I have seen some people that have only one down as affiliate marketers and they are not making any attempt to make any improvement to that situation, this could be the reason why some people see affiliates as a waste of time.
I think you're on point to that considering being an affiliate means you need to have good connections across most industries. What I mean on across industries is that anywhere you'll find a gambler, they might not be seen on their physique but we have lots of gamblers. These days to be an affiliate means you need to try all platforms where you will need those links, you'll never know who you might end up convincing.