The $500 Start-Up on Amazon (Book Preview / Review)

I’m not sure how long ago at this point, since 2020 has been a wild year and time seemed to stand still and move too fast all at the same time, I got an email from author Mark Lewyn telling me he was going to write a book about building businesses on Amazon.

A business I had started in 2007 called ShadesDaddy.com, which went to be acquired around 2017 or so, was a feature on Amazons YouTube channel for sellers. I believe this is where Mark got the idea of contacting me to do a brief interview with me for a book he was writing and doing research on.

I finally got the book in the mail today and glancing over it, I can tell you I’m actually excited to read this. We live in an era where with some hard work and motivation, anyone can start a business today…and it’s not only Amazon, however, Amazon has become an incredible launching pad for any entrepreneur looking to start a business, launch a brand, etc. If this is you…check out this book.

I can tell you that even if you have a full-time job and looking to start a side hustle, build another business, and so on, Amazon is a great opportunity platform for just that.

First, I’m going to show you the feature Amazon did on myself and ShadesDaddy:

Moving on to the book, here are some features and preview snippets.

Mark Lewyn had built a successful career as a journalist and technology executive until his last company crashed and burned, leaving him high and dry: No job, a wife and three kids, and a mortgage to boot. In the age of Covid-19, it’s a dilemma facing an increasing number of people, both in the U.S. and abroad. Mark knew needed to figure something out, and quickly, and whatever he did couldn’t require a big wad of cash to get started. His answer? Amazon, specifically selling new products on the world’s biggest digital store. His initial investment: just $500. Today Mark is one of the leading sellers of products on Amazon. Not the biggest, mind you, but definitely up there. In “The $500 Start-up on Amazon,” Mark takes you on his journey of discovery on Amazon. He shares with you everything he learned along the way so that you can profit from his successes and avoid his mistakes. The $500 Start-up is the perfect read for anyone who is curious how a new generation of digital cowboys are cashing in and how you can do it too.

“A home business run by you and your spouse from anywhere that can be started for just a few hundred dollars. Mark Lewyn tells the intriguing story of how he built exactly such a business on Amazon. In The $500 Start-Up he shares tips, tricks, and secrets that will allow anyone to do it. Mark’s advice is universal and will prove useful to any startup founder. The $500 Start-Up is clear, compelling, and binge-worthy. Recommended reading for anyone with a dream of having their own business and looking for the blueprints for how to do so. Highly recommended.” Marc Randolph, Co-Founder and First CEO of Netflix, and author of That Will Never Work: The birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea.“

Mark Lewyn leverages his experience as a journalist and an entrepreneur to give us a terrific, first-person roadmap for building a successful business on Amazon. His own evolution into a top Amazon seller – his first big hit was with darts! – will resonate with anyone who has thought about the opportunities that Amazon’s huge platform has opened up. More importantly, Lewyn outlines the practical lessons and actionable information — including the hidden tools of the Amazon platform – that current and aspiring sellers need to succeed.” Edmund L. Andrews, former economics correspondent for The New York Times.

“The $500 Start-up captures the story of how Mark and a new generation of digital entrepreneurs are making the Amazon bandwagon work for them, not just for Amazon. When Mark first told me about his strategy for selling on Amazon, I was fascinated. So simple but so sensible.” Mike Mills, former staff writer for The Washington Post and Managing Director, Digital Prism Advisors

“The $500 Start-up shows that it doesn’t take a ton of money to launch a business on Amazon. It just takes hard work, perseverance, and a little luck. Mark’s story is refreshing in a world where WeWork is lauded for raising huge sums of cash without ever showing a profit.”Bill Phelan, Founder and CEO, College Factual 

“I deal with inventors all the time and they all want to sell their Big Idea on Amazon. The $500 Start-Up really lays out for them, in an honest and compelling way, what it takes to be successful selling on Amazon.”Jerry Joseph, patent and trademark attorney for inventors 

“Mark provides invaluable insights in The $500 Start-up that would have easily taken me months or years to figure out. His expertise in selling on Amazon is unmatched and I couldn’t have progressed so far so quickly without his help!” Jamie David, who just started selling on Amazon