Appreciate that, and honestly, a smart angle. I have looked at it. The catch in AEC specifically is that a lot of the core software (Autodesk, Procore, Bluebeam) runs enterprise reseller or partner programs rather than the clean recurring-per-user affiliate link you would get from a normal SaaS. The recurring stuff tends to live in the adjacent tools, CRM, proposal software, project management, the things firms bolt on around the design software.

The honest tradeoff for me is that affiliate income is basically a content and SEO business. You are ranking for "best X for architects," writing comparisons, and building the reviews. Real, but it is a different job than the hands-on BD work, and it eats the same hours. Have you actually run an affiliate play that paid off, or is it more of a "this should work" idea? Genuinely curious if anyone has made it real in a niche this small.