What Happened In the Million Dollar Case Study Season 5?

The Million Dollar Case Study (MDCS) Season 5 wrapped in April 2021 — and it was a big success!  After weeks of research, we successfully launched a top-ranking washable puppy pee pad product on Amazon that sold around 400 units ($11,000) in its first month. 

To get you up to speed, here’s a bit about MDCS:

• MDCS shows you how to find and launch a product on Amazon in real time, step by step — for free
• Our mission is to educate aspiring sellers on Amazon while giving back to worthy causes in the process
• In each episode, we explore how to sell with the private label method and what it takes to succeed on Amazon in 2021 and beyond
• Season 5 featured special appearances from Amazon experts and our Jungle Scout team

For the past five years, the Million Dollar Case Study has been the go-to resource for sellers who want to learn how to sell on Amazon FBA. Let’s take a look behind the curtain to learn about how MDCS works, its mission, and what happened in Season 5. But first, meet your hosts!

 

Meet your hosts

Lenny Smith

If you’re familiar with Jungle Scout, you’ve probably seen Lenny in webinars and on our YouTube channel. He knows a lot about selling on Amazon, and he couldn’t wait to co-host Season 5 of the Million Dollar Case Study.  

He’s a Jungle Scouter and entrepreneur who has built a thriving business on Amazon. He enjoys the thrill of launching a new product and learning how to navigate the ever-changing space of ecommerce. More importantly, he loves helping sellers achieve their goals.  

That’s Lenny’s favorite thing about the Million Dollar Case Study: it’s a great way to empower sellers to make the first move for their business.

Greg Mercer

I’m Greg Mercer, the founder of Jungle Scout.  

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, from selling candy around the block as a kid, to building my first ecommerce product when I was a teenager. I began selling on Amazon while working as an engineer — I was looking for a career path with more freedom. 

I realized finding a profitable product was a tedious, time-consuming process. So I founded Jungle Scout. 

Today, it’s grown from a company of just myself (and my wife/first business partner Liz) to a diverse, remote-first team of more than 250 people worldwide!

 

What is The Million Dollar Case Study?

The Million Dollar Case study provides FREE, comprehensive content for sellers on Amazon.

The Jungle Scout team launches a real product on Amazon (with real suppliers, advertising, sales — the works), and documents it all, step by step, in a video series. 

We show our journey in weekly episodes featuring Amazon experts and our team. We share regular updates about each step, including:

• Product research
• Sourcing and working with a supplier
• Branding and promotion
• Listing and managing a product on Amazon 
• And more!

What it takes to sell on Amazon is a major theme for all seasons of the MDCS. We focus on how to sell with the private label method, which more than two-thirds of Amazon sellers use. While there are other Amazon business models to choose from, we zero in on what it takes to succeed with your own brand. We share how you can embrace a seller’s mindset, as well as some invaluable tips from our Amazon experts.

How can I watch?

All episodes of the Million Dollar Case Study Season 5 are now available on the Jungle Scout YouTube channel. 

In each episode, you’ll find recorded expert interviews and demonstrations of how to use Jungle Scout tools to launch a profitable business on Amazon.

 

What is the mission of The Million Dollar Case Study?

Selling on Amazon is an incredible way for people to become entrepreneurs and start earning money on their own terms. We know sellers need resources to get their businesses started without dropping thousands of dollars on a course. 

That’s where the Million Dollar Case Study comes in.

The Million Dollar Case Study was created to help aspiring sellers succeed on Amazon. In 2015, I introduced a collaborative product launch that walked viewers through how to sell a product step by step to demystify the journey.

But the Million Dollar Case Study mission extends beyond Amazon. 

We donate 100% of our product profits to charity. Since the inception of the Million Dollar Case Study, we’ve raised over $150,000 for Pencils of Promise and Doctors Without Borders by selling more than $1 million in product from our case studies.

We love doing the Million Dollar Case Study. It’s a team-wide effort, and we value every opportunity it gives us to connect with sellers and give back to worthy causes.

 

What did we accomplish in Season 5?

In a word, tons!

While the Million Dollar Case Study always centers around a private label product on Amazon, in Season 5 we explored how selling has recently shifted and what it takes to succeed on Amazon in 2021 and beyond.

We know the way that finding, launching, and selling products is changing. So we tailored Season 5 of Million Dollar Case Study to the new normal, with applicable ways for how to start your business in today’s climate. 

Here’s an overview of what we accomplished:

• After 25 hours of research done over 8 weeks, we successfully launched a washable puppy pee pad product on Amazon 
• In one month, we sold around 400 units ($11,000 in sales) on Amazon 
• We secured the #1 spot for Hot New Releases for Training Pads on Amazon, and are now ranked in the top 200 in the Dog Training Pads niche

We think that’s a pretty great start — especially since we did it without A+ listing content or professional product images.  

That’s not to say everything went perfectly. As you’ll find when you watch the episodes, we switched course from our original product idea, dealt with pandemic-related shipping delays, and ran into a few other snags along the way. 

This season was a good reminder that to survive on Amazon — as with any new venture— you have to prioritize long-term investments as opposed to short-term gains. If you feel discouraged in the early stages of running your business, keep in mind that building a business from scratch takes time. But it also proved that with the right tools and strategies, you can launch a successful Amazon business — be it a side hustle or primary income replacement — even during a global pandemic. 

How do I get involved?

Be sure to join the Million Dollar Case Study Season 5 Facebook Group to find episode recaps, recommended next steps for your journey, and some “homework” to help you learn as you watch the series. You can take pointers from the questions other viewers asked the Jungle Scout team as they progressed through the season. 

The Facebook group is a great place to connect with other Amazon sellers and share tips and tricks to help launch your Amazon business.

Catch up on every episode of MDCS Season 5!

Find our episode guide here for details and demonstration videos about each step of the Amazon seller journey.