Joey Hinkle is the Chief Strategy Officer at ClickGo, an AI-powered platform built for affiliate marketers, media buyers and networks. In this Inside A Hustler’s Brain episode, the Joey Hinkle ClickGo interview covers why affiliates may be in a new golden era, how ClickGo was built, his AI tools, the bag-sponsor trick and taking a risk on yourself.
Everyone in affiliate marketing loves to talk about “the golden era”, always in the past tense. What if we’re living in one right now?
In the latest episode of Inside A Hustler’s Brain, I sat down at Affiliate Summit East 2026 with Joey Hinkle, Chief Strategy Officer at ClickGo, the AI-powered platform built for affiliate marketers, media buyers and networks.
We first met in Barcelona, and Joey has spent more than 12 years running affiliate networks before making a big leap into tech.
It’s a quick, energetic conversation about AI, risk-taking and staying sane while building something new.
Quick Facts: Joey Hinkle and ClickGo
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Guest | Joey Hinkle |
| Role | Chief Strategy Officer at ClickGo |
| Company | ClickGo, an AI-powered platform for affiliate marketers, media buyers and networks |
| Background | More than 12 years running affiliate networks |
| ClickGo launched | March 2026 (about four months old at the time of recording) |
| Favourite AI tools | Claude (code, co-work, design) and ChatGPT (images) |
| Recorded at | Affiliate Summit East 2026 |
| Host | Jitendra Vaswani |
| Podcast | Inside A Hustler’s Brain (YouTube) |
In This Episode, We Unpacked
- Why Joey thinks affiliates are in another golden era
- What ClickGo is and why it was built by network veterans
- How his whole team uses AI, and his favourite tools
- The bag-sponsor branding trick at Affiliate Summit East
- Why he took a risk on a brand-new tech company
- Will AI eat jobs? His optimistic take
- How he handles stress: sleep, walks and time away
- His best advice: put people first
Watch the Full Joey Hinkle ClickGo Episode
Who Is Joey Hinkle and What Is ClickGo?
Joey describes his company as a modern performance and affiliate marketing tracking platform. He ran affiliate networks for over 12 years, and the platform was built inside one of those networks, so the team knows the pain points and has “battle tested” the system.
His pitch is simple: it’s everything you need to manage an affiliate program. ClickGo launched in March 2026, so it was about four months old when we recorded, and very much in brand-awareness mode.
For another look at the tracking side of the industry, read Trackier co-founder Udit Verma’s story.
Is Affiliate Marketing in a New Golden Era? Joey Hinkle Thinks So
Joey has seen the cycle many times. There’s always a golden era, and five years later everyone looks back and says how great it was. He thinks we’re in another one right now.
Why? AI makes it easier to:
- Generate creatives
- Split test faster
- Brainstorm marketing strategies just by chatting with AI
The catch: it’s getting harder for people who are slow to adapt. Lean into AI and the changes, and you stay ahead.
Not everyone sees it as rosy. For a contrasting story, read Anil Agarwal on how AI cut his affiliate income.
How Does Joey Hinkle’s Team Use AI? His Favourite Tools
Joey’s team uses AI “any which way we can”, not to cut corners but to be more efficient and grow faster. Developers, sales, everyone.
His favourite tool, by far, is Claude, for code, co-work and design. He prefers ChatGPT for images.
For learning, he’s been listening to Alex Hormozi a lot. It’s not AI-specific, but it’s great for business and growth mindset.
For a deeper dive into AI workflows, check out GoHighLevel’s new AI features with Jonah and Julia Bohnert.
What Is the Bag Sponsor Play? Smart Event Branding at Affiliate Summit East
What is the bag sponsor play?
It is ClickGo’s branding move at Affiliate Summit East: as the bag sponsor, every attendee walked in with a green bag carrying the ClickGo logo. Everyone collects swag and merch, and everyone needs a bag to put it in.
ClickGo planned to hit all the major conferences: World of Affiliate Cancun, SiGMA Rome and most likely Bangkok.
I loved their clever move at Affiliate Summit East. They were the bag sponsor, so every attendee walked in with a green bag carrying their logo. Everyone collects swag and merch, and everyone needs a bag to put it in.
Why Did Joey Hinkle Take a Risk on a Brand-New Tech Company?
The biggest recent decision of Joey’s career was leaving solid positions at great networks to join a new company competing in tech. “There’s nothing guaranteed here.”
He did it because he knows clients’ pain points and wants to help them grow their campaigns and affiliate programs. To his 18-year-old self (he was in Australia at the time), his advice would be: stick to it, believe in yourself, be confident.
His parents weren’t very techy. When he told them about affiliate marketing, their reaction was “What is that?” They’re very happy for him now.
For another founder who bet on himself, read how Sujay Pawar built Brainstorm Force.
Will AI Take Jobs? Joey Hinkle’s Optimistic View
Joey agrees AI is changing the landscape and some jobs are being impacted. But he believes for the great majority, AI will make people better at their jobs: more efficient, thinking in new ways, and able to build things they couldn’t before.
If he won $20 million? He’d invest most of it and keep doing exactly what he’s doing, “maybe with a nicer watch”.
How Does Joey Hinkle Handle Stress? His Life Advice
Building a new business is stressful. Joey’s approach:
- Prioritise good sleep
- Take long walks with the dog and get fresh air
- Take short breaks to ground yourself and refocus
- If you feel burnout coming, step away. “The business will be there”
His best advice ever: put people first and be humble. Don’t make it all about yourself and your services. Put yourself in other people’s shoes and tailor to their needs. The worst advice? He’s forgotten it, because he doesn’t pay attention to bad advice.
And his tip for a better world: just be kind to people. Why add to the negativity?
Key Takeaways From the Joey Hinkle Interview
- AI has opened a new golden era for affiliates who adapt
- Tools built by network veterans solve real pain points
- Use AI across every team, not just marketing
- Creative sponsorships can beat expensive booths
- Bet on yourself when you deeply understand the problem
- Protect your sleep and take breaks to avoid burnout
FAQs About Joey Hinkle and ClickGo
Joey Hinkle is the Chief Strategy Officer at ClickGo. He ran affiliate networks for more than 12 years before joining the platform.
ClickGo is an AI-powered performance and affiliate marketing tracking platform for affiliates, media buyers and networks. Joey said it launched in March 2026.
Because AI makes it easier to generate creatives, split test and develop strategies, giving a big advantage to affiliates who adapt quickly.
He uses Claude for almost everything, including code and design, and ChatGPT for images.
He focuses on sleep, takes long walks with his dog, takes short breaks and steps away when he feels close to burnout.
More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love
- The Untold Story of vCommission: 100K+ Affiliates Later ft. Parul Bhargava
- Niels Zee On Building a 7-Figure Affiliate Business with Google Ads
- Microdramas + AI: The New Mobile Marketing Goldmine ft. Pankaj Uniyal (SocialPeta)
- How Darrel Wilson Makes 6-Figures With WordPress + Affiliate Marketing
If this conversation with Joey Hinkle gave you even one idea, share it with a friend who needs it today. One conversation can change someone’s life.
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Jitendra Vaswani is a well-known figure in the SEO and affiliate marketing communities. He is regarded as a legitimate authority due to his deep knowledge and game-changing contributions to the field. He is the founder of Digiexe.com, a digital marketing agency, and VenueLabs.com, a full-service PR marketing agency. His strategic acquisition of AffiliateBooster.com has further solidified his status as a leader, bringing forth groundbreaking solutions that are revolutionizing affiliate marketing. Follow Jitendra on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn