I've seen Amazon sellers spend $50,000 launching a product they never should hav
By Byoungsfl · November 13, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
I've seen Amazon sellers spend $50,000 launching a product they never should have launched in the first place.
And the frustrating part is that a lot of those mistakes could have been caught before they ever placed an inventory order.
Here's what usually happens.
Someone finds a product they like. Maybe they see it trending on TikTok, notice it selling well in a store, or come across a competitor doing impressive numbers on Amazon.
They get excited about the opportunity and start looking for a manufacturer.
They spend weeks negotiating pricing, designing packaging, and getting samples made.
By the time they're ready to launch, they've already invested so much time and money that they're emotionally committed to making the product work.
Then they finally start looking closely at the numbers.
And that's where the problems show up.
The competition is stronger than they expected. The margins aren't nearly as good as they thought. Or the demand simply isn't there to support another seller entering the market.
I've seen this happen over and over again.
And I think one of the biggest differences between experienced Amazon sellers and beginners is knowing when to walk away from an idea.
When Jennifer and I evaluate products, we're not trying to prove that every idea is a winner.
We're trying to find the reasons it might fail before we invest our money.
That's a completely different mindset.
I would much rather spend time researching 50 product opportunities and only move forward with a handful than rush into launching something because I personally think it's a great idea.
Because the market doesn't care how much you love your product.
It cares whether customers want it, whether you can compete, and whether the economics actually work.
AI and better data tools have made it easier to evaluate opportunities, but you still have to be willing to listen to what the numbers are telling you.
Sometimes the best business decision you can make is deciding NOT to launch.
And that decision can save you more money than a successful product ever makes you.
For the entrepreneurs and Amazon sellers here, what's been harder to learn?
Knowing when to pursue an opportunity or knowing when to walk away from one?