Of course, this is real, otherwise affiliate programs would not exist. But, like any business, it takes time and a lot of effort to make it work. My experience shows that it can take about 3 months to get in on the action.
What do you think, what applications can be in demand among users now? I mean applications for smartphones, like ordering a taxi and so on. Is it worth creating something new if the market is occupied by giants like Uber or Amazon?