Hello, community! Today we’ve prepared a great — even motivational — interview for you. We spoke with Oleksandr Makedonskyi, CEO of the affiliate network Triangles. From traffic arbitrage failures to launching your own affiliate network in the ultra-competitive iGaming niche — learn all about it in our honest conversation.
Greetings, Oleksandr! If you had to write your autobiography in 5 sentences to inspire even the most disillusioned affiliate, what would it say?
The first campaign I ever launched taught me more than any course. I took risks, lost money, made mistakes — but I never stopped. Trust means more to me than quick cash. I play the long game because I know partnerships are about growth, not one-time payouts. And if I do something — I do it seriously.
You represent a cool and well-known product. But how did you manage to build a successful affiliate network if your own experience running traffic was mostly negative?
Let’s start with the fact that my traffic experience ended negatively — but that doesn’t mean we ran at a loss. We were actually running profitably, but couldn’t scale because the U.S. elections hit. Being able to run traffic and being good with traffic are different things. Maybe that first failed case closed the door to becoming a buyer — and opened the door to building a network. My strengths are strategy, management, communication, and analytics. When it comes to running campaigns, ingenuity and technical insight matter more. What really matters is doing what inspires you. When we launched the network and traffic started coming in, I knew I was in the right place. I don’t think there are secrets to building a business — it’s about having the right mindset and strong motivation.
By the way — in one interview, you described your traffic experience as “painful.” Why? What went wrong?
It’s simple. On November 3rd, 2020, all accounts were banned. We had no expertise to fight bans, tried launching new accounts, failed ZRD — and that was it.
Does your experience reflect in Triangles — helping affiliates avoid your past mistakes?
Yes and no. Affiliates usually know better which funnels convert and what creatives they need — so we can’t completely protect them from mistakes. But we do help flag when something’s not converting, saving them budget. Recommending or warning against specific offers — that’s also part of our support.
Building such a large company from what started as a small startup — how did you scale? Was it your management skills, belief in the project, or just luck?
I wouldn’t say I’m a lucky person. I’ve never won anything — every achievement came from hard work. Whether in school, sports, or work, I’ve always given more than I got. But Triangles was different. First, I knew exactly what I was doing and what needed to be done.
Second, belief in the project is powerful. That belief helped us start, but I still remember the moment traffic came in on day 4 — it wasn’t just belief anymore, I knew it was going to work.
And yes, I have to admit, there was luck — more than enough. Even early on, we managed to offer competitive conditions, payment guarantees, and avoided shaving.
So if I sum it up — I think it was a mix of determination, belief, and luck.
Would you say success in iGaming is rare, or is there a formula for building a successful business?
Let’s see. I’d like to believe it’s rare. Fewer projects are launching than are shutting down. There’s definitely no “formula” — no instruction manual will work. But facing challenges, solving them, and moving forward — that’s the real deal.
Why iGaming? What drew you to this vertical: high CPA, product quality, or are you a player yourself?
First of all — it’s the fast and aggressive growth of the industry. And affiliate marketing works the way it should here. Clear actions, high payouts compared to other verticals, and a simple payment model — per first-time deposit. Plus, working across global GEOs and tracking regional patterns is genuinely interesting.
What iGaming trends do you predict for 2025? Will traffic shift more to apps or influencers?
2025 will be the year of apps — no doubt. Influencer traffic is growing rapidly. In some GEOs it’s so effective that brands are fully rethinking their strategies. But in terms of scale, influencer traffic won’t beat apps — at least not in 2025.
iGaming is almost the main vertical in affiliate marketing. And it’s clear that there are tons of gambling affiliate programs out there. How does Triangles stay competitive?
That’s true, there are a lot of affiliate programs, and it can be overwhelming at first. But if you look closer — there aren’t that many networks you can fully trust with your traffic and be confident everything will go smoothly. I wouldn’t say I feel the competition strongly. We show great, stable performance, and we’re growing long-term. We know where we are and where we’re headed.
Do you offer individual terms to top affiliates, like casinos do with VIP players? Individual rates, payout schedules, product access?
We don’t discriminate between experienced and newer partners. That’s a philosophical point in the long run. The only difference in how we work with different teams is in priorities, focus, available caps, and access to certain offers. But it doesn’t affect payment frequency or terms.
What’s more interesting for an affiliate program: working with many solo affiliates or partnering closely with a few affiliate teams?
Affiliate teams. Our job is to scale every day — this is business. Personally, I prefer a B2B approach. But there are also cases where solo affiliates outperform teams and have a more structured vision of the market and their growth.
How did you discover our media? Does anyone in your company read us — is it a hiring requirement? 🙂
When I entered the industry, I read absolutely everything I came across. I know for sure our team follows industry news and content, so yes — they read. As for hiring, we never asked during interviews what content people consume. But maybe we should reconsider that 🙂
We sincerely thank Oleksandr for sharing his invaluable experience with us. Our main takeaway from this conversation: nothing comes easy. Behind every successful project lies hard work, faith in the vision, and constant risk. If you’re a newcomer to the niche and thought affiliate marketing was a walk in the park — it might be time to adjust your expectations.
But if you’re confident you’ve chosen the right path — we warmly invite you to our Telegram community, the top affiliate marketing community in Ukraine!
With respect, your Geek!