ReferOn: "For years, affiliate tech has been functional but cold — Refie is our signal that this era is ending"

ReferOn has become a standout name in the affiliate management space, drawing attention for its fresh approach to technology. Fresh off SiGMA Central Europe, the company talked with Yogonet to reflect on its objectives for the show, the conversations that shaped their presence in Rome, and the debut of something entirely new: Refie, a “living interface” designed to bring emotional clarity and human-centered design into a traditionally rigid product category.

In this interview, Vlad Bondarenko, Head of Product at ReferOn, walks us through the thinking behind real-time tracking, compliance, and payout automation, while also explaining how Refie represents the start of a broader evolution toward gamification, engagement, and intelligent assistance. He shares how users responded, what the team learned, and why ReferOn believes the future of affiliate management isn’t just scalable — it’s more intuitive, more relatable, and more human.

ReferOn has become one of the most talked-about affiliate management platforms at B2B conferences. With SiGMA Central Europe now over, what were the company’s main goals for the event, and what were some interesting conversations that transpired?

Of course, our main goal was to grab some leads — any company that says otherwise isn’t being honest. But leads were only half of it. Rome is where we got to show something new for the first time: Refie, our living interface.

We wanted to see how the market would react to the idea of gamification and emotional UX inside a very serious B2B product. At the same time, we had real conversations about the painful parts of affiliate operations — reporting, onboarding, payouts, compliance, API-first integrations — and how to build affiliate programs that scale without adding more manual work. That was the real goal: feedback, reality-checking, and seeing what resonates.

Vlad, you hosted a Fireside Chat titled “Affiliate Tech in Action – Real-Time Tracking, Compliance & Payout Automation.” Could you summarise what you talked about?

Essentially, the session focused on how affiliate programs can transition from being reactive to predictable. I went through how “real-time” actually works in iGaming — not in milliseconds, but in consistency across the entire data lifecycle. From there, it naturally led to compliance: how to protect the business without slowing it down. Finally, I talked about payouts — the part everyone estimates — where automation can save enormous time, but only if the underlying architecture is clean and the approval logic is disciplined.

I wanted the audience to understand one simple message: automation isn’t magic, it’s structure, clarity, and engineering.

As you mentioned, you also launched something new: Refie. For those who are just hearing about him, what exactly is Refie, and what inspired his creation?

For years, affiliate tech has been functional but cold — dashboards, tables, money flows, precision everywhere, but no warmth. Serious products tend to become too serious. They demand accuracy, yet offer no emotional clarity for the human using them.

Refie is our signal that this era is ending. We didn’t create him for entertainment — we wanted warmth with purpose. Similar to what one Ukrainian bank did with their cat in their app: if a banking app can feel alive, why can’t an affiliate platform?

Refie represents the human side of control. He emerged naturally once we defined what ReferOn stands for: connection, control, and clarity. Giving those values a face made sense. He exists to remind people that even in a data-heavy environment, a tool can still feel intuitive, human, and less overwhelming.

And yes — an interface with a spark of emotion is adopted faster, causes fewer errors, and builds trust over time. That’s the real reason he’s here.

You’ve described Refie as “the personality of the platform.” What made you want to give ReferOn a “human” dimension, and how do you think that changes how users experience affiliate management software?

Because complexity becomes easier when the system feels familiar. A human layer softens the sharp edges of data-heavy workflows — it guides attention, reduces hesitation, and makes the platform’s logic readable at a glance.

It also establishes a more natural relationship with the product. Instead of a stiff dashboard, users interact with something that reflects back the system’s state in a relatable way. It turns control into something you feel, not just calculate.

Inside the product, how does Refie appear and interact with users? What kind of tasks or moments in the workflow does he help simplify?

Today, Refie lives in a few focused areas: onboarding, system states, and sensitive decision points. He’s intentionally quiet — no flashy animations, no noise, just subtle signals that reflect how the system feels at that moment.

This is his “learning phase” — observing where users hesitate, where emotion adds clarity, and where guidance prevents mistakes. Over time, he’ll appear in more places, always with purpose. Just enough presence to highlight that something meaningful is happening.

He went live only days ago, and the first feedback is already consistent: “friendly,” “alive,” “unexpectedly warm.” Exactly what we aimed for.

You’ve mentioned the concept of “lazy intelligence”, systems that think before users do. Could you elaborate on that philosophy and how Refie embodies it?

Refie is the first visible layer of what we call “lazy intelligence” — systems that think before the user does. His job is to translate complex affiliate logic into something instantly understandable through visual cues and context.

He’s not a chatbot and not a mascot. He’s a UX layer that connects technical precision with human intuition. By reducing noise and guiding attention, he helps affiliate managers act faster, avoid mistakes, and stay aligned with live performance data.

The philosophy is simple: the platform should do the cognitive heavy lifting so people can focus on actual decisions, not on deciphering data.

Beyond visual feedback, Refie is part of a longer roadmap toward gamification, engagement, and intelligent assistance. What does the next phase of this evolution look like?

Refie marks the beginning of ReferOn’s next evolution.

He’s the foundation for what comes next: gamification, engagement loops, and eventually intelligent assistance. Through him, we’ll introduce a more interactive and rewarding experience, where every action feels meaningful.

Over time, Refie will grow from a visual signal into a personal AI agent — the intelligent core of ReferOn.

SiGMA Central Europe was Refie’s public debut. What was the reaction from visitors as they stopped by your booth? And if you could sum up ReferOn’s impact at the conference, what would it be?

Visitors got to see Refie alive and thriving inside the product for the first time — how he reacts, guides, and reflects the system’s state. SiGMA was a great chance for us to listen and hear how people in iGaming respond to this perhaps unfamiliar warmth, personality, and subtle gamification inside a B2B platform.

It was a moment when we received honest reactions and real feedback, allowing us to gauge how the market would respond to a tool expressing itself. If I had to summarise our impact at the event in one line, it would be: making affiliate management scalable — and a little bit human.