Deciding on a Project to dedicate my Energy

[felixwinkler]

I'm currently in a phase where I'm searching for a project to dedicate my energy, time, and money. I'm interested in many topics and have many ideas, but am just unsure where to start. Currently, I'm still living with my parents (19 yrs old rn), however, I fully have their support right now. I'm not sure whether I should get started with a big project right away, really trying to change something in the world, or just go for something simple like FBA and/or building a brand. Any advice is welcome, thank you so much in advance!

 

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[Kasimir]

I'm currently in a phase where I'm searching for a project to dedicate my energy, time, and money. I'm interested in many topics and have many ideas, but am just unsure where to start. Currently, I'm still living with my parents (19 yrs old rn), however, I fully have their support right now. I'm not sure whether I should get started with a big project right away, really trying to change something in the world, or just go for something simple like FBA and/or building a brand. Any advice is welcome, thank you so much in advance!

Sounds interesting. I'm in a similar situation right now. Also still living at home.
Wouldn't go for FBA or dropshipping, I'd rather go for the idea to create a brand as you wrote.

 

[felixwinkler]

Sounds interesting. I'm in a similar situation right now. Also still living at home.
Wouldn't go for FBA or dropshipping, I'd rather go for the idea to create a brand as you wrote.

Actually started out with dropshipping two and a half years ago. Why would you say starting a brand outside of Amazon would be better? When starting out with FBA you can always expand to your own website later...

 

[Kasimir]

Actually started out with dropshipping two and a half years ago. Why would you say starting a brand outside of Amazon would be better? When starting out with FBA you can always expand to your own website later...

Oh wow, congrats on the dropshipping. I did the exact opposite. We created a kind of a brand, I rather saw it as a community, around two years ago. Sold it in January just before Corona hit.
I personally rather create something than selling some products from china with a margin or doing FBA. With FBA it always depends on the context, if you use it just as an additional income source I don't have a problem. But I'm not a fan of only focusing on FBA.
But that's just my opinion surely there can be money made through dropshipping and FBA.
I just think at the moment you can create a brand around nearly everything and scale it up.

 

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[felixwinkler]

Oh wow, congrats on the dropshipping. I did the exact opposite. We created a kind of a brand, I rather saw it as a community, around two years ago. Sold it in January just before Corona hit.
I personally rather create something than selling some products from china with a margin or doing FBA. With FBA it always depends on the context, if you use it just as an additional income source I don't have a problem. But I'm not a fan of only focusing on FBA.
But that's just my opinion surely there can be money made through dropshipping and FBA.
I just think at the moment you can create a brand around nearly everything and scale it up.

I guess when you say you'd "rather create something" you're not talking about reinventing the wheel, but instead about finding an existing offer and making some tweaks/adding value skews?

 

[Kasimir]

I guess when you say you'd "rather create something" you're not talking about reinventing the wheel, but instead about finding an existing offer and making some tweaks/adding value skews?

Look I personally am just not a fan of dropshipping. And with a brand, you can also reinvent parts of the wheel. You don't need to do it like most, buy cheap T-shirts and put your logo on it. You can reinvent products, create a community, etc. I really don't say that one is better than the other. I'm just not a fan of dropshipping, but if that works for you even better for you.

 

[felixwinkler]

Look I personally am just not a fan of dropshipping. And with a brand, you can also reinvent parts of the wheel. You don't need to do it like most, buy cheap T-shirts and put your logo on it. You can reinvent products, create a community, etc. I really don't say that one is better than the other. I'm just not a fan of dropshipping, but if that works for you even better for you.

Sorry, I think you misinterpreted something. I 100% agree with you, also stopped doing dropshipping last year. Building a brand is definitely the way to go, the only question is whether it's easier and more sustainable to start building it on Amazon and then expand to your own website or vice versa. In both cases, I'd basically skew value for an existing product or offer.

 

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[Kasimir]

Sorry, I think you misinterpreted something. I 100% agree with you, also stopped doing dropshipping last year. Building a brand is definitely the way to go, the only question is whether it's easier and more sustainable to start building it on Amazon and then expand to your own website or vice versa. In both cases, I'd basically skew value for an existing product or offer.

Oh, I'm so sorry about that.
That's quite a good point. In my last business, we only sold products through our website. It was just simpler for us. And we had a lot of organic traffic, due to our blog and our small forum. In my mind, it all depends on the product in the end. If it's possible to build a whole community around your product I wouldn't go of Amazone, but otherwise, I quite like the idea.
Can I ask in which direction your product will go? Or are you still at an earlier stage?

 

[GatsbyMag]

I'm not sure whether I should get started with a big project right away, really trying to change something in the world, or just go for something simple like FBA and/or building a brand.

If the choice is between 'changing the world' and starting a FBA, then just focus on the latter. Anyone that has the ability and mentality to change the world won't sit around thinking "do I want to change the world or build another dropshipping/amazon/ecom business?" (no offense intended).

Seems like you've had experience in dropshipping, so just do Amazon and build a brand.

 

[No.1]

Oh wow, congrats on the dropshipping. I did the exact opposite. We created a kind of a brand, I rather saw it as a community, around two years ago. Sold it in January just before Corona hit.

How much did you make at your peak with the brand you sold?

 

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