Winning product: six questions before you spend a cent on ads

In dropshipping and online retail, most money is lost the same way: you find a product that "looks strong", launch ads, and only later discover it never stood a chance. Six questions, each scored from 1 to 5, let you rule out the hopeless ones in a few minutes.

1. Does the margin hold up?

Can you sell it for at least three times its cost, shipping included? With less than that, nothing is left after fees and ads. A product that costs 8 euros with shipping should sell for 24 or more.

2. Does it stop the scroll?

Picture a three-second video. Would people stop? The wow factor is what makes an ad cheap: if the product doesn't spark curiosity on its own, you will pay to get it noticed.

3. Does it solve a problem?

Does it remove an annoyance, save time, make something everyday easier? Products that solve a problem explain themselves and sell without discounts.

4. Is it easy to find elsewhere?

If the same product is at the supermarket or on Amazon for half the price, customers will find out in a minute. What works better is something you can't get around the corner, or that you made different with a variant, a bundle or your own brand.

5. Is it easy to show?

Can you already picture three different ways to present it in an ad? Before and after, the product in use, the problem disappearing. If you struggle to imagine one, you will struggle to sell it too.

6. Does it ship without trouble?

Light, not fragile, no complicated sizes. Every return or breakage eats the profit of several sales. Sizes, in particular, multiply returns.

How to read the score

Add up the scores and turn them into a score out of 100 (30 points = 100):

• 75 and up: worth a test, with a maximum budget and a stop threshold decided upfront;
• between 55 and 75: dig deeper, look for a variant or a better supplier;
• below 55: let it go and move on.

The score doesn't guarantee success: it keeps you from throwing money at products that had lost before they started. The real verdict comes from the test, with numbers and a clear rule for stopping.

In short

• Price at least 3 times the cost with shipping.
• It must spark curiosity in three seconds and solve a problem.
• Better if it's hard to find elsewhere.
• Three angles for ads and simple shipping.
• Above 75 out of 100: test with a budget and a stop threshold.