Follow Along Newbie's Journey to get to 1000$ profit

Introduction & Background​

This is my first time posting on the forum, so please excuse any language or grammar mistakes. I am starting this thread to share my journey, stay accountable, and gather advice on how to reach my goals faster. I plan to provide weekly or biweekly updates and answer any questions.

I don’t have a background in marketing or business. I have worked a corporate 9-5 for several years, but never in a revenue-focused role. Everything I am doing now is a new learning experience for me.

The Beginning: December 2025​

I started affiliate marketing in December 2025. I had been looking for a side income via AI for a while, and GPT suggested trying paid marketing. I began with Zeydoo smart links on Popcash, mainly because their $5 minimum deposit made it easy to start. To my surprise, I earned around $300 in my first month through direct linking.
By running a worldwide campaign, I quickly identified Vietnam as my profitable GEO. I focused on that market, adjusting my bids, browser targeting, and day-parting. The Vietnam eCPM eventually crashed at the end of December and hasn't recovered since, but by then I had already