How do small SaaS products build affiliate or referral networks early?

Hi Indie Hackers,

I’ve been thinking a lot about distribution for small SaaS products.

Paid ads can work, but they’re often expensive early on. SEO takes time. Communities help, but it’s hard to scale.

One channel that seems interesting is affiliate or referral partnerships — especially with niche creators, bloggers, or newsletter owners.

For founders who tried this:

Did affiliate programs actually work for you?

How did you find your first partners?

Did you reach out directly or let people discover the program organically?

Curious to hear what worked (and what didn’t).