that day in the evening, I still had a stream - and I did it, without a single hint of negativity. We talked about important topics and joked around so much that no one suspected how difficult it was for me.

Before the stream, I even wondered whether I would be able to physically withstand these two hours for such a long time. And after what happened, it was even harder. Although, if you watch that broadcast, I look as calm as possible there. Because I had already set myself up internally to hold on. But after the stream, my emotions were overwhelming. I started to cry. Because when you build something from scratch and see a positive result, it's hard to believe and accept such a decision.

HWYD: We know, thank God, you are doing well, you gave birth! We congratulate you on that! Tell us how the labor went, who did you give birth to?

Anya: Because of my nerves, I, of course, went to give birth earlier than planned. But, thank God, everything went well. It was not without complications for me, but I got out of it. And I was motivated: a new future awaited me. The idea of creating a new company and team. And you know, when I first saw my son, he took my finger, so tiny but so strong... At that moment, I realized for sure: I can do anything. For him. And for myself.

HWYD: So, the idea of creating Gentle Partners arose during the last days of pregnancy? How worried were you at that moment? Describe your feelings.

Anya: I can't say what exactly happened in the last few days. We already realized that we were leaving the previous project. But it was not yet clear what would happen and how. After giving birth, when the stress subsided a bit, it became obvious that we would have a new company. We knew exactly what to do, because it's not a product, it's people. And I didn't even have the opportunity to go on maternity leave. I wouldn't wish anyone to go through dismissal, childbirth, and business launch - all in two weeks.

HWYD: How many employees does the new brand consist of?

Anya: Now there are 20. We are actively recruiting more. So welcome!

HWYD: How difficult was it to recruit the team?

Anya: We are still in the process of recruiting. I cannot say that we are fully staffed. But it was not difficult. The personal brand is working. And many thanks to our marketer Olya - she did a great job of promoting everything, building communication, explaining to people what was what.

HWYD: What values does the company share in terms of recruiting "your people"? Gentle Partners?

Anya: We have our own mindset. If a person shares it, he or she is ours. We are about trust, sincerity, humanity, and partnership. And the result, of course. We are not about dancing around. We are about business. All of us are professionals. And, by the way, we have an interesting trend - a company of young mothers. Someone is always pregnant. We even have a baton. We are loyal to mothers with small children because we know what it's like.

HWYD: Who do you need now?

Anya: At the moment, we need affiliate managers the most.

HWYD: Do you hire people exclusively from the industry, or are there exceptions?

Anya: We hire not only people from the industry - we are ready to train them. We already have many years of experience in this: if a person has the right skills and shares our values, we can adapt them to us. Of course, there are positions that are difficult to teach from scratch, but adaptation is almost always possible.

HWYD: Let's emphasize once again: Gentle Partners - Is it not a rebranding or a branch of the old company?

Anya: No, this is a completely separate, new project. Gentle Partners - is a new company where the co-founders are me, Anya and Sasha.

HWYD: Who manages this flagship?

Anya: The managers are Anya Sukhanova, Anya Shemyakina, and Sasha Lotharia. Each of us has extensive experience in affiliate marketing - more than 8-10 years. These are different verticals, but for the last 4 years, we have been working in iGaming.

HWYD: How much time has passed since the launch and public announcement of the new company?

Anya: We officially went public on June 9.

HWYD: What successes have you achieved?

Anya: I don't want to talk pathetically about "super successes," but in a short period of time we managed to build normal working relationships with our partners. We received a lot of offers from advertisers with good caps. And most of the websites that have been friends with us for a long time decided to support the launch of our brand and began to actively pour with Gentle Partners. And I consider this to be a result as well.

HWYD: What fears did you have at the launch stage? Did you believe in success?

Anya: Honestly, I had no more fears. After being laid off a few weeks before giving birth to a child, what could possibly scare me? We knew what we were doing. If you know your business, you are confident in the result. I emphasize again: reputation is the most important thing. We had it, and it continues to work for us. Build brands on trust, no matter how pretentious it may sound, and then any fears fade into the background.

HWYD: If things hadn't happened the way they did, Gentle Partners would have appeared?

Anya: I cannot fully answer this question even to myself. I think not. Because I get very attached to the people I work with, I give my maximum energy and time. And I would hardly dare to make any drastic changes. It's not about me at all. But life has decreed otherwise, and I can say with certainty that I am grateful for this case. Now we, and you, have Gentle Partners.

HWYD: What are your plans for the future?

Anya: We need to reach our revenue and margin targets as soon as possible. And we are actively looking for a reliable holding company or investor. This partnership should be not only about money, but also about attitude, approach, and values. We are about efficiency, results, and humanity.

HWYD: Do you plan to scale up? In what way?

Anya: Of course. We have a growth plan for the rest of the year and for the next year. But first of all, we need to understand with whom we are moving forward and in which direction.

HWYD: Do you plan to participate in conferences?

Anya: Yes, we are planning it. Now the big conferences are over, and it's even good for us, because we have enough time to focus on fulfilling our internal goals. And in September, we will all meet in Lisbon at the SBC Summit, and then Kyiv Conversion, and then Rome SiGMA Europe Summit.

HWYD: We are very pleased that you have entrusted us to be your first messenger to the media world on behalf of Gentle Partners! We really appreciate your trust, and that's why we are speaking so sincerely and heartily! But do you plan to enter the large-format media market?

Anya: Yes, definitely. And in the near future, we will intensify our communication. Now we are at the stage of collaborations with partners, and then we plan a large-scale entry into the public field with a focus on marketing and PR. Our marketing manager Olya has everything ready for this. So, subscribe to our social media and follow the updates.

HWYD: What would you wish yourself for the year ahead?

Anya: Honestly? I went through something I didn't think I could handle. But I persevered, drew conclusions, and built my company. So I wish myself only one thing - success. And I am sure that everything will work out. Because if you have the right mindset, you live positively, you think about good things, then everything will be just so.

Tequila: We launched in 2024. But if you are looking for a story about a "young team that is just gaining momentum" here, this is not for us. We didn't wear a "newbie" badge, but started working right away. We assembled a team, built a partnership, and developed our product.

Yes, we were not in the media - not because we are modest. We just thought it would be good to have something to say at first. And now we do. There is often a stereotype in the market: if we are new, we are still "green". But this is a myth. Just think of Little Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Small does not mean weak. On the contrary, sometimes he holds the whole system.

Pros. Tequila is a team with experience in performance marketing, with its own technique, its own approach, and its own stubbornness to bring everything to a working state. We immediately started with the main things: launching systems, optimizing traffic, and building partnerships.

And now we are going public. Not to impress anyone, but to let you know that we exist. That 300+ partners are already working with us. And that if stability, normal communication, and a product that does not fall apart every now and then are important to you, then we definitely have something to talk about.

CEO Tequila says that the biggest thrill is seeing ideas turn into numbers.

HWYD: Tell us about your approach. What do you like most about what you do?

Tequila: Each team has its own "fuel system". For some, it's hype, for others, it's a quick start. У Tequila - character and people. It all started with a small but very stubborn team, where everyone is in their place, has expertise and a desire to show that it is possible to do things differently. This is what helped us grow and develop.
According to the team, they build processes on the gut feeling that it should work. This is probably about intuition gained through experience. But if something doesn't work, because we're all human, no one looks for excuses. Instead, the team changes its approach. В Tequila do not believe in magic, but in consistency, healthy perfectionism, and a team that does not merge at the first rollback.

HWYD: Why Tequila? It sounds too unusual for the affiliate sphere.

Tequila: It all started with love. For Latin America - its rhythms, colors, fire in the eyes and passion for life. It was even before the name appeared. Just a passion that cannot be imitated. And the idea to name the team after it grew out of it.
We were not looking for "something that sounds good in the digital environment". We were looking for meaning. Tequila - It is something strong, strong, not massive, with character, fiery. This is the choice of those who are not afraid of fire in themselves and in their work.
They say that tequila was born from a bolt of lightning that struck the heart of an agave. It seems that we can't think of a better metaphor for our launch. Because we are not about calm either. We are about energy, about a leap forward. About the drive that gives birth to real solutions.
We do not hunt for simple answers. We work with challenges. And we do it with the same expression with which the first shot is poured - decisively, sincerely, without fear. That's why Tequila is more than just a name. It is our boiling point. It's a symbol of how we see our work, people, and the idea of business: in a real way.

HWYD: How did your journey begin? Did you have any doubts at first?

Tequila: We started with a few people in the team (literally enough fingers on one hand to count). The numbers at the start were nothing special, to be honest. But we were not following the numbers, but the feeling that we knew what we wanted to build.

Each person has already had some experience that is difficult to measure in charts: media buy, affiliate marketing, product - we have already gone through all of this, and more than once. This time we decided to gather our strength in one place and do it our way.

Six months later, there were three times as many of us. And then it only got faster. We're growing so fast that there are times when it's hard to keep up with new names in chats rather than processes (and if someone has trouble with this, they know what we mean 😄).

But this is, in fact, the best indicator: it means we are doing everything right. People join and stay. Because behind the growth, we retain the main thing: the internal charge, the same culture of responsibility and focus on real results, not on beautiful presentations. And as long as we manage to combine expertise with humanity, we will continue to keep up the pace.

HWYD: Looking back at yourself at the start of the company, with your current experience, what would you say to yourself?

Tequila: Don't think that it will all start quickly. Give yourself time and just take it one step at a time. It will be hard, but we can do it. And also: the team is the most important thing. Trust that you have chosen the right people. And remember - the best advertising is returning partners.

Tequila: We are often asked: who are you looking for in your team? And we answer: well, technically, experienced people. But in reality, we are looking for our own people. Those with whom we can build a strategy and exchange memes on Friday.

Our selection process is not entirely based on resumes. We look for that fire in the eyes - when it is important for a person not just to complete a task, but to really dig into an idea, spin it from different angles and bring it to a result.

But we don't live in outer space either - hard skills matter. If you know your way around media buyers, affiliates, and arbitrage, you have a great base. If you are also not afraid of changes, know how to adapt to different people (and, spoiler alert, they are very different 😅), you are our hero.

And yes, we value analytical skills, initiative, and the ability to keep focus. But we value adequacy, humor, and healthy self-irony even more. Without these, how can you do anything? Because a team is not just skills. It is energy. And if it coincides, then the numbers go up and the results come.

HWYD: Is the company at the scaling stage or does it plan to scale?

Tequila: Right now, we are actively scaling up. It's like a lifestyle, so we don't stop:

• traffic is gaining momentum,
• the team is actively recruiting new specialists,
• internal product solutions move from paper to production.

By the way, right now we are actively looking for team leaders of buyer teams, strong media buyers, and business developers who are interested in building something systemic. If you've been looking for an entry point into a project with movement, meaning, and challenge for a long time, this is it.

HWYD: What is the next growth point for the company? How do you see it?

Tequila: Our next growth point is Tier-1. Not just new markets, but a new level of requirements that we are ready to reach. We are also focused on iGaming: we are launching new offers tailored to what works well now and will work even better in the future. The team is also actively building in-house tools and using all possible automation methods.

Do you attend international conferences? Do you plan to sponsor or have stands?

We have already been to iGB and SiGMA, and we are planning some interesting news for this year. We are currently actively negotiating a stand and sponsorship. More details to come. As we can say, it's coming soon. Our approach is to show ourselves when we have something to show.

HWYD: You are now entering the media. Are there any representatives of the company that you plan to make media personalities in the industry?

Tequila: The team is growing, and there are those among them who are already wanted to be heard, seen, and read in the industry. We are focusing on the affiliate and product teams. They have long deserved to be in the spotlight. So get ready - you will soon learn more about them.

HWYD: Tell us about your corporate events/teambuildings. How did they impress you and your guests?

Tequila: Well... we're not quite sure that we can tell you this openly (sly look). But in short: it was hot, loud, beautiful in its own way - and definitely unconventional. The last time we met as a team was at our villa in Cyprus. It's better not to read about it in the text - you'd better watch the video on Instagram. But for that matter, I want to end this block properly. Not with dry summaries, but as we did at the villa.

HWYD: Tell us about your childhood. Where, when, in what family were you born?

Victoria: I was born in Melitopol, a small but wonderful city of cherries and sea. When I was 5 years old, my mother and I moved to Dnipro, where I spent my childhood and youth. And in 2019, I moved to Kyiv, where my acquaintance with arbitration began.

HWYD: What did you dream of becoming when you grew up?

Victoria: To be honest, I don't remember anything specific. Like most girls, I wanted to be a doctor, a veterinarian, or a gymnast.

HWYD: Describe your most vivid childhood memory.

Victoria: It's hard to single out one thing, but probably one of the most pleasant memories is when I was given a dog and then a cat. I love animals very much and at that time I was just dreaming about them. I remember feeling like the happiest child in the world. By the way, the cat still lives with me - it's 20 years old now, and it seems that it has at least 10 more to go.

HWYD: How did you study at school? Which subjects did you like and which did not?

Victoria: I loved English, history, and Ukrainian literature. But I hated physics and geometry. I was lucky with my upbringing - my mother never forced me to learn anything I didn't like. But it was important to her that my grades were good, so in the 5th or 6th grade I learned how to cheat, negotiate with teachers, and make a good impression. These skills helped me a lot both as a student and in my adult life. Being able to achieve your goals is sometimes more important than memorizing things you don't need.

HWYD: Where did you study? What is the most vivid memory from this period?

Victoria: I studied at the Faculty of International Relations, majoring in HoReCa - management of the tourism, restaurant and hotel business. Studying was easy and interesting. I was very lucky with the group, teachers, and the atmosphere. My favorite teacher at the first class said: "University is a place where you need to make friends and form connections. You may or may not need the knowledge. But people are for sure." I completely agree with him.

HWYD: Did you work in your specialty? What were your first jobs?

Victoria: Yes, my first job was at an event agency where we organized city festivals and conferences. Later, we moved to a project that organized the IT Forum conference-it was a well-known IT event with foreign speakers and a large expo zone. By the way, it was at this forum that we first presented the Diia project together with Mykhailo Fedorov.
I worked with very talented people who inspired me not to be afraid of challenges and to create cool things even without experience. It was there that I learned responsibility, the ability to respond quickly to crises, and not to be afraid of the difficult.

I am especially grateful to my supervisor, Nadiia Kuzmychova. She is now the Deputy Minister of Education and Science. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with her.

HWYD: Tell us how you got into the industry and when did it happen?

Victoria: It happened in March 2020. Like many of us, it was an accident. I already had an offer for one IT project, but I decided to go to the interview that had already been scheduled. And there was a match with Olya Sapogova, who was interviewing at Affhub. At that time, the project hadn't even been around for a year, but Olya was talking about it so passionately that I seemed to fall in love with it right there. I was hooked by the atmosphere of Everad, Olya's energy, and the fact that she was also from Melitopol. It was a sign that two girls from Melitopol in Kyiv could do something really cool. And so it happened.

HWYD: Under what circumstances did you become the head of Affhub?

Victoria: In December 2021. Olya left the project to do something new, and a place became available. Then Everad's CEO, Oleksandr Yasiukovych, made me a new offer to become the project's head. At that time, I was already a team leader and probably had the most experience among my colleagues.

HWYD: How many years have you dedicated to Affhub?

Victoria: Almost 4 years.

HWYD: What is the most memorable thing you can recall about Affhub during this time?

Victoria: I didn't work there a single day in the classical sense, because it was more than work. We lived the project. We had a team that really loved what they were doing. Was it difficult? Yes, very much so.
I became a manager on the eve of a big challenge - we held one event and a full-scale invasion began. In 5 months, we organized the first event in Ukraine in wartime, introduced a new format - charity auctions. We cooperated with brigades, with the military. I remember that for the first such auction, I found a soldier in a store, we talked and he offered a lot for the auction. We were able to cover the cost of the car for them.
We held events without electricity and water, using generators that we searched for hours before the event because there was a massive bombing the night before. We held conferences abroad for those who were forced to leave. We organized an online conference that was watched live by 20,000 people during blackouts, a live fire, and the threat of ballistic missiles.

In a year and a half, we have collected about UAH 5 million to help the Armed Forces and volunteers. We did it because we sincerely believed in the project and that everything was possible. And, most importantly, because we were a team that could do anything.

The most striking thing about those times was the people. A team that created events with soul, love, and boundless dedication.

HWYD: What did you bring there personally?

Victoria: I was a manager, so in fact, I was responsible for everything: from idea to implementation, from meeting guests to operational management. My main tasks are to assess the project's profitability, analyze the economy, budgeting, search and attract new partners, marketing, and develop the project's ecosystem.

Personally, I consider my main achievement to be increasing the economic efficiency of the project several times, expanding its geography, and most importantly, building a strong team. It took me a long time to fill each position, 2-3 months. Probably, recruiters didn't like me very much because "all the wrong ones" :) But I filled the vacancies with "my" people - those who showed results, strived for development, and did not just "complete tasks" but lived the project 24/7.

By the way, we still have a working chat - we correspond there, share our personal and professional life. There is only one member of my team left in Affhub - Zheka - the rest have already moved on. But we still keep in touch. I'm especially happy about the career growth of Artur Borysenko, Alina Balych, and Victoria Onishchenko, and I'm very proud of them.

HWYD: Do you follow Affhub's life now?

Victoria: Yes, of course. I'm subscribed to the project's social media. This is such a part of life that you can't just forget. I follow it and wish the project to grow and become even cooler every day. I think Affhub is the best marketing project in our industry. I cannot but mention the project's charitable initiatives, Affhub is a great example of what a conscious business in Ukraine should look like now.

HWYD: What do you think has changed in the company now?

Victoria: It's hard for me to say objectively - I haven't been to the new events yet. But judging by the activity in the media, on YouTube, at events, the strategy has changed, and a new positioning has emerged. This is a different stage. I think the new CEO and her team have created their own atmosphere.

HWYD: What was the reason for your departure?

Victoria: It's simple - my desire. I gave the project more than 4 years, and I felt that I was starting to burn out.
I realized it was time to move on. I gave the project everything I could. And I got everything I wanted. I have grown up.

HWYD: How did you make the decision to leave?

Victoria: It's hard. I thought about it for more than six months. Then I told my manager. And after that, I worked for about 4 months. It was the hardest thing to tell the team - I told them two months before I left.
But I'm sure I left on time. The way the team said goodbye to me is a story for another article))) It was a wonderful, intense 4 years, an incredible experience and happiness from what I did.

HWYD: Nowadays, social media usually promotes career paths for women, and in megacities, a really high percentage of women choose a career. What motivated you to put your family first?

Victoria: I would put it a little differently: self-realization comes first for me. But in different areas: as a leader, as a wife, as a mother. Everything has its time. When I realized that the time had come to leave Affhub, I was faced with the question: either to go headlong into a new project or to have a child. My husband and I have been together since high school, so the topic of motherhood has been a long time coming. After consulting with him, I decided not to put it off any longer.

HWYD: How is motherhood for you?

Victoria: I really wanted to do this. We were preparing, I was planning everything. I realized that it would be difficult - but in fact, everything turned out to be much easier than I expected. Motherhood is an incredible period. I have never experienced so much love, harmony, and happiness. My husband plays a very important role here - he is a wonderful father. We gave birth together. He was with me all the time, in the maternity ward, by my side, both for me and for the baby. He spent the first night on a chair by the bedside with his son in his arms. This is a real manifestation of love. These moments are forever in my heart. Now our son is 9 months old, and he has the best dad, who is fully involved in every aspect of his life.

HWYD: Tell us about your child: who is your child, how did you name him or her, how do you raise him or her, what values do you instill in him or her?

Victoria: I always dreamed of a boy, and I gave birth to a son. We named him Mykhailo.
Like every mother, I believe that I have the best and happiest son 💛 It's too early to talk about values - he is only 9 months old. But I know one thing for sure: I want him to be happy. And which path he chooses is his choice. We will always be there for him. I don't want to raise a "convenient" boy. I want to raise an "uncomfortable" person - someone who knows what he wants, is not afraid to be himself and has an inner core.

HWYD: What are you doing now? Are you on maternity leave or already working?

Victoria: Being a mom is, without exaggeration, a 24/7 job.
We have a nanny, so I can afford a few hours a day to do my own thing. I take care of my health actively. I gained 25 kg during my pregnancy and have already lost it all, even a little more. But I continue to work on myself. I go to the gym, work out with a trainer, get massages and beauty treatments. I recently started playing tennis - it's become a real passion! (And no, the paddle didn't work 😄) I also resumed English classes - my brain also needs exercise. But, of course, 90% of my time is taken up with motherhood - and that's great. My return to work is planned. I will finish breastfeeding and return to the field with renewed vigor.

HWYD: Do you miss Affhub?

Victoria: Yes, I do miss it. But not "work" - I miss the people, the atmosphere, the vibesometimes even for Click Up, but not much)  It's not sadness, it's a pleasant nostalgia.

HWYD: Will we see you again at conferences?

Victoria: Definitely! I think I'll be at the next Affhub.
I really missed everyone 💛

Finding the right offer means working with those offers that have already successfully proven themselves on the market. The advantage of such options is that they have already been tested by other webmasters who have found out their popularity among users and profitability. To find such an offer, you need to conduct a detailed analysis of the market and competitors.

Signs of a potentially profitable offer:

• high demand from the target audience and great relevance;
• adequate conditions;
• a quality product or service;
• good reputation of the advertiser or affiliate network;
• reliable support from managers.

Signs of a "toxic offer":

• unclear terms and conditions (unclear targeted actions, long hold, unreasonable reduction in the number of conversions, ban on multiple traffic sources);
• low quality of the product or service (the product promises unrealistic results, has many complaints, negative reviews);
• bad reputation of the advertiser or affiliate (negative reviews, lack of adequate support, lack of statistics, promises
• unrealistically high payments for simple targeted actions);
• high competition under unclear conditions. Most often, those who are not afraid to take risks drive traffic to "toxic" offers. However, inexperienced arbitrageurs should avoid such options, especially when the terms and conditions regarding targeted actions and payments are unclear.

Detailed analysis and careful attention will help you minimize all risks and focus on finding really promising offers.

Speaking of the "correctness" of the offer, it is also important to take into account the GEO where you are going to offer it. Experienced arbitrageurs are well aware that the same product may not be of interest to the audience in one area and may be extremely popular in another.

Of course, this is due to differences between markets, namely:

1. Mentality and cultural values. When launching an ad, you should understand that what is normally perceived in the culture of one country may be completely unacceptable in another. For example, Islamic-related offers will only work in certain GEOs with a predominant population of these religions.
2. The local economy and solvency of the population. Consider the average salary of your target audience. An expensive offer that fits perfectly in the Tier 1 GEO may be completely unaffordable for residents of low-income countries.
3. Legal restrictions. Some products or services may be prohibited in certain countries. Strict personal data protection regulations may make it difficult to collect and process data.
4. Competition. In GEOs where the offer is widely popular, it is quite difficult for arbitrageurs to break through and make money due to high competition. The price of a lead in such GEOs will be much higher and the conversion rate will be lower due to high demand.
5. Technologies. In countries with poor internet, offers with a large amount of data that require fast landing page loading will not work well. For video creatives or large pre-landscapes, you need fast internet.
6. Language difficulties. Inaccurate or low-quality machine translation of landing pages and creatives can not only cause skepticism, but also completely alienate a potential client. When translating, it's important to take into account local idioms and language peculiarities.
7. Seasonality and events. Some products are highly dependent on seasonality. For example, summer products and so on. Local holidays can either increase or decrease user purchasing activity.

Before launching a campaign, be sure to do a GEO analysis and take all these factors into account to make the campaign successful and profitable.

An arbitrage engine can influence the effectiveness of advertising campaigns even before the launch. The key is to choose the right advertiser and the offer they offer. Below, we will give you a checklist of recommendations for choosing the best offer that will help you to pour traffic into the plus.

1. Give preference to offers whose operators accept applications from customers 24/7. If a user waits until Monday to leave a request, he or she may forget and change their mind.
2. Statistics. Pay attention to how quickly statistics and orders are updated. Timely data is a guarantee that you will not be pouring traffic blindly.
3. A reliable affiliate network or advertiser. Cooperate only with reliable partners who have a lot of positive feedback from webmasters. Build good relationships with managers. This will allow you to receive specialized offers.
4. Conduct split testing. Choose an offer and test its value, the same offers at the same price from different affiliate programs.
5. Follow the trends. Offers can be seasonal, competitive, or relevant in a particular GEO.
6. Quality of the product or service. Evaluate the product: find reviews about it, study its composition, application features, effectiveness, etc.
7. Assess the quality of the landing page. It should load quickly, be easy to read, have a professional look, be optimized for mobile devices, not mislead the user, and not promise unrealistic results.
8. Your budget and skills. Evaluate whether the chosen offer is suitable for your experience and whether you have the means to scale.
9. Legal aspect. What vertical does the offer belong to? Are there any risks of blocking and legal issues? Does the selected offer comply with the rules of advertising platforms?

Using this checklist will give you an understanding of whether you should work with a particular product and whether you have enough knowledge and resources to do so. This way, you can increase the chances of success of your advertising campaigns.

EPC (Earn Per Click) - earnings per click. This is the average income that an arbitrageur receives from each click on your link. It is calculated as the total income for all clicks. A high EPC rate indicates good traffic monetization. Each click brings more money. A low EPC indicates poor traffic monetization. In general, this is a very important indicator for analyzing the effectiveness of traffic sources and connections. By comparing the EPC of different campaigns or sources, you can identify the most profitable ones.

CR (Conversion Rate) - Conversion rate. Displays the percentage of users who performed the targeted action (e.g., left a request, made a purchase, installed an app) out of the total number of people who clicked on your ad. A high CR means that your audience responds well to the offer and the landing page effectively converts visitors into leads or customers. A low CR indicates that the traffic is not targeted or the landing page does not convince users to perform the targeted action. CR shows how well your traffic converts to the desired result. This is a key factor in profitability.

Hold (Holding period). This is the time during which the affiliate program or advertiser checks the completed conversions before confirming them and paying out the reward. A long hold means that you have to wait longer for the payout. This may be due to product features (for example, the return period) or lead quality checking procedures. A short Hold allows you to receive payments faster and reinvest funds. Hold affects your working capital. The shorter the hold, the faster you get paid.

Approval Rate. Refers to the percentage of leads or actions that have been approved by the advertiser as eligible out of the total number of leads or targeted actions you have generated. A high Approval Rate means that the majority of your traffic is leading to quality leads or actions that the advertiser approves. A low Approval Rate may indicate low-quality traffic, non-compliance with offer requirements, or advertiser dishonesty (caveat). Approval Rate directly affects your income. A high CR can be useless if most of the leads are not confirmed.

By analyzing these metrics in combination, you can more accurately evaluate the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns and optimize them to increase profits.

Seasonality means that demand for certain goods or services varies significantly depending on the time of year, holidays, or other events. Examples of seasonal offers include summer and winter products (swimwear, heaters, gifts for certain holidays, training courses, travel offers, vitamins).

To properly account for seasonality, consider the following factors:

• launch advertising campaigns well in advance of the season to warm up the audience and collect the first leads before the peak demand;
• track the dynamics of demand for goods or services you are interested in throughout the year;
• adapt your creatives and landing pages to the current season.

During periods of high demand, competition can increase, which leads to higher traffic prices. Be prepared to adjust your bids. During periods of decline, you can reduce activity or look for other offers.

A landing page is a landing page that a user gets to after clicking on your ad. Its main task is to convince the visitor to perform the target action (conversion).

The key elements of good landing pages:

• a catchy headline. It should be clear, attractive, and triggering for the audience, grabbing attention from the first seconds of reading;
• visual elements, such as videos or images, should be of high quality and show your product well;
• benefits on the landing page should be clear and understandable. Focus on solving problems or meeting needs;
• use social proof, such as customer reviews, clinical studies, and quality certificates;
• Call to Action (CTA). A bright, noticeable button or form with a clear call to action (for example, "Buy now", "Request a consultation", "Download for free");
• the application form should be simple and clear, requesting only the necessary information;
• provide detailed information about the product/service: characteristics, terms of use, etc. (depending on the offer);
• guarantees (if any): refunds, support, etc., which reduces user fear.

Localization is the adaptation of your landing page to a specific region and target audience.

What localization includes:

• translation of the entire text into the native language of the target audience. It is important not just to translate, but to adapt the content and style;
• displaying prices in local currency;
• payment systems: offer popular payment methods in the region;
• Consider all local traditions, humor, and images. Avoid culturally sensitive topics;
• provide local phone numbers and addresses (if applicable).

Localization helps to increase user trust, improve understanding of the offer, and increase conversions.
Adaptability (or responsive design) means that your landing page is displayed correctly on any device: computers, tablets, and smartphones. This is important because most Internet traffic comes from mobile devices; a non-responsive landing page looks bad on mobile, which leads to a high bounce rate; search engines prefer responsive websites.

To test adaptability:

• view your landing page on different devices;
• use developer tools in the browser to emulate different screens.

Creating trust on a landing page is critical, especially if you are working with a new audience or offering an unfamiliar product/service.

Elements that increase trust:

• reviews of real customers with photos (if possible), ratings, comments;
• certificates confirming the quality of your product;
• Return policy and quality assurance should be clearly stated;
• availability of contact information (phone, email, address);
• privacy policy and terms of use;
• professional, neat, modern design creates an impression of reliability.

All these elements are parts of a good landing page.

White Hat. Promote offers in a legal and ethical manner, in full compliance with the rules of advertising platforms (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.) and the law.

Characteristic features of White Hat:

• use of authorized traffic sources;
• truthful and transparent advertising that corresponds to reality;
• promotion of legal and high-quality goods/services;
• focus on long-term results and building trust with the audience.

Black Hat. Use of unethical, often illegal or directly prohibited by the rules of advertising platforms methods to attract traffic and generate conversions.

Characteristic features:

• violation of the rules of advertising networks (cloaking, fake accounts, aggressive advertising);
• misleading users (misdirection, scam offers);
• promotion of dubious or prohibited goods/services (unlicensed gambling, adalts, pyramid schemes);
• focus on making a quick buck without worrying about the consequences.

Gray Hat. It is located in the middle between the "white" and "black" approaches. Includes methods that do not formally violate the rules directly, but may be on the verge of doing so or may use loopholes in the rules, and may raise ethical questions.

Characteristic features:

• the use of ambiguous methods that may be considered by advertising platforms as violations;
• the use of "tricks" to attract attention (for example, clickbait, but not overtly misleading);
• promotion of offers in "gray" niches (for example, some nurture offers with exaggerated promises);
• the risk of banning accounts is higher than with the white approach, but lower than with the black approach.

What works now?

Advertising platforms are becoming stricter in their moderation, actively fighting violations and improving their algorithms to detect fraudulent advertising. Nevertheless, experienced buyers who know how to work with gray and black offers can make a high profit on such campaigns.
"White" methods have a high chance of success. Although they may require more time and effort to achieve results, they provide stability, predictability, and minimize the risks of blocking and fines. Working with legal offers and transparent methods allows you to build long-term relationships with advertising platforms and audiences.
Although "black" methods can generate quick income, they are associated with very high risks: account bans, loss of funds, and legal consequences. Their effectiveness is constantly decreasing due to the fight against them by advertising systems.

Tier 1 (USA, Canada, Australia, UK): what works? What is the competition like? Features of users.

GEO is highly competitive. These markets are mature, with a large number of experienced arbitrageurs and large teams. To make good money here, you need careful development of creatives, in-depth audience analysis, and often significant testing budgets.
This GEO includes such areas as E-commerce, Finance, Education, Health and Beauty, and Software/SaaS. The Tier 1 audience is characterized by high solvency, online shopping habits, demanding product and service quality, high awareness of online marketing, and the importance of brand and reputation.

Tier 2 (Europe, Latam): current verticals.

Tier 2 markets are more diverse in terms of language, culture, and ability to pay. Localization of creatives and landing pages is required. Competition is lower than in Tier 1, but still significant.

Relevant verticals:

• Europe. E-commerce (with a focus on local brands), finance (taking into account local regulations), gambling/betting (where allowed), various lead generation offers (insurance, auto);
• Latam. E-commerce (a fast-growing market), mobile applications (games, utilities), finance (microcredits), wellness (especially weight loss and men's health), gambling/betting (where regulated).

Tier 3 (India, Philippines, Africa): cheap traffic ≠ easy money.

Traffic in these countries may be cheaper, but conversion rates are often much lower due to the low solvency of the population, user behavior, and the quality of the Internet.

What can work:

• Mobile apps (especially entertainment and utility apps);
• Some gut offers (based on local preferences);
• Lead generation (for example, microloans);
• Sometimes it's simple e-commerce offers with a low price.

Users in this GEO are more price-sensitive. Mobile traffic predominates here, often with slow internet. The population has a low level of trust in online shopping. There is a huge variety of languages and cultures within one GEO.

Ukraine/Kazakhstan/Poland - local nuances and opportunities.

The economic situation in Ukraine affects the solvency of the population. Social media (Telegram, Instagram, Facebook) are popular in this GEO. Developing e-commerce market. Opportunities: E-commerce (especially local goods), finance (microcredits), gut, gaming offers. Competition is lower than in Tier 1.

Kazakhstan has its own specifics in payment systems. Growing e-commerce market. Opportunities: E-commerce, finance, mobile applications, gut. Competition is moderate.

Poland has a mature e-commerce market and a high popularity of local marketplaces. Opportunities: E-commerce, finance, various lead generation offers, gambling/betting (regulated). Competition is higher than in Ukraine/Kazakhstan, closer to Tier 2.

To properly test offers, you need to define the goal, what exactly you want to find out: whether the offer converts, which traffic source is right for you, which creatives work best. Analyze the target audience, available traffic sources, and determine which connections can be successful.

Prepare the necessary materials:

• Creatives (banners, teasers, videos).
• Landing pages/pre-landsing pages (if necessary).
• Set up targeting in the selected traffic source.

Set an adequate test budget. It should be sufficient to obtain a significant amount of data to draw reasonable conclusions. Too small a budget can lead to false negative results.

Determine the volume of traffic: the number of clicks/impressions required to evaluate the effectiveness of the link. It depends on the expected CR and the desired statistical significance.

Set up tracking: make sure you are tracking all key metrics correctly: clicks, impressions, conversions, cost per conversion, EPC, CR. Use trackers (Keitaro, Binom, etc.) or built-in analytics tools of your ad network and affiliate program.

Do not focus only on payout instead of real ROI. Many novice arbitrageurs are tempted by a high payout per conversion without considering other key factors such as conversion rate (CR), cost of traffic in the new geo, and approval rate. A high payout does not guarantee profit. If your CR is low and your cost per lead is high, you may spend a lot of money and get few conversions, even with a high payout. The real ROI (Return on Investment) depends on a set of metrics. Always estimate the potential ROI by predicting the CR and cost of traffic for a new geo. Conduct a preliminary market and competition analysis.

Mistake number two is ignoring cultural and language barriers. Advertising can be incomprehensible, offensive, or simply irrelevant to the local audience. This leads to low CR and budget drain. To avoid this mistake, conduct research on the cultural characteristics, mentality, and humor of the target audience. Provide high-quality translation and localization of all advertising materials.

The next mistake is underestimating the technical support of the offer (bad call center - wasted budget). A bad call center can "drain" your leads without bringing them to a sale (low upsell). Non-responsive or incompetent advertiser support can delay problem solving and lead to loss of time and money. Whenever possible, always ask for feedback on the work of the call center and support team. If possible, test the interaction process. Check the call center's working hours and the language of communication of operators.

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