Surviving Volatility: How Affiliates Can Scale in a World That Keeps Shifting

Volodymyr Sakharov, co-founder of Traffic Squad, joined 15M Mastery to share how his media buying affiliate business approaches risk, regulation, and scale, especially when platforms shift and markets dry up overnight.

His advice blends calm pragmatism with sharp operational thinking, offering a rare look inside the playbook of one of the industry’s most adaptable affiliate leaders.

When to Walk Away From a Market

For Volodymyr, market exit decisions aren’t based on panic, they’re rooted in data.

“We always monitor regulations and keyword density,” he explains. “We’ve also started using maturity scoring, how developed a market is in terms of search behaviour.”

But the real edge comes from having diverse traffic sources. “When we’re not sure, we test with Facebook. It lets us assess demand, traffic volume, user intent. That’s often enough to decide whether a geo is worth building around.”

The Six-month Runway Rule

There’s one benchmark Volodymyr swears by: always have enough capital to run the business for six months, even if revenue drops to zero.

“It’s not about predicting everything. That’s impossible,” he says. “But you can predict that things will go wrong, so plan for that.”

• Keep a reserve that’s at least 30% greater than monthly turnover
• Cut burn rate immediately in a crisis
• Shift your mindset from margin to survival time

It’s a philosophy forged during COVID, and one that still shapes how Traffic Squad operates today.

Leading Through the Unknown

When volatility strikes, Sakharov doesn’t look for answers in dashboards, he looks inward.

“My instinct is to become very calm,” he says. “I gather input from the team, the market, our partners. Then I communicate what we’re seeing.”

That communication happens fast and often. Whether through daily calls or detailed updates, the goal is always the same: give people clarity, even when the picture is incomplete.

“And if nothing works,” he adds, “you work harder. You experiment. You move. Or, if absolutely needed, you rest. But you don’t freeze.”

Why Infrastructure Still Matters, Just Differently Now

Traffic Squad has long invested in internal tools. But the value of those tools has shifted.

“Infrastructure used to be a major USP,” Sakharov says. “Now, with all the SaaS options out there, it’s becoming commoditised.”

Today, what sets teams apart is not just what they build, but how they operate:

• Onboarding new buyers quickly with well-mapped systems
• Offering access to capital, accounting, and advertiser relationships
• Creating a sense of community that solo buyers can’t replicate

“Infrastructure is still key, but socialisation, services, and smooth operations matter just as much now.”

Scaling When the Window Opens

Because of that groundwork, Traffic Squad is ready to scale when opportunity strikes.

“Every new buyer gets a playbook, tools, onboarding, everything they need to start on day one,” he says. “It’s why we can move quickly when the market gives us a chance.”

And while many affiliates are still chasing short-term gains, Sakharov is playing a longer game: build systems that can flex under pressure, and teams that keep moving even when things break.