In its latest interview, AffPapa had the opportunity to speak with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Gentoo Media, Milorad Matejic, who shared his perspective on what...
In this interview with AffPapa, Elena Amosova, CEO of Q3 Network, shares her journey from Affiliate Account Manager to company leader and explains how that experience continues to shape her approach to the industry. She discusses how Q3 Network has grown from a small team communicating through Telegram into a structured network with its own CRM, why a traffic-focused model gives affiliates greater flexibility, and which KPIs matter most for sustainable growth.
Yeva: Going from Affiliate Account Manager to CEO usually comes with a big shift in perspective. How did your role and your way of thinking change along that path?
As an Affiliate Manager, your perspective naturally leans towards the affiliate. Your job is to help partners scale, negotiate better conditions, and achieve their goals. Stepping into the CEO role means looking at the bigger picture and balancing the interests of affiliates, advertisers, and the business itself.
The biggest shift wasn’t just in responsibility. It was in how I make decisions. Instead of focusing on individual deals or KPIs, I now focus on building sustainable processes, developing people, and making strategic decisions that support long-term growth.
Earlier in my career, success meant helping one partner reach volume or closing a deal. Today, success means building a team capable of doing that consistently, creating efficient collaboration across departments, and positioning Q3 Network as a trusted long-term partner in the market.
As the company grows, leadership also changes. We now have a team of 33 people, and my role is no longer about managing individual accounts. It is about creating an environment where every team member can perform at their best while maintaining the quality of every partner relationship.
Yeva: How have Q3 Network’s internal processes evolved as the company grew, from a small team communicating in Telegram to a custom CRM and structured workflows?
Like many startups, we began with simple tools. Telegram handled communication, and our affiliate tracker covered the operational side.
As we scaled, those tools were no longer enough. We introduced a task management system, followed by a custom-built CRM designed around our own workflows rather than adapting our processes to off-the-shelf software.
Today, every stage of partner management follows a structured process supported by clear internal regulations and interconnected departments. Our CRM gives us full visibility into the entire partner lifecycle, from the first conversation to monthly reconciliation and payments.
That transparency allows us to monitor response times, identify bottlenecks, improve operational efficiency, and deliver a consistently high level of service as we continue to grow.
Yeva: Unlike many affiliate networks, Q3 Network does not own its own offers. What strategic advantages and challenges come with building a system purely around traffic rather than product ownership?
Our biggest advantage is flexibility.
Instead of being tied to a single in-house product, we can recommend the right offer for each traffic source, GEO, payout model, or partner objective. If performance drops or market conditions change, we can quickly pivot to another brand without disrupting the partner’s business.
That also allows us to focus on what matters most, helping our partners maximise EPC and ROI rather than promoting one specific product.
Of course, this model comes with its own challenges. We compete not only with other affiliate networks but also with direct advertiser programmes. That means we constantly have to demonstrate our value through expertise, support, exclusive opportunities, and operational efficiency.
Competition pushes us to improve, and ultimately that is what benefits our partners.
Yeva: Given you’ve worked directly with affiliates early in your career, does that hands-on experience still influence your decisions as CEO, and how?
Without question.
Beyond affiliate management, I have worked with traffic acquisition myself, including SEO, so I understand both the commercial and operational side of the business.
That experience helps me communicate with partners on the same level. I understand the challenges they face, the pressure they are under, and what actually matters to them when making business decisions.
It also makes it much easier to distinguish genuine issues from poor quality traffic or attempts to game the system.
Most importantly, partners recognise when they are speaking with someone who genuinely understands their business. That creates trust, encourages honest conversations, and ultimately leads to stronger long-term relationships.
Yeva: As CEO, which KPIs do you rely on when measuring the performance of the affiliate network?
Profitability is always the primary metric.
Beyond that, we closely monitor the ratio between gross profit, payouts, and operational costs to ensure we are growing sustainably rather than simply increasing revenue.
On the partner side, we track retention, the share of high-value partners within the portfolio, the conversion rate from offered deals to approved deals, and from approved deals to live campaigns.
There are many more operational KPIs behind the scenes, but ultimately affiliate marketing is a relationship-driven business. Long-term profitability comes from retaining quality partners and consistently delivering excellent service.
Yeva: From your point of view, what’s changed the most in the betting and gambling affiliate space over the last few years, especially in CPA and hybrid models?
The biggest shift has been the industry’s focus on traffic quality rather than traffic volume.
Advertisers have invested heavily in analytics, while affiliates have become far more sophisticated in evaluating profitability, funnel performance, and long-term value.
Competition has also significantly raised expectations around account management. Networks now need to be proactive by negotiating better commercial terms, securing exclusive offers, and delivering value before partners even ask for it.
At the same time, the market has become much more disciplined. Both sides pay greater attention to due diligence, campaign planning, traffic validation, and controlled scaling.
Yeva: Q3 Network emphasizes “no micromanagement” and direct collaboration with media buyers. How do you make sure that freedom for affiliates doesn’t come at the expense of quality or consistency?
The two actually go hand in hand.
Strong results come from hiring experienced people, giving them ownership, and supporting them with the right processes rather than controlling every step they take.
Our focus is on developing expertise, encouraging open communication, and removing unnecessary operational friction through automation.
That approach allows our team to move quickly while maintaining the quality and consistency our partners expect.
Yeva: From your perspective, what actually differentiates a strong affiliate partner from someone who just brings volume but not long-term value?
A strong affiliate thinks beyond the next payout.
They understand that sustainable growth only comes from building partnerships where both sides succeed. They communicate openly, honour agreements, and focus on long-term value rather than short-term gains.
That is the type of partnership we invest in.
Yeva: Where do you see affiliate networks in iGaming heading next, especially when it comes to data, tools, and how they work with partners?
Forecasting this industry is never easy because it changes incredibly fast, often for reasons beyond anyone’s control.
That said, several trends are already becoming clear.
Casino operators will continue investing in player retention through gamification, loyalty programmes, and personalised user experiences.
Affiliate programmes will focus on automation, analytics, and partner-facing tools that help both affiliates and advertisers make better business decisions.
Internally, affiliate companies will become increasingly data-driven. Teams will pay closer attention to operational efficiency, customer acquisition costs, traffic quality, and profitability at every stage of the funnel.
The market is becoming more mature, margins are stabilising, and sustainable growth will increasingly depend on data, operational excellence, and long-term partnerships rather than simply acquiring more traffic.
Company: Q3 Network
Interviewee: Elena Amosova
Date: 25.08.2026
