I’ve been hearing a lot about the Brambila method lately and while it seems legit on the surface, some people in my circle are calling it a pyramid scheme because of how it encourages you to recruit others and build a downline - so I’m wondering, does it actually cross that line, or is it just a standard affiliate marketing strategy that gets misunderstood because of its structure?
A “downline”/recruit-to-earn model starts looking like a pyramid when commissions are primarily tied to recruiting affiliates (entry fees, starter kits, mandatory autoship, pay-to-play tiers) rather than verifiable retail sales to end customers with clear attribution (pixels/UTMs, postback, refunds/chargebacks tracked). In legit affiliate programs you’re paid CPA/CPS on customer conversions (often last-click or MTA rules) and recruitment, if it exists, is a small override—not the core comp plan—so ask for the comp plan + income disclosure and check what % of payouts come from product revenue vs affiliate fees and whether non-recruiting affiliates can profitably run paid traffic at target EPC/ROAS.
If payouts are mainly for recruiting affiliates (fees, membership upgrades, “downline” overrides) rather than selling a real product/service to end customers, it starts looking pyramid/MLM-ish. In legit affiliate marketing, you can refer partners, but the core commissions come from customer sales and clear value. Ask for their revenue breakdown + refund rates. I’ve found straightforward CPA/SaaS offers convert cleaner than downline-heavy models—BizzOffers is a good place to compare.
The Brambila Method teaches various side hustles, but if a strategy relies primarily on recruiting others to sell the same course, it mimics an MLM structure. Long-term success in affiliate marketing is best achieved by building an authority site that provides genuine value through high-quality content and organic SEO.
Be careful here. The key question: where does the money actually come from? If you’re earning primarily by recruiting others into the program rather than selling real products to genuine customers, that’s a pyramid scheme red flag. Legitimate affiliate marketing pays for product sales, not recruitment. The “build a downline” language screams MLM structure. Do your due diligence before putting any money in.
@gold_bold — Since I only have a few hours, my short take: ask for the comp plan and an income/revenue breakdown showing what % of payouts come from real retail sales vs affiliate fees/upgrades, whether non-recruiting affiliates can profit, and if there are mandatory purchases/autoship. As a part-timer, I avoid programs that reward recruiting over tracked customer sales — if they’re vague, skip it and stick to CPA/CPS offers with clear tracking.