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Interview with Maksym – Head of Affiliates at Moon Partners
AffPapa recently interviewed Maksym, the Head of Affiliates at Moon Partners, who shared insights on brand identity, deal-making processes, 2025 challenges, long-term partnerships, and the trends defining the affiliate world.
Yeva: Maksym, Moon Partners has a rather unique identity. How does this whole “to infinity and beyond” concept apply to how you work with affiliates?
Thank you for this great question and for noticing our creative concept. When we developed it, we wanted it to reflect our values. The “to infinity and beyond” concept is very much reflected in how we work with our partners. For us, it means striving as a team to achieve ambitious goals endlessly, but doing so with a sense of cosmic ease.
Simply put: our identity directly shapes how we collaborate with affiliates. It shows that it doesn’t matter whether you’re an experienced astronaut in the affiliate universe or a rising star, Moon Partners provides the tools, trust, and team to help you scale all the way to the Moon and we make it happen.
Yeva: You offer different deal types like Rev Share, CPA, and Hybrid, but, of course, every partner’s different. What’s the typical process you go through to find the right fit for each one?
We always aim for a highly personalized approach. First, we ask our partners what they’re looking for and which conditions are most interesting to them. Then we look at the type of traffic they bring, whether it’s relevant for us, its quality, and the geography. We analyze all of this, discuss their goals, and figure out the collaboration model that fits best. From there, we align on commissions, potential bonuses, and technical details. The most important part is that everything is handled transparently, quickly, and without unnecessary bureaucracy. The world moves fast, and great partners move even faster. Our secret to a strong, effective match is clear communication and transparent conditions.
Yeva: What’s been the biggest challenge for affiliate managers in 2025 so far, and how are you handling it at Moon Partners?
I’d say the biggest challenges for us in 2025 are linked to a few key factors. First, the market is constantly shifting, regulatory changes, lightning-fast trend cycles, and new tools emerging that we need to integrate. Staying on top of all this and keeping ahead is crucial.
Secondly, and this is my personal view, the niche is becoming increasingly popular, and unfortunately, some dishonest projects are offering courses on how to become a “successful” affiliate. Beginners often enter the industry full of enthusiasm, pay for these courses, and end up with low-quality guidance. At Moon Partners, we take a different approach, we focus on practical, hands-on training to help newcomers truly learn and succeed.
Yeva: Behind every deal, there’s a relationship. In your view, what makes a truly great affiliate partnership today? What turns a regular collaboration into something long-term and high-performing?
I believe the key to long-lasting affiliate partnerships is simple human communication and transparency. In our niche, people truly value when agreements are honored, both parties do their work honestly, and everyone receives what was promised. From my experience, the strongest and most profitable collaborations are with projects that keep their word and consistently deliver on their commitments.
Yeva: There’s a lot of talk about AI tools in affiliate management, but people still matter most. How do you balance automation with keeping things personal and genuine?
My approach to AI tools is quite clear: they are instruments that help you do certain tasks faster, but they shouldn’t do all the work for you. We actively use AI to automate tedious and time-consuming processes that would otherwise take a lot of human effort. In certain technical areas, like research, tracking, and analytics, it’s great to get things done very quickly and save resources.
However, I’m against using AI for creative work. There are aspects tied to human psychology that an algorithm simply can’t understand, content created by AI often feels artificial, doesn’t resonate with people, and ultimately hurts conversion. So, in our team, the balance is very clear: machines handle machine tasks, and humans handle human tasks.
Yeva: From your experience, what’s the one thing affiliates often underestimate about building success in this industry?
I think it’s staying on top of overall trends. Many affiliates in this niche are very focused on gambling itself and think, “Why should I care about current trends?” But in my opinion, to run great campaigns, you need to understand what’s happening in the world, what’s popular, and what could help you generate new leads. Especially in the era of Gen Z, who are now adults.
For example, you could start with a creative about a popular meme, then move to slots, then another trending joke and voila, you have an awesome funnel that converts. In other words, an affiliate’s success depends on good traffic and leads, right? And you won’t get leads without understanding trends. So, to succeed in this industry, you need to constantly keep your awareness sharp.
Yeva: What trends do you see shaping the way programs connect with affiliate partners right now?
I think right now the focus is on building long-term relationships. Affiliate partnerships are no longer a “one-day fling”, it’s a long-term game. Experience has shown that this approach works best. In life, we tend to choose reliable connections that stand the test of time, and it’s the same in affiliate marketing: one trustworthy partner is often better than ten fleeting ones. That’s why we invest a lot of time and effort into maintaining strong, lasting relationships.
Yeva: If you had to describe the future of affiliate marketing using a space metaphor, what would it be and why?
The universe is infinite! Just like the opportunities in affiliate marketing. I believe the industry will continue to grow at an incredible pace, and we can expect nothing but expansion and new possibilities. I look to the future with excitement and inspiration.
Company: Moon Partners
Interviewee: Maksym
Date: 01.12.2025
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