From zero to break-even in Mexico in under twelve months.

Context

TC2DAY is an affiliate marketing company focused on international markets. I was hired to stand up operations in the US and Mexico — two greenfield builds, no existing traffic, no existing partner network, no content stack.

Challenge

Two markets, very different dynamics. The US side meant breaking into a saturated affiliate ecosystem with established players and strong incumbents. The Mexico side meant building a comparable operation in a market with thinner affiliate infrastructure but lower competitive density — and doing it on a budget that demanded operational break-even within a year.

Approach

• Site and content stack. Built both affiliate properties from scratch — WordPress, SEO architecture, on-page conversion. Designed content workflows that could run lean.
• Partner network from zero. Onboarded with Awin, Rakuten, Commission Junction, Impact, and direct advertisers. Negotiated terms and tracking setup market-by-market.
• AI/LLM content automation. Built a pipeline in Python + OpenAI API + Google Colab + Retool to produce and edit content at scale. This is what made the unit economics work on a small team.
• Competitive intelligence. Ongoing analysis of the top sites in each market — keyword gaps, monetization patterns, content depth — feeding into the editorial calendar.

Outcome

• Mexico site reached operational break-even in under 12 months — covering hosting, content production, tooling, and the operator's allocation.
• Content automation infrastructure became a core competitive advantage. The same pipeline produced what would have required 30–50% more headcount in a traditional setup.
• Established working partnerships with the major US and Mexican affiliate networks — opening commercial channels that supported subsequent growth.

What it took

The most underrated part of this work was the willingness to mix commercial judgment with technical execution. Most affiliate operators stop at "I manage partners." Building the Python + LLM pipeline directly — rather than outsourcing or waiting for engineering — is what made the Mexico timeline possible. I'm not a software engineer, but I'm comfortable enough with the tools to ship operational systems when the business needs them.