"We Spent a Year Preparing for the Gorilla Partners Launch" — Interview with Yuliia Klynets

Hi! I was born in Poltava, but when I was 5 my parents decided to move to Kyiv, so I've spent almost my entire life in the capital. I have a master's degree in international trade.

I think this industry started gaining traction in Ukraine about 6 years ago — around that time, acquaintances started popping up who would throw around terms I didn't understand, something about traffic and all that.

Through Ukrainian e-commerce, FB buying, and then affiliate at another licensed product.

All partner payouts go through me and come with serious reporting. I know exactly how much I've paid out over the course of my work, and I have a solid understanding of partners' approximate ROI — the math isn't complicated from there. And $45M in revenue is actually a conservative figure, to make sure I'm not overstating the numbers and keeping it realistic.

I burned out at my previous job and wanted to move forward. The Ukrainian licensed casino market isn't that big, and I'd spent a long time building my experience and reputation. So the moment I announced I was leaving, I got an offer to join Gorilla.

I am the head of the affiliate program, the lead manager, operations specialist, analyst, negotiator, and the face of the brand. It's an extremely responsible role packed with duties.

No, my entire media presence before was limited to a personal Instagram page. Right now I'm actively working on letting you learn more about me and my work so we can get to know each other better.

The start wasn't quick at all. The main objective before launching traffic was to have a well-built, thoroughly developed product. Preparation took nearly a year.

The year of preparation before the launch included searching for and bringing together the most legendary specialists in the market. So "Return of Legends" means assembling only the top players in the niche under one tagline and one brand.

I won't share the volumes — that's sensitive information. But I can say with confidence that we're already ahead of many of our competitors in the market. We have over 100 consistent partners who have been running traffic for more than a month, and several times more than that in testing and launch phases.

We have a great product, the best bonus offer, and the largest number of connected providers. With those numbers — it's not difficult at all! As for the share, I think I won't disclose that either. Those who know the industry and can do the math will figure out our volumes on their own.

Search traffic — first and foremost. It's no secret that SEO, PPC, and ASO deliver the highest ROI. We buy all other sources as well, but there it really comes down to the quality each partner brings.

Consistent hard work, a lot of networking, and personal connections.

We do restrict it — sometimes people try to game the system with various tricks. Brand traffic is something we handle in-house. Beyond that, we have a firm, no-exceptions policy against buying incentivized traffic and scheme-based traffic.

We have an in-house media buying team staffed with experienced, top-tier buyers, so their funnels are highly efficient — and we're ready to share them. We also maintain open communication with our partners. Things that our competitors keep under NDA — analytics, for example — we're willing to show.

This traffic has its own quality metrics — we don't compare it to Facebook. Plus, it's not just about quality and numbers in the moment; it's about brand awareness. This type of traffic is paid per view, on a CPM basis.

Up to $100, with very rare exceptions for exclusives. There are no KPIs — only a minimum deposit and verification, as required by law.

Lifetime.

We don't want to simply operate under the #1 banner — we want to change the market, set trends, shift the game, and inspire others to try new approaches. So #1 isn't really about us; being trendsetters who keep growing and evolving — that is.

Building on the previous question — it's important for us not just to have a media presence, but to ensure that our media activity fully aligns with our internal values, case studies, and brand development. That's exactly the direction we're moving in. I understand how tired the market is of hundreds of cookie-cutter strategies, and our team is working hard to come up with and implement something new — just follow us and you'll see.

The issue in public was heavily overblown — there were just a few dissatisfied people, plus those who wanted to use the noise as cover to cash out funds that had been cut for violating the rules. And let's not forget the competitors — the vultures swooped in. Yes, we did need to improve our communication with partners, but everything was resolved quickly and easily. We didn't lose a single affiliate.

I love staying active! I have so many hobbies! Snowboarding, wakeboarding, drifting, diving, traveling — and now I'm starting to get into DJing.

Oh, I forgot to mention tennis in my last answer. But it's not even a hobby anymore — it's a way of life. I can't imagine myself without sport!

It's been a love affair since I was about five. I always wanted to drive — cars have fascinated me and still do. The photos don't even come close to reflecting how much money I've spent on drift lessons, for example. It's my passion — that's how I relax, have fun, and feel truly alive.

I invested in a car, my parents helped with an apartment — so for now I'm just spending money on things that bring me joy. I invest in my own happiness. Mostly travel, perfumes, nice things, and little touches for the home.

I believe we've already reached roughly the peak of growth. Demand for the product can't keep rising indefinitely. But the market will evolve, adapting to the laws and rules of advertising platforms.

I'd tell him to crawl out from under Trump's skirt.