In affiliate marketing, much still comes down to trust, speed of contact, and the quality of the people you work with. That’s why MAC remains a key event for the industry. It’s where new partnerships are formed, hard-to-reach contacts are engaged offline, and connections often grow into long-term collaborations.
Stefan Muehlbauer — CEO of Affpal, a partner marketing and recruitment expert, and director of the Masters in Cash dating program — will be speaking at MAC this year. We caught up with him to discuss strong teams, the value of in-person meetings, the CIS market, and the tangible benefits you can take home from the conference.
Stefan on the Market and What Often Goes Unnoticed in a Partner Manager’s Work
You have a broad perspective on the affiliate marketing landscape: management, recruitment, consulting, program work. How does that shape your view of the industry today?
It gives us a really strong barometer for trends and a clear sense of where the market is headed. Hot verticals, the resurgence of niche markets, emerging regions — you can read all of that through consulting and recruitment requests.
At the same time, layoffs, candidates switching verticals, or lowering expectations tell us where things aren’t going well. Covering these three areas gives you a holistic view of the market — and, more importantly, you start speaking the language of the industry. My company started by building content and personal brands for affiliate managers, and it’s rewarding to see this type of personal branding become an industry standard: now affiliate managers and founders themselves are taking the stage, not just partners.
What do people often underestimate about the work of a partner manager?
Reliability and attention to detail. Too often, people equate a manager’s value solely with sales skills — which, yes, are essential to get started with partners. But once you scale, that becomes less important. The role of a trustworthy, honest consultant rises to the forefront.
How much of affiliate marketing still relies on personal contact and trust between partner and manager?
It’s even more important than the offer itself. Of course, if the product is completely terrible, great communication won’t save it — but to reach a certain level, you need relationships.
Think about it this way: a partner invests time and money into promoting offers. How can they do that without trust in the program or network? And who represents that program? The partner manager. Offers and advertisers also need protection, so the partner has to earn trust too.
In Masters in Cash, where I oversee the matchmaking program, we have a clear distinction between partners we know and those we don’t. Unknown partners start with revshare, then get a low-paid CPL offer, and gradually scale. If we’ve met in person and had an open, thorough conversation, a lot of that process can be skipped entirely.
Why MAC Matters
What makes MAC exciting for you this year?
It’s a huge show, and I’m honored to be invited as a main speaker alongside colleagues I truly respect. Plus, I’ve never been to Yerevan. It’s been on my list since last year, but personal reasons kept me from attending then.
Why do you value conferences like MAC in general?
Connections. Only a small part of me goes proactively seeking new business. After 16+ years in the industry and attending over 300 conferences, I can say that new business contacts often become the best long-term partners — sometimes indirectly, through referrals.
From a business perspective, I usually aim for a 300% ROI from a conference trip — and that’s the beauty of it: we always hit that goal, even factoring in booth costs. In our industry, one right contact can cover all expenses. It could be an HR client building a whole media buying team or a network landing a major partner who drives six-figure volumes from month one.
My personal record as an affiliate manager? 15,000 mobile subscriptions in Tier 1 in one week from a single new contact. Even if we were the main sponsor, it would have covered the costs — and the partnership lasted almost four years.
When do you usually get a real sense of a person, team, or potential partner at a conference?
Usually within five minutes, sometimes even faster. A short conversation or a drink together is often enough. Especially with partners, it’s simple:
- Are we in the same vertical?
- Is the traffic relevant?
- Does the payout model work?
Everything else can be clarified later. If the answer to these three questions is yes, you already have a meaningful contact worth pursuing.
What Makes Teams and Partners Strong
When meeting a new team, what grabs your attention first?
Definitely not the attractiveness of the manager 😆 — though conferences today are full of eye candy. What stands out is clarity from the first moment. If someone says, “We have Facebook traffic for dating,” that’s interesting but not special. But if they provide context — volume, data needed for scaling, internal expertise in Tier-3 markets where we dominate — that’s when it gets exciting, and special conditions come to the table immediately.
What qualities do you value in teams you want to work with long-term?
A few key things:
- Speed to action: when we agree on something, does traffic start immediately or in a month?
- Clear communication with confirmations, plus proactive requests for information that help both sides maximize results.
- Experience: industry terminology and basic tracking functions.
- Shared understanding: they get that we need a certain quality to maintain the partnership and actively push us to deliver the highest ePC.
Why CIS Teams Remain Market Leaders
CIS teams have long had a strong reputation in affiliate marketing. How do you view this market today?
I love working with them across all my business lines. In Masters in Cash, we’ve collaborated closely with CIS teams since around 2019. Three things stand out:
- They set online marketing trends, especially in BH, six months ahead of others.
- Scaling ability: in many networks and programs, they dominate traffic.
- Celebration of success: money and parties in this region are next level!
Why are CIS specialists valued internationally?
Drive. They’re fine working evenings or weekends — for partners or advertisers. That work ethic is contagious.
Why should Western companies pay closer attention to the CIS market now?
Based on recruitment requests from Western clients, it’s essential. It’s no longer just a trend to hire CIS talent to work with some of the world’s largest and smartest partners. CIS has always been rich in talent and opens access to traffic and partnerships you couldn’t otherwise build. I’ve also hired, alongside Irina Esan, a specialist focused on CIS candidates and clients.
Finding the Right People at MAC
Who’s easiest to connect with in person at MAC — people hard to reach online?
Decision-makers, hands down. For many top players, it’s nearly impossible to reach them online without a prior connection. The only way into their Rolodex is a face-to-face meeting. Often, you can’t schedule it in advance, but MAC is full of opportunities to meet the right people. I recommend getting a Diamond Ticket for access to deal-making spaces that shape the industry.
Any advice for those attending MAC who want more than just business cards?
Don’t bother with business cards 😆. They’re only useful for quick intros, drafts, or corporate sales. Better: add people on Telegram, take a selfie if they’re not sensitive about it, and jot down what you discussed. You’ll get far more follow-ups that way.
The Bottom Line
MAC’s value is clear: in a few days, you can accomplish what often takes months online — meet the right people, quickly assess if the conversation will continue, and move it directly into actionable partnerships. A meaningful contact, rapid filtering, and a clear next step often outweigh long email chains with no substance.
