How to figure out what product to sell online
Experienced professionals trying to break into e-commerce often find that choosing a niche or product is the hardest part of starting. This decision paralysis stops them from launching because without a clear product to sell, the rest of the business cannot move forward.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 110.5× more often in r/ecommerce than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1buying an existing e-commerce companyDid this help you?
- 2picking a niche based on personal hobbiesDid this help you?
- 3looking into SaaS gaps instead of physical productsDid this help you?
- 4trying to learn new skills or physical jobs to broaden horizonsDid this help you?
- 5looking for relevant clubs or networking in local areasDid this help you?
- 6hoping from one project or idea to the nextDid this help you?
- 7Using Instagram or other social media platforms to post pictures for interestDid this help you?
- 8Putting a shop on vacation modeDid this help you?
- 9Deactivating a listingDid this help you?
- 10validating demand before ordering inventoryDid this help you?
- 11sourcing through manufacturers, wholesalers, trade marketplaces, or private label suppliersDid this help you?
- 12finding 3-5 potential suppliers, comparing MOQ and pricing, checking samples, and verifying certificationsDid this help you?
- 13Testing multiple products sequentiallyDid this help you?
- 14Increasing daily ad spendDid this help you?
- 15Building professional-looking websitesDid this help you?
- 16Reading about different businesses online to find gapsDid this help you?
- 17Focusing narrowly on specific niches like performance marketing or SEO instead of offering everythingDid this help you?
- 18Sticking to the industry where one already has prior work and sales experienceDid this help you?
- 19Experimenting with different designs and products independentlyDid this help you?
- 20Asking online communities for direct opinions and product ideasDid this help you?
- 21Switching to a different business modelDid this help you?
- 22Listing items already won on eBay or Facebook Marketplace to learn photography, pricing, and shipping without investing money into new inventoryDid this help you?
- 23Asking customers directly what they want to buy.Did this help you?
- 24Running small inventory experiments to see what moves before buying more.Did this help you?
- 25Focusing on products that solve a specific customer problem rather than guessing trends.Did this help you?
- 26Starting with a product that has lower minimum order quantities (MOQ)Did this help you?
- 27Choosing the category that allows for a natural expansion into the other laterDid this help you?
- 28Selecting the product where you have a clearer differentiation or 'schtick'Did this help you?
- 29obsessing over a tiny niche that big brands ignoreDid this help you?
- 30focusing on subscription models or case packs to lift average order valueDid this help you?
- 31relying on short-form content and creators rather than paid feed adsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The hardest part of starting my entrepreneurial journey is that I have limited skills and zero connections. I'm a software developer, and that's the only thing I know, so I have a hard time coming up with good ideas”source ↗
“Hell, I don't where I can learn how to properly clean gutters and power wash, and but confident enough to not damage other people's homes. Do you have any tips?”source ↗
“Do I start with a perfume (or be a perfume brand), or start with skin care (and eventually make a perfume soon).”source ↗
“I just feel if I pick fragrance, I might regret it and want to do skin care. At least with skin care I could always expand into fragrance.”source ↗
“So a first product would likely be a facial moisturizer. While that does sound nice; I don’t feel I’m bringing much to the market.”source ↗
“It’s just, do I do something that i’m more passionate about and competitive, or do something I just like and try to create a niche.”source ↗
“Do you know what youre going to sell?”source ↗
“20+ products deep and still no sustainable winner. Honestly getting burnt out.”source ↗
“I’ve tested 20+ products now and I’ve gotten a few purchases here and there but nothing consistent or sustainable enough to build a business around.”source ↗
“Honestly….at this point I’m wondering if I’m approaching product testing completely wrong, if I’m missing something on the websites, or if I’m just not giving products enough time.”source ↗
“I've been trying ds for a while and it's not working and I thought I'd rather work on another business model.”source ↗
“not that much to learn, main issue is what you're gonna sell.”source ↗
“How are you identifying genuinely promising product opportunities? - Is organic growth still realistic, or is everything increasingly driven by paid ads and high CAC?”source ↗
“Die sich am besten verkaufen”source ↗
“What is a product that I can just sell, I just need a proof of concept. What is one product you guys would advice me that will sell guaranteed?”source ↗
“Im asking this because I always feel like I failed myself and that comes because im scared of failing, not of the failure itself but the costs behind it.”source ↗
“As new business owner, how do you decide what to sell at your store?”source ↗
“I'd buy productA, productB, and productC (which I didn't think would sell) and they sold immediately. I'd also buy productX, productY, productZ and I still have them at the store.”source ↗
“Still i am trying to figure out which industry would be best to fit in. I have 7 years of experience of sales”source ↗
“I have read about every business on reddit and google and everyone is saying that it is overcrowded. Be it fmcg, digital marketing, or any other business. Suggest some business that still has potential in this market!”source ↗
“HELLO everyone i hope i get some interactions and help i just bought my 3d printer and what are the businesses i can be on , and what are your advices to help me out by the future!”source ↗
“Can we do that on Etsy? Can i post some of my jacket and have people like them or put them in their lists but make it impossible for them to just buy it (because i can't sell them obviously)?”source ↗
“Right now, I literally have **0 views**, so I’m trying to figure out what I should improve and how new sellers actually get their first visitors and customers.”source ↗
“Because I’m Japanese and live in Japan, I’m not always sure what people outside Japan actually find interesting, cute, funny, or special about Japan.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4How to find a product online when you don't know the name
- 4How to tell which posts are driving sales
- 3How do you actually find early-stage funding for a new product?
- 2How to target ideal buyers instead of sole traders
- 2How to check local demand before buying embroidery equipment
- 6What to do before launching a product when you are scared