How to Survive Your First Year on Amazon (Battle-Tested Plan)

Most sellers don't fail because they pick the wrong product. They fail because they pick the wrong expectations.

📖 Let me tell you about “Mike the Muffin Man.”

No, Mike didn’t sell muffins on Amazon. Mike sold muffin pans. Silicone ones, with cute little designs—stars, hearts, dinosaurs, you name it.

Mike was like most new sellers—mid-30s, full-time job, dreaming of replacing his 9-to-5 with FBA freedom. He dumped $5,000 into his first product order... and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The sales? A trickle. Maybe 1–2 a week. Reviews? Nowhere to be found. Ads? Burning money faster than a bonfire at a frat party.

By month eight, Mike was fed up. "Amazon’s rigged!" he said. "It’s impossible!" he said.

By month twelve, Mike quit. Stuck with 800 muffin pans and a $4,200 hole in his bank account. (Although, to be fair, his kids loved having muffins shaped like triceratops.)

🔢 How You Can Be the Exception (and NOT End Up with a Garage Full of Muffin Pans)

Here's the real talk:

👉 1. Start SMALL.
Instead of going "all in" on your first product, order a test batch. 100–200 units, max.
You’re not building an empire yet—you’re building proof of concept.

👉 2. Treat it like a business, not a lottery ticket.
Mike thought he could just "list it and forget it."
Wrong move.
Launch plans. PPC campaigns. Listing optimization. These aren’t optional—they’re your rent for success.

👉 3. Expect the Dip.
Every seller hits a rough patch—the Dip. Low sales, bad reviews, ads that don’t convert.
The winners?
They know the Dip isn’t the end. It’s the toll booth on the highway to success.

👉 4. Keep Learning and Tweaking.
Success on Amazon isn’t about finding the magic bullet.
It’s about small wins stacked day after day:

• Adjusting your main image

• Tweaking your ad bids

• Testing new keywords

• Improving your listing SEO

👉 5. Budget for the marathon, not the sprint.
Don't just budget for inventory.
Budget for:

• PPC campaigns

• Listing photography

• Giveaways (within TOS)

• Patience

🎯 Big Takeaway:
If you treat Amazon like a get-rich-quick scheme, you’ll quit when it gets hard.
If you treat it like a real business, you’ll outlast 90% of the competition.
The first year isn't about getting rich. It's about getting good.

💬 Remember:
“The first year weeds out the dreamers. The second year crowns the doers.”

🗣️ Now It’s Your Turn!
If you’ve been there—or you’re determined to push through the Dip—👇
Comment below and tell me: "I'm in it to win it!"

✍️ Signoff:
Here’s to fewer muffins, more millions 🥳
– Andy Splichal