Hey everyone, I'm Yankee Doodle. I’m in my late 30s, work full-time in the intelligence field as a data scientist and programmer, and I’ve been around the digital world for a while. Back in college, I dabbled in affiliate marketing without really knowing what I was doing—just throwing paint at the wall with $100 and hoping it would stick. Spoiler: it didn’t.
Fast-forward 15 years, and I’ve spent the past few years deep in crypto—analyzing meme coins, building ML tools, and trading. I did well financially, but in hindsight, it was mostly luck and timing. If I’d just bought and held, I’d probably have done even better. Eventually, I realized that the time, risk, and stress weren’t worth the slightly-better-than-a-coin-flip accuracy. At the end of the day, it felt like I could’ve just worked a second job and earned the same returns without the heartburn.
Now I’m turning back to affiliate marketing, this time with the benefit of experience and a stronger foundation in data and machine learning. What attracts me is that it’s statistically cleaner—each user is independent and identically distributed (IID), and you can actually analyze and optimize campaigns based on large sample behavior, unlike markets where everyone’s actions affect everyone else’s.
I’ve set aside a decent research budget and plan to test ads, build or buy sites, experiment with funnels, and share the process openly. I’m currently leaning toward adult-oriented products, but that may evolve as I explore different niches and strategies. What’s exciting is that after all these years, not much has changed—people are still buying the same things, and the fundamentals of persuasion and marketing remain constant.
So here I am, diving back in, documenting the journey, and seeing what sticks. Wish me luck!
Fast-forward 15 years, and I’ve spent the past few years deep in crypto—analyzing meme coins, building ML tools, and trading. I did well financially, but in hindsight, it was mostly luck and timing. If I’d just bought and held, I’d probably have done even better. Eventually, I realized that the time, risk, and stress weren’t worth the slightly-better-than-a-coin-flip accuracy. At the end of the day, it felt like I could’ve just worked a second job and earned the same returns without the heartburn.
Now I’m turning back to affiliate marketing, this time with the benefit of experience and a stronger foundation in data and machine learning. What attracts me is that it’s statistically cleaner—each user is independent and identically distributed (IID), and you can actually analyze and optimize campaigns based on large sample behavior, unlike markets where everyone’s actions affect everyone else’s.
I’ve set aside a decent research budget and plan to test ads, build or buy sites, experiment with funnels, and share the process openly. I’m currently leaning toward adult-oriented products, but that may evolve as I explore different niches and strategies. What’s exciting is that after all these years, not much has changed—people are still buying the same things, and the fundamentals of persuasion and marketing remain constant.
So here I am, diving back in, documenting the journey, and seeing what sticks. Wish me luck!
