CHAPTER 2 GUIDE
Finding Something Worth Selling
In short
The most common way to pick a product is to make what you like and hope other people like it too. Sometimes that works.
The research bot
Two parts of that matter most. Show your sources, so you can check it isn't guessing.
What good research looks like
For a small shop, good research answers a few plain questions:
- Are people looking for this? What words do they use?
- What's already for sale, and at what prices?
- What do buyers like and dislike about what's out there?
- Is there a gap you can fill? A size, a style, a problem nobody solves well?
Read the reviews
The most useful thing a research bot can do is read reviews. Lots of them.
Telling a trend from a fad
Trends are tempting. A product blows up on social media, and suddenly everyone wants it.
Your shortlist
After a few rounds of research, ask the bot for a shortlist. Three to five ideas, each with a short case for and against, and its sources.
Checking it's yours to sell
One more research job before you commit. Make sure the product doesn't step on anyone else's design, brand or patent.
Research for the long run
Once the shop is running, research doesn't stop. Set up a monthly routine for your research bot.
Walkthrough: a research session, start to finish
Here's how the Shelf Life owner used the research bot to pick the clamp-on cable organizer.
What went wrong: the trend that wasn't
In the first month, the research bot reported that a certain kind of decorative planter was "trending". The owner got excited and printed a batch.
A worked example: saying no to a good idea
Not every research session ends with a yes. The Shelf Life owner once spent a week on a wall-mounted headphone hook.
Questions people ask
How much research is enough? When the bot's reports stop telling you anything new, you've done enough.