taketomarket 2.2.0 → 2.3.0

package/playbooks/affiliate.md

@@ -1,155 +1,166 @@
 ---
 discipline: affiliate
-asset_types: [affiliate-creative-kit, affiliate-landing-page, affiliate-email-swipe]
-version: "1.0"
+asset_types: [partner-page, kit, comparison-article, soft-pitch-email]
+version: "2.0"
 ---
 
-# Affiliate Discipline Playbook
+# Affiliate Playbook
 
-This playbook extends the base playbook contract (`base.md`) with affiliate-specific production guidance, discipline gates, and format rules. It is loaded by ttm-producer during content generation and parsed by ttm-verify for gate evaluation.
+## Production Guidance
 
----
+Affiliate marketing breaks the moment you treat it as a revenue stream. It works when you treat it as a *byproduct of trust*. The job is not to push links — the job is to be the person your audience asks before they buy. The link is what falls out when you do that job well.
 
-## Production Guidance
+This playbook runs on Pat Flynn's **1•2•3 Affiliate Marketing** system, the canonical content-affiliate framework. Three stages, in this order, every time:
 
-### Creative Kit Completeness
+1. **Stage 1 — You actually use the product.** Not "I read the docs." Not "the founder gave me a demo." You have logged into the tool, paid for it (or earned access by genuinely qualifying), used it on a real workflow, and formed an opinion. If you have not, you do not have an affiliate asset yet — you have a sponsored ad, and it should be labeled as such.
+2. **Stage 2 — The product genuinely helps the audience you already serve.** Audience-first, not commission-first. A 60% recurring commission on a product your readers cannot use is worth $0. A 10% one-time commission on a product they were going to buy anyway is gold. Match the product to the ICP you already wrote in `ICP.md` — if it does not fit, kill the asset, no matter what the commission is.
+3. **Stage 3 — You disclose, then you soft-pitch.** Disclosure goes above the first link, in plain English, not in a footer. The pitch is a *recommendation in context*, not a banner ad. The reader should be able to read the asset, ignore the link, and still walk away with full value.
 
-Every affiliate creative kit must include the full set of assets partners need to promote effectively:
+### The Soft Pitch Pipeline
 
-- **Banner ads:** At least 3 standard IAB sizes (300x250, 728x90, 160x600). Provide high-resolution versions in PNG/JPG and optimized WebP. Each banner should include the product name, a clear value proposition, and a visible CTA.
-- **Email swipe files:** At least 2 templates covering different angles (pain-point-led and benefit-led). Include subject lines, preview text, body copy with merge tag placeholders, and a clear CTA with tracking link.
-- **Social copy snippets:** Platform-specific copy for X/Twitter (280 chars), LinkedIn (150-word hook + body), and Facebook/Instagram (caption + hashtag suggestions). Each snippet should include a tracking link.
-- **Landing page copy:** Dedicated affiliate landing page copy with headline, subhead, 3-5 bullet points of key benefits, social proof element, and a primary CTA. The landing page must use a unique tracking parameter per affiliate.
+Every affiliate-bearing asset moves the reader through four steps, in order. Skipping a step is what makes affiliate content feel slimy:
 
-Do NOT send affiliates to a generic homepage. Every link in the creative kit must route through a trackable landing page with affiliate-specific UTM parameters or affiliate platform tracking codes.
+**Teach → Demonstrate → Recommend → Link.**
 
-### Attribution and Cookie Logic
+- **Teach** — You explain the underlying problem and the principles for solving it, *before any product is mentioned*. The reader learns something useful even if they never click anything.
+- **Demonstrate** — You show how *you* solved it. Real screenshots from your account. Your actual workflow. The numbers from your dashboard, not the vendor's pitch deck. This is where "go above and beyond to show how you use it" lives.
+- **Recommend** — You name the tool you use and *why you, specifically, kept using it*. Personal use is the proof; the recommendation is the conclusion.
+- **Link** — Only here, and only once or twice in the asset. The link is the byproduct. If the asset feels valuable with the link removed, the pipeline is calibrated correctly.
 
-Specify the attribution model clearly in every creative kit:
+A partner page, a kit, a comparison article, and a soft-pitch email all follow this pipeline. The proportion shifts (a comparison article is heavier on Teach + Demonstrate; a soft-pitch email is lighter), but the order never changes and the steps never collapse into each other.
 
-- **Cookie duration:** State explicitly (e.g., 30-day, 60-day, 90-day). Longer windows favor affiliates; shorter windows favor the brand. Match industry norms for your product category.
-- **Attribution model:** Declare first-touch or last-touch. First-touch credits the affiliate who introduced the customer; last-touch credits the affiliate whose link was clicked most recently before conversion.
-- **Cross-device tracking:** Note whether your platform supports cross-device attribution. If not, disclose this limitation to affiliates.
-- **Tracking parameters:** Define the URL parameter format (e.g., `?ref=AFFILIATE_ID` or `?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=AFFILIATE_ID`). Every link in creative must use this format.
+### Trust Is the Product; the Link Is the Byproduct
 
-### Commission Structure and LTV/CAC Math
+Audience trust is built over years and burned in weeks. Two rules protect it:
 
-Commission rates must pass a basic economic sanity check:
+- **Don't force; offer.** Affiliate mentions are recommendations, not pitches. The audience opts in. Phrases like "you have to try this" or "trust me, just buy it" are pitches. Phrases like "the tool I use for this is X — here is why it worked for my setup, and here is a comparison if it does not fit yours" are offers.
+- **Don't push affiliates in every piece of content.** If every asset has an affiliate link, the audience learns to filter you out. As a rough ceiling, no more than 1 in 3 produced assets in a quarter should be affiliate-bearing. The rest are pure teaching, building the trust that the soft-pitch assets harvest.
 
-- Calculate customer LTV (lifetime value) for the product being promoted
-- Determine customer acquisition cost (CAC) ceiling: LTV margin minus target profit
-- Set commission at or below CAC ceiling to maintain positive unit economics
-- Document payout terms: payment schedule (monthly, net-30, net-60), minimum payout threshold, and payment method
+### Audience-First Product Selection
 
-Example: If customer LTV is $500, gross margin is 70% ($350), and target profit per customer is $200, the CAC ceiling is $150. Commission must stay below $150 per conversion to maintain positive unit economics.
+Before producing any affiliate asset, run the audience-first checklist. Flynn's framing: *you are picking products for your audience, not picking audiences for the highest-commission product.*
 
-### Partner Enablement
+- Does this product solve a problem in `ICP.md` that the audience has *actually expressed*?
+- Have you used it for at least 30 days on a real workflow?
+- Would you recommend it to a friend who paid you nothing?
+- Does the commission stay below the value you are providing? (A 50% commission on a $10 product is not a red flag. A 50% commission on a $2,000 product where you have no personal use is.)
+- If the affiliate program were discontinued tomorrow, would you still recommend the product? If no, do not produce the asset.
 
-Affiliates are external promoters who lack internal product knowledge. Every kit must include:
+If any answer is "no," the product is not ready to be an affiliate asset. It can become one later, after you put in the time.
 
-- **Product summary:** 2-3 paragraph overview of what the product does, who it serves, and why it matters
-- **Target audience description:** ICP characteristics so affiliates know who to target
-- **Key differentiators:** 3-5 points that distinguish the product from competitors
-- **Approved messaging:** Exact claims affiliates can make, pulled from BRAND.md proof points
-- **FAQ section:** 8-10 common questions prospects ask, with approved answers
+### Interview the Product Makers
 
-### Compliance Guardrails
+The highest-trust affiliate asset is a long-form interview with the founder or product lead of the tool you are recommending. It creates three things at once: trust (the reader sees the human behind the product), content (a full episode/post worth keeping), and natural link placement (the affiliate link belongs in the show notes — nobody has to fight to put it there). When producing a partner page or kit for a tool you have a real relationship with, propose a founder interview as the lead asset.
 
-Affiliate marketing has specific regulatory requirements:
+### Build the Email List First
 
-- **FTC disclosure:** All affiliate content must include clear disclosure of the commercial relationship. Provide affiliates with approved disclosure language (e.g., "This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you make a purchase.")
-- **No income guarantees:** Creative must never promise specific income, results, or returns. Use language like "results may vary" when discussing outcomes.
-- **Claim boundaries:** Affiliates may only use claims that appear in BRAND.md approved proof points. No fabricated statistics, no unsubstantiated testimonials.
-- **Platform compliance:** Note any platform-specific rules (e.g., Google Ads restrictions on affiliate landing pages, Facebook ad policies on health/finance claims).
+Affiliate revenue compounds on a list, not on one-shot blog traffic. A single comparison article ranks once; a list of 5,000 readers can be soft-pitched a dozen different tools over a year, each one in context. If `EMAIL.md` lifecycle sequences exist, that is where the most durable affiliate revenue lives. Treat soft-pitch-email as a first-class asset type in this playbook, not an afterthought.
 
 ---
 
 ## Discipline Gates
 
-### DISC-AFFILIATE-01: Creative Kit Completeness -- Tier 1
+### DISC-AFFILIATE-01: Personal Use Evidence -- Tier 1
+
+**Checks:** Whether the asset proves the producer has actually used the product (Stage 1 of 1•2•3)
+**Against:** Asset body content and supporting media
+
+#### Evaluation Criteria
+
+1. **Concrete personal-use artifact**
+   - PASS: Asset includes at least one of: a real screenshot from the producer's account (not vendor marketing), a workflow walk-through with specific configuration choices, a numeric result from the producer's own usage (e.g., "saved 4 hours/week on X"), or a documented duration of use ("I have used this for 8 months")
+   - WARN: Asset describes personal use in prose but provides no screenshot, number, or specific workflow detail
+   - FAIL: Asset reads as a generic product summary with no first-person, first-hand evidence — could have been written by someone who only read the vendor's website
+
+2. **Demonstrate before recommend**
+   - PASS: Personal-use evidence appears *before* the recommendation/CTA in the reading order
+   - WARN: Personal-use evidence is present but appears below the first CTA
+   - FAIL: The recommendation appears with no personal-use evidence anywhere in the asset
 
-**Checks:** Creative kit includes all required asset types for affiliates per PLAY-09
-**Against:** Asset content and kit manifest
+### DISC-AFFILIATE-02: Disclosure Above First Link -- Tier 1
+
+**Checks:** FTC-compliant affiliate disclosure is present and placed before the first affiliate link, not in a footer
+**Against:** Asset body content and link positions
 
 #### Evaluation Criteria
 
-1. **Asset category coverage**
-   - PASS: Kit includes at least 3 banner sizes, 2 email swipe templates, social copy snippets for at least 2 platforms, and landing page copy with tracking links
-   - WARN: Kit has 2 of 4 asset categories (banners, email swipes, social copy, landing page)
-   - FAIL: Kit has fewer than 2 asset categories or no tracking links included in any asset
+1. **Disclosure presence and placement**
+   - PASS: Plain-English disclosure (e.g., "This post contains affiliate links — if you buy through them I earn a commission at no extra cost to you") appears before the first affiliate link in the reading order, in body text (not in a footer or fine print)
+   - WARN: Disclosure is present but placed after the first affiliate link, or buried in a footer/sidebar that requires scrolling past the link to find
+   - FAIL: No disclosure anywhere in the asset, OR disclosure exists only as a generic "we may earn commissions" site-wide footer with no asset-level statement
 
-2. **Asset completeness**
-   - PASS: Each asset includes all required elements (banners have CTA, emails have subject lines and preview text, social has platform-specific lengths)
-   - WARN: Assets present but missing secondary elements (e.g., emails without preview text)
-   - FAIL: Assets are placeholder-only or missing primary elements (e.g., banners without CTA)
+2. **Disclosure clarity**
+   - PASS: Disclosure uses plain language a non-marketer reader can parse on first read; does not hide behind euphemisms
+   - WARN: Disclosure exists but uses vague language ("we have partnerships," "supported by") that does not name the commercial relationship
+   - FAIL: Disclosure is unreadable, misleading, or contradicted elsewhere in the asset
 
-### DISC-AFFILIATE-02: Attribution Logic -- Tier 1
+### DISC-AFFILIATE-03: Soft Pitch Pipeline Integrity -- Tier 1
 
-**Checks:** Cookie duration, attribution model, and tracking are specified per PLAY-09
-**Against:** Creative kit documentation and link structure
+**Checks:** Asset follows Teach → Demonstrate → Recommend → Link order without collapsing or skipping steps
+**Against:** Asset body content reading order
 
 #### Evaluation Criteria
 
-1. **Attribution specification**
-   - PASS: Creative kit specifies cookie duration (e.g., 30-day, 90-day), attribution model (first-touch or last-touch), and all links use proper tracking parameters
-   - WARN: Tracking links present but cookie duration or attribution model not documented
-   - FAIL: No tracking infrastructure specified, or creative uses non-trackable links
+1. **Pipeline order**
+   - PASS: Asset opens with teaching content (problem framing, principles, education) before any product is named; demonstration follows before recommendation; recommendation precedes the link
+   - WARN: All four pipeline steps are present but appear out of order (e.g., link before teach), or one step is severely under-developed (e.g., Teach is only a single sentence)
+   - FAIL: Asset opens with the recommendation or link — pure pitch with no teach/demonstrate scaffolding
 
-2. **Link integrity**
-   - PASS: Every link in every asset uses the declared tracking parameter format consistently
-   - WARN: Most links use tracking parameters but 1-2 links are missing them
-   - FAIL: Links use inconsistent formats or multiple assets have untracked links
+2. **Standalone value**
+   - PASS: A reader who never clicks the affiliate link still walks away with usable teaching/demonstration content
+   - WARN: Most of the asset's value depends on the linked product; teaching content is thin
+   - FAIL: The asset has no value without the link — it is a banner ad in disguise
 
-### DISC-AFFILIATE-03: Commission Sanity -- Tier 2
+### DISC-AFFILIATE-04: Audience-First Fit -- Tier 1
 
-**Checks:** Commission structure passes LTV/CAC math per PLAY-09
-**Against:** Commission documentation and financial projections
+**Checks:** Recommended product fits the audience in `ICP.md`, not the commission rate
+**Against:** Asset content and `.taketomarket/positioning/ICP.md`
 
 #### Evaluation Criteria
 
-1. **Economic viability**
-   - PASS: Commission percentage documented, LTV/CAC ratio calculated and shows positive unit economics (commission < customer LTV margin), payout terms stated
-   - WARN: Commission stated but LTV/CAC math not shown
-   - FAIL: No commission structure documented, or commission exceeds estimated customer LTV margin
+1. **ICP alignment**
+   - PASS: Asset names which audience segment from `ICP.md` the recommendation is for, and the product solves a problem that segment has actually expressed
+   - WARN: Asset describes a generic audience that overlaps with `ICP.md` but does not explicitly map to a named segment
+   - FAIL: Asset recommends a product that does not match any audience segment in `ICP.md`, or recommends to "anyone" with no fit reasoning
 
-2. **Payout clarity**
-   - PASS: Payment schedule, minimum threshold, and payment method are all documented
-   - WARN: Payment schedule stated but threshold or method missing
-   - FAIL: No payout terms documented
+2. **Commission-first red flag**
+   - PASS: Asset does not reference commission rates, payouts, or partner program economics in the reader-facing body
+   - WARN: Asset hints at commission ("great affiliate program") in a way that signals the recommendation was driven by payout, not fit
+   - FAIL: Asset's primary rationale for the recommendation is the commission rate or program tier rather than audience fit
 
-### DISC-AFFILIATE-04: Claim Accuracy for Partners -- Tier 1
+### DISC-AFFILIATE-05: Genuine Comparison (not Strawman) -- Tier 1
 
-**Checks:** Affiliate copy does not make claims beyond what is approved in BRAND.md proof points
-**Against:** BRAND.md approved claims and proof points
+**Checks:** Comparison assets cover real trade-offs across alternatives, not strawman foils for a predetermined winner
+**Against:** Comparison asset content (applies to comparison-article asset_type; advisory for others)
 
 #### Evaluation Criteria
 
-1. **Claim sourcing**
-   - PASS: All claims in affiliate creative map to approved proof points in BRAND.md, no income or results guarantees
-   - WARN: Claims are technically accurate but use amplified language not present in BRAND.md
-   - FAIL: Creative includes unapproved claims, income guarantees, or unsubstantiated statistics
+1. **Alternative coverage**
+   - PASS: Comparison covers at least 2 named alternatives with real strengths attributed to each — the non-recommended options have at least one genuine "use this instead if..." case
+   - WARN: Comparison names alternatives but treats their strengths superficially (one-line dismissals)
+   - FAIL: Comparison sets up alternatives as obvious losers — strawman foils whose only purpose is to make the affiliate-linked product look better
 
-2. **Disclaimer presence**
-   - PASS: Creative includes FTC-compliant disclosure language and any required disclaimers for the product category
-   - WARN: Disclosure language is present but vague or not prominently placed
-   - FAIL: No disclosure language provided for affiliate creative
+2. **Honest weaknesses of the recommended product**
+   - PASS: The recommended product has at least one explicitly named weakness, limitation, or "do not use this if..." case
+   - WARN: Weaknesses are mentioned but immediately defused ("the only downside is that it is so good you will...")
+   - FAIL: Recommended product is portrayed as having zero downsides
 
-### DISC-AFFILIATE-05: Partner Enablement -- Tier 2
+### DISC-AFFILIATE-06: CTA Respects the Reader -- Tier 2
 
-**Checks:** Affiliates have enough context to sell accurately without access to internal docs
-**Against:** Creative kit supplementary materials
+**Checks:** Call-to-action is an offer, not a push; respects "don't force; offer"
+**Against:** Asset CTA copy and frequency
 
 #### Evaluation Criteria
 
-1. **Context completeness**
-   - PASS: Kit includes product summary, target audience description, key differentiators, approved messaging, and FAQ section
-   - WARN: Kit has product summary and messaging but missing FAQ or differentiators
-   - FAIL: Kit provides creative assets only with no product context or messaging guidance
+1. **Offer language**
+   - PASS: CTA uses offer-framed language ("if it fits your setup, here is the link," "this is what I use — see if it works for you") and appears at most twice in the asset
+   - WARN: CTA uses neutral-but-flat language ("click here," "buy now") with no opt-in framing
+   - FAIL: CTA uses pressure language ("you have to try this," "do not miss out," "limited time"), or affiliate link is repeated 3+ times in the same asset
 
-2. **FAQ coverage**
-   - PASS: FAQ section has 5+ questions covering product functionality, pricing, support, and common objections
-   - WARN: FAQ has 2-4 questions but misses a major category (e.g., no pricing FAQ)
-   - FAIL: No FAQ section or fewer than 2 questions
+2. **No income/results guarantees**
+   - PASS: No language promising specific income, results, or returns from the product or from joining a program; "results may vary" framing where outcomes are mentioned
+   - WARN: Aspirational outcome language ("could change your business") without explicit guarantee
+   - FAIL: Explicit promise of specific income, conversions, or guaranteed results
 
 ---
 
@@ -157,116 +168,170 @@ Affiliate marketing has specific regulatory requirements:
 
 | Base Gate ID | Default Tier | Override Tier | Reason |
 |-------------|-------------|---------------|--------|
-| GATE-02 (Claim Accuracy) | Tier 2 | Tier 1 | Affiliate claims are amplified by third parties outside brand control; inaccurate claims create legal and brand risk at scale |
-| GATE-07 (Compliance) | Tier 2 | Tier 1 | FTC requires affiliate disclosure; non-compliance exposes the brand to regulatory action regardless of which affiliate violated the rule |
+| GATE-02 (Claim Accuracy) | Tier 2 | Tier 1 | Affiliate copy amplifies vendor claims to the producer's trusted audience — inaccurate claims burn audience trust, which is the entire compounding asset. Flynn's "trust is the product" is enforced at the base-gate level. |
+| GATE-07 (Compliance) | Tier 2 | Tier 1 | FTC requires affiliate disclosure on every affiliate-bearing asset. Non-disclosure exposes both producer and brand to regulatory action. Disclosure is the floor, not an option. |
 
 ---
 
 ## Format Rules
 
-### Banner Specifications
+### Disclosure Placement
 
-- **300x250 (Medium Rectangle):** Most common size. Include product name, one benefit line, CTA button.
-- **728x90 (Leaderboard):** Horizontal layout. Product name left, benefit center, CTA right.
-- **160x600 (Wide Skyscraper):** Vertical layout. Product name top, benefit middle, CTA bottom.
-- **File formats:** Provide PNG (high quality) and WebP (optimized). Max file size 150KB per banner.
-- **Text:** Maximum 20% of banner area. Use brand fonts from BRAND.md.
+- Plain-English disclosure must appear in body copy above the first affiliate link.
+- Recommended template: *"Heads up — this post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I actually use."*
+- Disclosure must not be hidden in a collapsible section, footer, or sidebar that the reader has to seek out.
+- For email assets, disclosure appears in the body, not only in the email footer template.
 
-### Email Swipe Format
+### Partner Page Structure
 
-```
-Subject: [Subject line -- 40-60 characters, no spam trigger words]
-Preview: [Preview text -- 40-90 characters, complements subject]
+A partner page is the canonical home for a single recommended tool. Order is fixed:
 
-Hi [FIRST_NAME],
+1. **Hook** (1-2 sentences) — the problem this tool solves, in the reader's words
+2. **Disclosure** (1 sentence) — plain-English affiliate notice
+3. **Teach** (2-4 paragraphs) — the underlying problem, principles, what to look for in any tool of this category
+4. **Demonstrate** (3-6 paragraphs + 2+ screenshots) — your actual usage, real workflow, real results
+5. **Recommend** (1-2 paragraphs) — why *you* kept using it after the trial; who it is for; one honestly named weakness
+6. **"Use something else if..."** (1 paragraph) — explicit non-fit cases, with alternatives named
+7. **Soft-pitch CTA** (1 sentence + link) — offer framing, single link
+8. **FAQ** (5+ questions) — pricing, support, common objections, integrations
 
-[Opening hook -- 1-2 sentences addressing a pain point or benefit]
+### Kit Structure (Partner-Kit for the Producer's Own Affiliates)
 
-[Body -- 3-5 short paragraphs or bullet points]
+A kit is what the *producer* hands to their own promoters when they themselves run an affiliate program. Even here, the 1•2•3 principles apply — promoters must use, must fit their audience, must disclose. The kit must include:
 
-[CTA -- single clear action with tracking link]
+- **Producer-first messaging** — three approved 1-sentence positioning lines pulled from `BRAND.md`
+- **Demonstrate-the-use templates** — at least 2 walkthrough templates promoters can adapt with their own screenshots
+- **Soft-pitch email templates** — at least 2, each following Teach → Demonstrate → Recommend → Link
+- **Disclosure language** — required FTC-compliant disclosure block, copy-paste-ready
+- **Audience-fit guidance** — who this product is for (`ICP.md` segments), who it is *not* for
+- **Approved claims** — exact claims from `BRAND.md` proof points; nothing else permitted
+- **FAQ block** — 8-10 common reader questions with approved answers
+- **Tracking link template** — single canonical tracking URL format
 
-[Disclosure -- FTC affiliate disclosure]
-```
+The kit deliberately does *not* include banner ads as primary assets. Banner-driven affiliate is the opposite of soft-pitch; it is permitted only as a secondary asset and must not be promoted as the lead deliverable.
 
-### Social Copy Format
+### Comparison Article Structure
 
-- **X/Twitter:** 200-250 characters (leave room for link). No more than 2 hashtags.
-- **LinkedIn:** 150-word hook paragraph + 2-3 supporting points + CTA with tracking link.
-- **Facebook/Instagram:** 125-word caption + 3-5 relevant hashtags + tracking link in bio/comments.
+1. **What problem this category solves** — teaching block before any product is named
+2. **How to evaluate tools in this category** — the criteria you used, generalizable
+3. **The alternatives** — at least 2 named alternatives, each with genuine strengths and a real "choose this if..."
+4. **The recommendation** — your pick, with personal-use evidence and honestly named weaknesses
+5. **Disclosure + soft-pitch CTA**
 
-### Landing Page Copy Structure
+### Soft-Pitch Email Length
 
-1. **Headline:** 8-12 words, addresses primary benefit
-2. **Subhead:** 15-25 words, expands on headline with specificity
-3. **Bullet points:** 3-5 key benefits with proof points
-4. **Social proof:** Testimonial, customer count, or trust badge
-5. **CTA:** Single primary action, above the fold
-6. **Tracking:** Unique affiliate parameter in URL
+- Total body length: 150-400 words. Longer than a promotional email; shorter than a newsletter.
+- Subject line: no spam triggers, no fake urgency, no "RE:" or "FW:" fakery.
+- Body opens with Teach (a useful insight, story, or framework) — *not* with the product name.
+- Demonstrate block is 2-4 sentences with at least one concrete specific (a number, a workflow step, a screenshot link).
+- Single CTA, single affiliate link. No "click here" buttons stacked above and below.
+- Disclosure appears in the body above the link, not only in the footer.
 
 ---
 
 ## Examples
 
-### Good: Complete Creative Kit
+### Good: Partner Page Saturated in 1•2•3
 
 ```
-Kit includes:
-- 3 banner sizes (300x250, 728x90, 160x600) in PNG + WebP
-- 2 email swipes (pain-point angle, benefit angle) with subject lines,
-  preview text, merge tags, and tracking links
-- Social copy for X, LinkedIn, and Facebook with platform-specific lengths
-- Landing page copy with headline, benefits, testimonial, CTA
-- Product summary (3 paragraphs), ICP description, 5 differentiators
-- FAQ with 10 questions covering product, pricing, support, objections
-- Attribution doc: 30-day cookie, last-touch model, ?ref=AFFILIATE_ID format
-- Commission: 20% recurring, LTV $600, margin $420, commission cap $120/yr
-- FTC disclosure template included
+Title: The screen-recording tool I use for every product demo (after trying 4)
+
+Hook: I shipped 23 product demos last quarter. Picking a screen recorder
+matters more than you think.
+
+Disclosure: Heads up — this post contains affiliate links. If you buy
+through them I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only
+recommend tools I actually use.
+
+Teach: Most product demos fail because of three things — audio drift,
+cursor jitter, and a 4-minute runtime that should have been 90 seconds.
+The tool matters less than the workflow, but the tool matters.
+
+Demonstrate: Here is my actual recording setup [screenshot of dashboard].
+I record at 1440p, trim with the built-in scene detector (saves me ~15
+minutes per demo), and export at 1080p for web. Over 8 months I have
+logged 142 recordings — the trim time alone has saved me roughly 35 hours.
+
+Recommend: I kept using [Tool X] because the scene detector is unmatched
+and exports are fast. Honest weakness: the mobile recording flow is rough
+— if you record mostly on phone, this is not your tool.
+
+Use something else if... you record on iPhone primarily (try [Alternative
+A]) or you need team-shared cloud libraries (try [Alternative B]).
+
+CTA: If your setup looks like mine, here is the link — see if it fits
+yours. [single affiliate link]
 ```
 
-### Bad: Incomplete Kit
+**Why it works:** Disclosure is above the first link, in plain English. Personal use is concrete (142 recordings, 8 months, specific workflow). One honest weakness named. Two alternatives named with genuine fit cases. CTA is an offer, not a push. The reader gets the full teaching even if they ignore the link.
+
+### Bad: Generic Top-10 Listicle With No Personal Use
 
 ```
-Kit includes:
-- 1 banner size (300x250 only)
-- Generic homepage link (no tracking parameter)
-- No email swipes
-- No product summary or FAQ
-- Commission "to be discussed"
-- No disclosure language provided
+Title: The 10 Best Screen Recorders in 2026 (Ranked!)
+
+#1 — Tool X — 9.8/10. "The ultimate screen recorder. You will love it!"
+[affiliate link]
+#2 — Tool Y — 9.5/10. "Another fantastic option!" [affiliate link]
+... (8 more identical entries)
+
+* As an affiliate we may earn commissions. (footer, fine print)
 ```
 
-**Problems:** Single banner size limits placement options. No tracking makes attribution impossible. Missing product context means affiliates will make up their own claims. Undefined commission deters quality affiliates.
+**Why it fails:** No personal use anywhere — no screenshots, no specific workflows, no real numbers. No teaching block — straight into a ranked list. Disclosure is buried in the footer, not above the first link. Strawman comparison — every product is described identically because the producer has used none of them. Every link is a push, not an offer. This is a banner ad with the word "review" stapled on it. DISC-AFFILIATE-01, 02, 03, 05 all fail.
 
 ---
 
 ## Anti-Patterns
 
-1. **Creative without product context** -- Sending banners and email templates with no product summary, ICP description, or approved messaging. Affiliates fill the gap with inaccurate or exaggerated claims.
+1. **Commission-first product selection** — Sorting affiliate-program directories by payout rate and producing assets for whatever is at the top. Flynn's audience-first rule reverses this: start from a real problem in `ICP.md`, then find a tool you have used that solves it, *then* check whether it happens to have an affiliate program. The commission is the byproduct of the fit, not the other way around.
+
+2. **Recommending products you haven't used** — Producing affiliate content based on the vendor's website, press release, or a 20-minute founder call. The audience can tell within 200 words. Use the product for at least 30 days on a real workflow before producing the asset, or label it explicitly as a sponsored ad — not an affiliate recommendation.
 
-2. **Income or results guarantees** -- Any language promising specific income, conversion rates, or guaranteed results. Violates FTC guidelines and exposes the brand to legal action. Use "results may vary" and focus on product benefits, not partner earnings.
+3. **Hiding the disclosure** — Putting the disclosure in a footer, a sidebar, a collapsible section, or fine print below the fold. Violates DISC-AFFILIATE-02 and Flynn's "disclose every time" rule. Disclosure goes above the first affiliate link, in plain body text.
 
-3. **Ignoring FTC disclosure requirements** -- Providing creative without disclosure templates. Even if affiliates are responsible for compliance, the brand shares liability. Always include approved disclosure language in every kit.
+4. **Strawman comparisons** — Setting up the alternatives as obvious losers so the affiliate-linked product wins by default. The reader figures this out and never trusts you again. If you cannot name a real "use this instead if..." case for at least one alternative, you do not have a comparison — you have an ad.
 
-4. **Single banner size** -- Providing only one banner size limits where affiliates can place ads. The top 3 IAB sizes (300x250, 728x90, 160x600) cover 80%+ of available placements.
+5. **Generic top-10 listicles** — "The 10 Best [Tool Category] in 2026" with two-sentence entries for each, all affiliate-linked. Personal use is impossible at scale (you have not deeply used 10 tools), so the entries are vendor-summary rewrites. Replace with a single deeply-used recommendation and a comparison block that names 1-2 alternatives honestly.
 
-5. **Non-trackable links** -- Using generic URLs, link shorteners without tracking, or links that do not identify the affiliate. Without attribution, neither the brand nor the affiliate can measure performance.
+6. **Push CTAs instead of offer CTAs** — "You have to try this," "limited time," "do not miss out," affiliate link repeated 3-5 times in the same asset. Reads as a pitch, not a recommendation. Use offer language ("if it fits your setup, here is the link"), single CTA, single link.
 
-6. **Commission above LTV margin** -- Setting commission rates that exceed the customer's lifetime value margin. This creates negative unit economics where every affiliate-driven sale loses money.
+7. **Affiliate links in every asset** — Treating every blog post, email, and video as a soft-pitch opportunity. The audience learns to filter you out within months. As a rough ceiling: no more than 1 in 3 produced assets in a quarter is affiliate-bearing. The rest are pure teaching that builds the trust the soft-pitch assets harvest.
 
-7. **Same pitch for all affiliate tiers** -- Sending identical creative to micro-affiliates and enterprise partners. Tailor kit depth and commission structure to partner tier and audience size.
+8. **Income or results guarantees** — Promising specific income, conversion rates, or guaranteed outcomes from a tool. Violates FTC guidelines and burns trust. Use "results may vary" framing; focus on what the tool *does*, not on what the reader will *earn*.
 
 ---
 
 ## Metrics
 
-Track these indicators for affiliate content after shipping:
+Track these post-ship to evaluate whether the soft-pitch pipeline is actually working. Surface-level metrics (clicks, conversions) are necessary but insufficient — the trust signals are the ones that matter for compounding affiliate revenue.
+
+**Surface metrics (necessary, not sufficient):**
+
+- **Affiliate link clicks** — Total clicks on affiliate links from the asset, measured monthly.
+- **Affiliate-attributed conversions** — Total conversions credited to the asset's affiliate links per the program's attribution model.
+- **EPC (Earnings Per Click)** — Revenue divided by total clicks. Useful for sanity-checking commission economics, not for judging asset quality.
+- **Conversion rate per asset** — Clicks-to-conversions per asset; identifies which soft-pitch assets are most-fit to audience.
+
+**Trust signals (the ones Flynn cares about):**
+
+- **Refund rate per asset** — Refunds as a percentage of conversions attributed to the asset. High refund rate is the canary for over-promising or audience-misfit recommendations — DISC-AFFILIATE-04 is failing in production even if it passed at verify time.
+- **Repeat-buyer rate** — Percentage of buyers who go on to purchase the next thing you recommend. This is the trust compounding number. If it climbs, the pipeline is calibrated. If it falls, you are pushing instead of offering.
+- **Audience-reply ratio** — On soft-pitch emails, the ratio of replies-asking-questions to unsubscribes. Replies mean the audience is treating you as a trusted source; unsubscribes mean you tipped into pitch.
+- **Time-to-second-purchase** — Days between a reader's first affiliate-driven purchase from you and their second. Shorter time signals deepening trust.
+
+**Pipeline metrics:**
+
+- **Partner lifetime value** — Total earnings from a single recommended tool over its full life on your site. Compounds across years if the tool stays good and you keep updating the partner page.
+- **Soft-pitch email open + click + reply rates** — Open rate measures subject; click rate measures CTA; reply rate measures whether the reader sees you as a person or a feed.
+- **Affiliate-bearing asset ratio** — Affiliate-bearing assets as a percentage of all produced assets in the quarter. Should stay at or below ~33% to protect audience trust.
+
+---
+
+## Sources
 
-- **Affiliate-driven revenue** -- Total revenue attributed to affiliate links, measured monthly
-- **Conversion rate by affiliate** -- Per-affiliate conversion rate to identify top performers and optimize kit for underperformers
-- **EPC (Earnings Per Click)** -- Revenue divided by total affiliate link clicks; primary affiliate program health metric
-- **Active affiliate rate** -- Percentage of enrolled affiliates who generated at least 1 click in the last 30 days
-- **Creative usage rate** -- Which assets from the kit are actually being used by affiliates (tracked via unique creative IDs)
-- **Refund/chargeback rate** -- Per-affiliate refund rate to detect fraud or misleading promotion
-- **Time to first conversion** -- Days between affiliate enrollment and first attributed sale
-- **Kit download/access rate** -- How many enrolled affiliates actually access the creative kit
+- [Pat Flynn — Smart Passive Income](https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/) — Flynn's hub site; canonical source for the 1•2•3 framework and Soft Pitch Pipeline.
+- [1•2•3 Affiliate Marketing course page](https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/courses-accelerators/123-affiliate-marketing/) — Official framework page outlining the three-stage system: build audience, choose products you use, promote with passive + active strategies.
+- [Descript blog — Affiliate Marketing 101 with Pat Flynn](https://www.descript.com/blog/article/affiliate-marketing-101-with-pat-flynn) — Long-form interview covering Flynn's audience-first vs commission-first framing and the Soft Pitch Pipeline.
+- [Hustle and Flowchart — Pat Flynn on Affiliate Marketing](https://hustleandflowchart.com/pat-flynn-affiliate-marketing/) — Source for the Soft Pitch Pipeline language: build relationship → demonstrate use → mention naturally → drop link only when relevant.
+- [Foundr — Building a passive-income business (Pat Flynn)](https://foundr.com/articles/building-a-business/finance/passive-income-sources) — Source for "interview the product makers" and email-list-first principles.