n this episode of Revenue Optimization with StatsDrone, John Wright sits down with Alessandro Gherardi, co-founder of Fomento Agency, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a modern affiliate network in today’s iGaming landscape. With thousands of affiliate networks competing for attention, Alessandro explains why payouts alone are no longer enough. Instead, Fomento focuses on high-value services—like access to iGaming conferences, sports events, education, and advertising tools—to create long-term loyalty and genuine human relationships with affiliates. It’s a shift toward what John calls “Affiliate Network 2.0.” The conversation dives deep into the operational reality behind affiliate networks, including postback tracking, sub-IDs, campaign structure, and why better data transparency benefits everyone involved. Alessandro also shares hard-earned lessons from launching a network from scratch—facing rejection, landing the first conversion, and earning trust one relationship at a time. Fraud detection and traffic quality are another major focus, with real-world insights into how fraudulent waves form, how networks and operators should collaborate, and why many operators still fail at basics like bonus abuse prevention. The episode wraps with a candid discussion on why human connection beats transactional thinking, especially in an industry obsessed with FTDs and conversion rates. If you’re an affiliate, operator, or network owner looking to understand where affiliate marketing is heading next—this episode delivers practical insights you won’t hear in sales decks.