He started out with a commodity, assembled his first team from his family, sold his car when he didn’t have enough money even for basic needs, and still kept going. Today, Oleg Kupets, Owner of KuTeam, KuPartners, owner of a network of telegram channels, is one of those who speak of arbitration as a path of consistency and humanity.
How to survive in a constantly rebooting market and why the real strength is in the ability not to give up.
How did your niche story begin?
It all started with the commodity business. Initially, these were classic e-commerce projects – instashops, landing pages, marketplaces. Some of the products were tested through CPA networks, and it was then that we first discovered the affiliate marketing industry.
Over time, it became obvious that the soul longed for more freedom. They wanted to work remotely, without being tied to a specific location, to have flexibility and independence. Therefore, in 2020, the team consciously took a step into the new iGaming vertical and plunged into the world of affiliate marketing.
What was your first team like?
The beginning was very homely: the first team consisted of me, my wife, sister, and niece, who helped to farm accounts and keep the operational side afloat. We were testing formats, spinning creatives, and learning from our own mistakes.
Later, there was a phase of “quick hiring” and I tried to attract “stars” already known in the market, but for a number of reasons, this approach did not work as expected. Then I returned to a different strategy: building a team around my own expertise – nurturing people in my system, growing together and forming a work culture from scratch.
The path was not easy: during this time, we made several attempts to scale and in total assembled and “disassembled” six or seven teams. Each of these failures taught us that it is better to slowly grow competencies internally than to look for quick results at the expense of someone else’s brand.
What was the toughest period in the development and how did you overcome it?
The beginning was really tough. We “burned all the bridges” and decided to go all-in – without a backup plan, without a financial cushion. Very quickly, it turned into a crisis: we were sorely short of money, my sister was diagnosed with cancer (now, fortunately, she is doing well), and we had to pull resources from everywhere, take on debts, and even sell our car.
The contrast was palpable: until recently, the company had a stable plus, and now it was not just a lack of profit, but a deep minus. The financial problems were compounded by family problems that required a lot of money and moral endurance.
How did you manage? I worked 18-20 hours a day and slept 2-3 hours a day. These are not pretty words, but the reality of that period. It was then that panic attacks, neurosis and GTR appeared.
Communication with like-minded people saved me: we shared our experiences, supported each other, and at the same time I kept trying to assemble the first real backbone of the team. In short, I didn’t stop even when it didn’t work out. And, perhaps, this stubbornness was the main reason why we eventually managed to survive.
How do you select people for your team? What is more important: skills or personality?
The key skills that I value in a team are soft skills and purpose, which I mentioned in my speech.
We value involvement, dedication, seriousness and a sincere desire to develop in this niche. This is the basis without which no project can work.
Hardskills are secondary. They can be acquired with experience, and almost anyone can be taught. As I like to say: “Even bears in the circus were taught to ride a bicycle, but they did not become people.”
That’s why we are looking for not just performers, but People with a capital P: with empathy, thinking, and values. Everything else can be taught if you have the character and desire to grow.
What are the three principles that underpin your work with partners and team?
Honesty, transparency, and, again, general involvement and dedication. But honesty comes first.
How do you see changes in the arbitration market in 2026? What will be the key – AI, data, or community?
There is a kind of paradox here: nothing new is happening, because change is our new constancy. Everything is moving so fast that future transformations are no longer perceived as something unexpected, but simply a natural development of processes.
Artificial intelligence is gradually simplifying work in all areas, from creativity to analytics. And the first to implement AI in their processes will win the most valuable thing – time.
Along with this, values within companies, corporate culture, approaches to communication and teamwork will change. The business of the future is not only about technology but also about a new level of awareness and humanity.