Recently, Nguyen Anh Tin – the founder of the well-known “Tâm Sự Affiliate – MMO” community in Vietnam’s online money-making sector, sat down for a conversation with Nguyen Duy, the young founder of Permate. This project draws attention to its goal of building the first affiliate marketing platform in Vietnam. Their discussion centers on the ambition to “revitalize” the Affiliate market, a space that combines both skepticism and expectation.
Tin: A line on Permate’s website says, “The first affiliate marketing platform in Vietnam.” That doesn’t sound entirely accurate. If I’m not mistaken, MasOffer from Eway Group was the first platform, right?
Duy: That’s correct. Permate is not a typical affiliate network like the others in Vietnam. Permate operates under the model of an affiliate marketplace. Simply put, it’s similar to Shopee: on Shopee, sellers list their products to be purchased by customers; on Permate’s marketplace, brands list their campaigns, and publishers select the campaigns they want to run. Brands can set their commission rates and provide direct support to publishers. Brands work directly with publishers rather than through a third party, such as a traditional network. This model increases both parties’ transparency, flexibility, and optimization capabilities and reduces the intermediary conventional affiliate role networks in managing campaigns.
Tin: This sounds innovative, but are there any legal issues? I haven’t seen this model before in Vietnam.
Duy: It’s new to Vietnam, but they’ve been doing this for a long time in other countries. Major affiliate marketplaces such as Impact, ShareASale, CJ, and Awin run under this model. It’s the present and future trend. Permate has already secured approval from the Ministry of Industry and Trade to operate as an e-commerce platform in Vietnam. Getting the license wasn’t too difficult, all the legal procedures have been completed.
Tin: But if it’s such a new model, I imagine brands and publishers might struggle to adapt. People generally don’t like change because it takes time, and they’re unsure if the new thing is better than the old.
Duy: Permate guarantees that this model will bring more benefits to both brands and publishers. Indeed, as you said, anything too new will face some resistance. However, the Permate team believes that once both sides recognize this new model’s value, they will embrace it. Permate is willing to join this game and invest time, money, and effort in educating the market, brands and publishers.
Tin: That could be extremely expensive…
Duy: Yes, it will cost a lot of money, and Permate is fully aware of that. If we’re willing to play, we need to be willing to pay.
Tin: Let me ask something a bit sensitive: where are you getting the money? Is there a secret angel investor backing you? If it’s too sensitive, you don’t have to answer.
Duy: There’s nothing to hide. Permate is a part of Interate Corp, a company operating in the U.S. affiliate market for 10 years and has achieved considerable success. This is the perfect time to bring the model to Vietnam. The company is financing all current expenses; no one else is backing us. Everything is transparent and straightforward.
Tin: You were born in 1995, yet you have more than 10 years of experience, so you must have started in the affiliate game pretty early.
Duy: Yes. My co-founders and I began as publishers, after which we created our affiliate network in the U.S. Over nearly 10 years, we’ve accumulated a lot of experience, and that’s what the Permate founding team is quite confident about. If we can conquer the challenging U.S. market, succeeding in Vietnam is feasible.
Tin: Still, the U.S. and Vietnam are different markets; succeeding in the U.S. doesn’t necessarily guarantee success in Vietnam, and vice versa. For instance, McDonald’s is a giant in over 100 countries but has faced failures in Vietnam.
Duy: It might sound a bit textbook, but all of Permate’s founders genuinely hope to contribute some value to our homeland. We will do everything we can because we believe in the project’s success, but if defeat happens, we will accept that. Once you’ve poured in your all, there’s no regret, whatever the outcome.
Tin: Are you worried about clashing with existing affiliate networks? After all, launching this kind of project will inevitably cause friction with the traditional players.
Duy: Permate doesn’t see it as a clash; we see it as a catalyst for everyone to move forward together. Vietnam’s affiliate market has lacked novelty and momentum for development for years. If Permate’s arrival can help stimulate something in the market, that’s good.
Tin: Have you met with the founders or CEOs of other affiliate networks?
Duy: Yes, we’ve connected and spoken with them. They understand Permate’s direction, and a common thread that unites us is the desire to see Vietnam’s affiliate market grow.
Tin: I’ll be honest, don’t take this the wrong way, it feels like Permate is trying to crack a tough nut. It’s all good if you succeed, but if you fail, you’ll have lost everything: money, time, etc. Ambition is great, but if it’s too far-fetched…
Duy: Every founder on the team sees this as a challenge to conquer themselves. We don’t want to stop. Nobody is resting on their laurels. Without goals or motivation, life loses meaning. As I mentioned, we understand the market, know what we’re doing, and are open to all outcomes.
Tin: What’s Permate’s plan to make this ambition a reality?
Duy: Permate has a comprehensive plan for 2025, and everything is being implemented step by step. We know that true success requires well-thought-out strategies and steady progress. While we can’t reveal all the details just yet, we can say that our first target is the “Tâm Sự Affiliate – MMO” community.
Tin: Why?
Duy: Because that’s where the most significant number of publishers converge and where many influencers in the MMO field gather. It’s a demanding community as well. If “Tâm Sự Affiliate – MMO” recognizes and trusts Permate, that would be a significant achievement.
Tin: How do you want the “Tâm Sự Affiliate – MMO” community to view Permate?
Duy: We hope for a welcome filled with goodwill and support: a startup of young people who dare to dream big, dare to play big, and dare to do what no one else dares to do.
Tin: Last question: do you know what you’re doing and what you’re getting into? I’m not about to lecture a rich person on how to spend money, but this project is massive and risky…
Duy: Everyone at Permate fully understands the journey ahead, believes in eventual success, and is prepared for any outcome. We have no regrets.
Tin: Thank you.
Only time can tell whether a permate succeeds or fails. But, in a Vietnamese affiliate market that has become “stale” here comes a young team, full of ambition and willing to take risks, something that is noteworthy. Not only do they bring a new model, but they also infuse fresh energy into the publisher community and for brands wanting to leverage Affiliate to boost revenue.
Will Permate truly reshape the game? Will they achieve something “special”? No one can say for sure. But if Permate accomplishes it one day, then today’s conversation might be the preface to an exciting new chapter in Vietnam’s affiliate market. The outcome still lies ahead, but their journey is certainly worth following.