“You don’t get ahead by starting fast in January. You get ahead by finishing strong in December.” – Matt Frary
It’s December 30th.
Most inboxes are quiet.
Most teams are mentally checked out.
Most brands are telling themselves the same thing:
“We’ll reset in January.”
But here’s the truth.
The year isn’t over yet.
And the next one has already started.
In two weeks, the affiliate and partnership world lands in Las Vegas for Affiliate Summit. Deals will be made. Relationships will form. Priorities will shift. And the gap between prepared brands and reactive ones will widen quickly.
The question is simple:
Are you walking into Vegas ready… or hoping something clicks?
What You’ll Get in Chaos to Grow
• Why the last two days of the year still matter
• What brands must have dialed before Affiliate Summit
• The non-negotiable affiliate checklist for 2025
• The “extra” moves that separate great brands from average ones
• How to tell if your agency is actually doing the job
Affiliate Summit Is a Mirror, Not a Shortcut
Affiliate Summit doesn’t create momentum.
It reveals who already has it.
If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’ll wander.
If you don’t know who you want to meet, you’ll miss them.
If you don’t know your priorities, you’ll say yes to the wrong things.
That’s not networking.
That’s noise.
Which brings us to something every brand should honestly assess right now.
The Brand Checklist: What You HAVE to Be Doing in Affiliate
If your affiliate program is healthy, these are not optional.
This is table stakes.
If your agency can’t do these well, nothing else matters.
The Must-Have Checklist
• Clean, accurate tracking that everyone trusts
• A clearly defined affiliate strategy, not “let’s test everything”
• A prioritized partner list with active outreach
• Regular communication with top partners
• Clear commission structures that align with value
• Up-to-date offers and creatives
• Visibility into performance beyond just top-line revenue
• Someone who actually owns growth, not just reporting
• A plan for Q1 partners, placements, and promotions
If you’re missing more than one or two of these, your program isn’t underperforming.
It’s unfinished.
The Extra Credit Checklist: What Sets Brands Apart
Once the basics are locked, this is where brands start winning consistently.
These are the things partners notice.
And they remember.
The Differentiators
• Proactive recruitment before partners ask
• Tiered incentives based on incremental value, not volume alone
• Custom placements and content collaborations
• Dynamic commissioning and bonus structures
• Alignment with brand, lifecycle, and LTV goals
• Tight coordination between affiliate, paid, and lifecycle teams
• Fast responses and clear decision-making
• A reputation as a brand that’s easy to work with
• A real point of view, not just another offer
This is where affiliate becomes a growth engine instead of a line item.
An Honest Question Before Vegas
Look at the two lists.
If your agency struggles with the first checklist,
there’s no chance they’re executing the second.
And if that’s the case, Affiliate Summit is the perfect place to have a different conversation.
Not a sales pitch.
A reality check.
Why December Still Matters
December is quiet enough to think but active enough to act.
It’s when smart brands:
• clean up their foundation
• get aligned internally
• onboard the right partners
• and walk into January prepared instead of panicked
The brands that do this don’t scramble in Q1.
They execute.
A Quick Word on Community
This is exactly why we’re building The School of Chaos.
Because affiliate and growth marketing isn’t something you should figure out alone.
Because shared insight beats isolated guesswork.
And because the best strategies rarely come from slides. They come from conversations.
If you want to start the year surrounded by people who take this seriously, you can join the waitlist here:
Founding members will shape what this becomes.
Your Final Chaos Challenge of the Year
Before the clock hits midnight tomorrow, answer this:
“Which checklist am I actually operating on right now?”
Be honest.
Then decide what changes before Vegas.
Final Thought
Affiliate Summit doesn’t reward hope.
It rewards preparation.
Finish the year with clarity.
Show up with intention.
And make 2025 the year your affiliate program finally works the way it should.
If your agency can’t do the basics, let alone the extras,
we should talk in Las Vegas.
—Matt Frary
Chief of Chaos
