Why I Failed My First Online Store — And What I Did Differently the Second Time

Let me start with the truth: I thought dropshipping was a get-rich-quick scheme. I watched the same YouTube videos as everyone else, showing 19-year-olds buying Lamborghinis with Shopify money. And yeah… I fell for it.

I launched my first online store in late 2021. It took me two weeks to set everything up. I paid for a fancy theme, ran Facebook ads blindly, and waited for orders. I spent $387 in ads. My total sales? $0.

The Pain of Hearing Nothing But Crickets

I still remember refreshing the Shopify dashboard every hour, hoping to see a “Cha-Ching!” notification. It never came. I was selling cheap phone cases — stuff I wouldn’t even buy myself.

Looking back, it was obvious: why would anyone trust a generic store with no brand, no story, and bad product photos?

The worst part wasn’t the lost money. It was the feeling that maybe I wasn’t cut out for online business.

The Wake-Up Call: I Was Solving No One’s Problem

A few weeks later, I stumbled on a podcast episode from Pat Flynn that hit hard. He said, “If your business doesn’t solve a real problem, it’s just noise.” That stung — because it was true.

I shut down the store. Took a break. Then started again — but this time, with a different mindset.

Take Two: Creating a Real Brand Around a Real Pain Point

In early 2022, I noticed something in my own life: I couldn’t find clean, minimal planners that fit the way I worked. I always customized Notion templates, but none of them did what I needed.

So I built my own. A productivity system inside Notion, based on how I actually organized my week. I started sharing screenshots on Twitter and Reddit. People asked if they could buy it. That was my lightbulb moment.

I Made $278 in the First Month Without Ads

I didn’t run ads this time. I created a Gumroad product, wrote a blog post explaining how I use it, and shared it with a few communities I was already part of.

Sales trickled in — slowly, but steadily. And every buyer felt like a tiny victory.

Lessons I Wish I Knew Sooner

• ✅ Sell what you use — People trust recommendations based on real use, not trends.
• ✅ Don’t fake scarcity — It might work short-term, but kills trust.
• ✅ Write the product page like you’re emailing a friend

The Tools That Made the Difference

• Notion – for creating and testing the digital product
• Gumroad – fast, simple way to sell without tech headaches
• ConvertKit – to build a small, loyal email list

It’s Not About Big Numbers, It’s About Real People

I used to obsess over revenue screenshots on Twitter. Now, I care more about the 2–3 replies I get from people saying, “Hey, this actually helped me.” That’s the difference.

My current monthly income from digital products floats between $400 and $900. Not life-changing, but incredibly satisfying. It grows slowly, but passively — and it’s all mine.

What I’d Tell My Old Self

Forget hacks. Forget the Lamborghini YouTubers. Find a real pain you can solve. Talk about it like a human. Share it in communities you already belong to.

That’s how you build a real online business.

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If you want to explore digital product ideas that actually work, check out our curated guide here.

I’d love to hear your story too — hit me up in the comments or on Twitter.