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Hey everyone! 
It’s been over a year since I first read TMF , and I have to say, no other story has resonated with me as deeply. Since then, I’ve been thinking every day about creating something of my own and just taking the leap—worst case scenario, it doesn’t work out, but that’s not the end of the world. I’ve read the book five more times since then, trying to truly ingrain the author’s mindset into my thinking.
At first, I had several ideas—most of them pretty bad—but I knew that taking action was the most important step. So, I decided to start with something simple and familiar: terrarium keeping. I noticed a demand in this niche market and began selling flightless fruit fly cultures. After listing them on marketplaces, I made my first sale the very next day. I kept going until the end of 2024, reaching 80–120 orders per month and likely maxing out the potential for this niche. I became the second-largest seller of this product.
This experience showed me how powerful e-commerce can be—it allows you to reach a wide audience with even the most niche products.
Shortly after earning my biotechnology degree, I landed a full-time job and officially registered my own business (November 2024). I didn’t have a concrete plan yet, but I knew I wanted to build something in this industry. After extensive research, I found a promising niche—bacterial bio-preparations for septic tanks and wastewater treatment. These products sell in large quantities year-round, so I decided to secure my own inventory.
I reached out to 14 companies, but only two were open to working with me. One of them invited me to their headquarters to discuss the terms—they are actually the exclusive distributors for my country. Thanks to my background in this field, I was able to present myself well during the negotiations. Two weeks later, in January of this year, I received my first batch of products. I wrote up descriptions, listed them online, and launched sales.
In the very first month, I sold most of my inventory, generating nearly $10,000 in revenue from 230 orders. I was surprised by how quickly I gained traction. However, after deducting all costs—marketplace fees and other expenses—I was left with just around $300 in profit (which was actually slightly less than what I made selling fruit flies).
Low margins and tough competition selling the exact same product made me realize how far my current business is from a true Fastlane. Even if I scaled it to $100,000 in revenue, the profits still wouldn’t be meaningful.
I started drawing inspiration from other entrepreneurs on this forum, like fastlane_dad, NeoDialectic, and, of course, MJ’s advice. That’s when I realized that the key to higher margins in e-commerce is differentiation—creating my own brand and adding real value to the product.
The company I currently work with is in the process of rebranding some of their other biological cleaning products and claims I’ll get better margins on those. However, I’m questioning whether this is the right path. Should I focus on building my own brand now and find a manufacturer to produce a private-label product for me? Or, given my expertise, should I attempt to develop my own product from scratch?
I’ve noticed that several private-label brands already exist in this market, and they all likely come from the same manufacturer. In this situation, is it still worth investing in my own brand, or is this industry already too saturated, meaning I’d be better off searching for a different niche?
I have just under $20,000 saved for business development. I know what I’m doing right now isn’t fully aligned with the CENTS principles, but I wanted to take action as soon as possible.
What do you think guys?
It’s been over a year since I first read TMF , and I have to say, no other story has resonated with me as deeply. Since then, I’ve been thinking every day about creating something of my own and just taking the leap—worst case scenario, it doesn’t work out, but that’s not the end of the world. I’ve read the book five more times since then, trying to truly ingrain the author’s mindset into my thinking.
At first, I had several ideas—most of them pretty bad—but I knew that taking action was the most important step. So, I decided to start with something simple and familiar: terrarium keeping. I noticed a demand in this niche market and began selling flightless fruit fly cultures. After listing them on marketplaces, I made my first sale the very next day. I kept going until the end of 2024, reaching 80–120 orders per month and likely maxing out the potential for this niche. I became the second-largest seller of this product.
This experience showed me how powerful e-commerce can be—it allows you to reach a wide audience with even the most niche products.
Shortly after earning my biotechnology degree, I landed a full-time job and officially registered my own business (November 2024). I didn’t have a concrete plan yet, but I knew I wanted to build something in this industry. After extensive research, I found a promising niche—bacterial bio-preparations for septic tanks and wastewater treatment. These products sell in large quantities year-round, so I decided to secure my own inventory.
I reached out to 14 companies, but only two were open to working with me. One of them invited me to their headquarters to discuss the terms—they are actually the exclusive distributors for my country. Thanks to my background in this field, I was able to present myself well during the negotiations. Two weeks later, in January of this year, I received my first batch of products. I wrote up descriptions, listed them online, and launched sales.
In the very first month, I sold most of my inventory, generating nearly $10,000 in revenue from 230 orders. I was surprised by how quickly I gained traction. However, after deducting all costs—marketplace fees and other expenses—I was left with just around $300 in profit (which was actually slightly less than what I made selling fruit flies).
Low margins and tough competition selling the exact same product made me realize how far my current business is from a true Fastlane. Even if I scaled it to $100,000 in revenue, the profits still wouldn’t be meaningful.
I started drawing inspiration from other entrepreneurs on this forum, like fastlane_dad, NeoDialectic, and, of course, MJ’s advice. That’s when I realized that the key to higher margins in e-commerce is differentiation—creating my own brand and adding real value to the product.
The company I currently work with is in the process of rebranding some of their other biological cleaning products and claims I’ll get better margins on those. However, I’m questioning whether this is the right path. Should I focus on building my own brand now and find a manufacturer to produce a private-label product for me? Or, given my expertise, should I attempt to develop my own product from scratch?
I’ve noticed that several private-label brands already exist in this market, and they all likely come from the same manufacturer. In this situation, is it still worth investing in my own brand, or is this industry already too saturated, meaning I’d be better off searching for a different niche?
I have just under $20,000 saved for business development. I know what I’m doing right now isn’t fully aligned with the CENTS principles, but I wanted to take action as soon as possible.
What do you think guys?
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