Watch me use AI to make millions in ecommerce

0:00Why is no one talking about Alibaba's new AI agent platform? It's made it ridiculous easy to find ideas, find trends, find suppliers, reach out to them, and figure out if there's an opportunity for a multi-million-dollar e-commerce business. I'm a guy who's a software entrepreneur. You know, I just I stay away from e-commerce. I know my lane. But this new AI agent platform, it's called Axio by Alibaba, is getting me a little converted. You know, now there's an opportunity for me to use something that makes it easy to start an e-commerce

0:34business, and I love unfair advantages. So this episode, if you stick to the end, you'll understand how to use Axio, and [music] you might be like me, interested in starting a multi-million-dollar e-commerce business in 2026. Enjoy the episode. [music]

0:58I've never been a huge e-commerce person, and a big reason for that is because it's been so hard to understand what to build, why to build it, and how to build it. And today we're going to go through Axio's Axio, and by the end of this episode, you will understand how to use it, and and maybe in 2026 building a really big e-commerce business. And even if you're not if you're like me and you're a software person, or you're boring business person, and you you know, you you've never created an e-commerce business, learning these tools is super helpful. So I encourage you to stay to the end. Let's go Let's Let's get into

1:35it. So when you get to Axio, it's actually free. And by the way, I have no I have no affiliation with Alibaba or this company. I'm just a guy who likes to use products that, you know, give me an unfair advantage. You can see that there's got They've give you some examples of how to use the product. So for example, spot rising trends. So it says, "Analyze current market trends in baby products and identify what is

2:02gaining traffic." So you can click here, view details. So it gives you an overview, and it, you know, ties into Amazon trends. You can see here the search volume is on in the blue, and then and then the in the pink the sales count. There's things, but like, okay, you can get that trend data anywhere. What's really interesting is it it gives you like actual products that are crushing it. So it's like convertible cribs with Greenguard Gold certification. This is like a category I would never have thought of, or multi-functional functional convertible cribs with beds and smart features. And by the way, I have a baby, so like I I should be

2:42thinking about this. And I'm an idea guy, so I should be thinking about this, but you know, haven't. So I think that, you know, this is why it's good to use this, and it gives you more market insights, right? Organic and natural products. Okay, I could have come up with that, but, you know, smart baby products are you know, are are is a key differentiator. Smart monitors, app-connected thermometers, automating

3:05feeding systems are gaining popularity. And then you can go in like a Perplexity or whatever, go and actually check the sources. So it gives you the product recommendations. It says, "Based on stable demand for electric nasal aspirators, despite fluctuating search volumes, enhancing features like suction power, temperature control, ease of cleaning." So it gives you these products. It shows what's working, and I think that's pretty cool. But what I think it's even more cool is that it could actually

3:37create product designs. Um So for example, you can hear, "Since Squid Game Netflix 3 is popular right now, I want to design some products based on Squid Games. Help me figure out what kind of products can sell well and generate product design image." And then it goes and actually does a market analysis on it, and it shows like, you know, okay, here's these costumes and masks, here's some guard costumes, Netflix player 456 jacket, all these different things, and it literally gives you product design concepts. Now, is this something that, you know, is good to go and you can just say like, "Okay, go make it"? I don't think so, but it's

4:15giving you it's getting you the creative juices. At least it's getting my creative juices flowing. Um and it puts all these product design concepts into visualizations. And then what I think is most importantly, it actually gives you who you could reach out to to go and build these things and what it's going to cost. So you can see here,

4:36you know, $6.71 for a hoodie. And, you know, it's a verified manufacturer. And if you click here, it says matches. So why is it a match? Eight out of 10 matches. Well, cuz they do screen printing, they do embroidery. And I think this is why it's cool that it's built in with Alibaba. And by the way, it doesn't just integrate with Alibaba, it integrates with other Alibaba Express and a few others. So it gives you that data, and then you could

5:03go ahead and just reach out to people. Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI, just said that it is the era of the idea guy, and he is not wrong. I think that right now is an incredible time to be building a startup, and if you listen to this podcast, chances are you think so, too. Now, I think that you can look at trends to basically figure out what are the startup ideas you should be building. So that's exactly why I built ideabrowser.com. Every single day you're going to get a free startup idea in your inbox, and it's all backed by high-quality data trends. How we do it,

5:42people always ask. We use AI agents to go and search what are people looking for, and what are they screaming for in terms of products that you should be building, and then we hand it on a, you know, silver platter for you to go check out. We do have a few paid plans that, you know, take it to the next level, give you more ideas, give you more AI agents and more almost like a ChatGPT for ideas with it. But you can start for free, ideabrowser.com. And if you're listening

6:11to this, I highly recommend it. Um you can see here it also gives you some, you know, insight around like what's the margin potential. So like hoodies, for example, the margin is 2 to 300%. Maybe I want to do that, but oh no, maybe a phone case is 3 to 400%. And it tells you the MOQ range, you

6:32know, basically how many units. And then you know, the wholesale price and and the target retail. But it also says that you need to do licensing, right? So what Why Why is this all like really interesting? Is it's giving you ideas. It's It's basically like a partner for you, and, you know, someone who's going and doing the analysis, and and then I think it's I I think it's super super helpful. Let's go through a few more, and then I'm also going to

7:03prompt it myself. So let's go and see here's a new sort of feature that they analyze. I'm sorry, new feature that they come up with. "Help me identify product opportunity pain points in pet supplies that serve the senior dogs niche market." Um So you can see here. Here's the product opportunities. Advanced orthopedic sleep solutions. Wouldn't never have thought about this, right? It says like have cooling gel integration for temperature regulation, low profiles for easy access. Makes sense, right? If you're a senior dog, you know, you want a low profile for

7:40easy access. Memory foam technology. I could see a product like this absolutely crushing it. Cognitive simulation product. So, you know, senior dogs face cognitive decline. This creates opportunities for interactive smart toys, treat dispensing puzzle feeders, memory enhancing accessories. And then it literally, you know, mocks up, you know, what it what it could look like. And like that's AI, man. That's I mean, yes, the STOM over there, like that's I don't know what that means. But like it's

8:13interesting, right? This looks like an interesting product, and it is good fodder to start with. And then from there you can iterate. And, you know, you could iterate with other tools, by the way, like I've talked about on the channel, things like Nano Banana, etc. So it gives you all the search volume. It gives you the positive tags and

8:35negative tags. So like this is based on Amazon trends. So you can see that there's, you know, washable pee pads for senior dogs, and the average rating is 3.88. So like that's a bad rating, right? So that means that there's an opportunity to create great products, and it's giving you it's it's telling you why people aren't enjoying the products on Amazon. This is so insightful, you know? I've talked about before how this is the age of the idea person, but it's also the age of the insight person, right? You need these insights in order to actually create products that people that people want. And I think that's

9:17what's so cool about this age is you can use a product like this to get the insight so that you don't waste years of your life here. So I I love this, you know, joint health supplements. It tells you exactly how many monthly searches, what the average rating is. And then it gives you the hot selling

9:35market market analysis. Joint supplements. You can see here retail price versus wholesale price. You know, for me this is some of the most helpful insights is when it actually tells you what the market opportunities, right? So it's telling you, you know, arthritis, hip dysplasia, all these things. And And you know, that helps me ideate for what type of product I want to create. So, what's really cool about um Axiom is it helps me on the idea side, it helps me on the trend side, and it helps me in

10:08terms of like who I should reach out to. So, um let's do one around like sourcing. So, find manufacturers that offer high-quality This is the prompt. Find manufacturers that offer high-quality facial cleansing brush with OEM service, private label available, MOQ 500 with official certifications and strong reviews. So, um it literally is giving me all the different suppliers right here, and then I can reach out to them through this

10:38product. Um and you can see like, okay, people are satisfied with this, right? If you would have gone to Alibaba.com, it would have been way overwhelming. Um you can see like what the reorder rate of these things are. Um so, pretty pretty darn darn cool. Um I have some more um prompts that I want to prompt it, and I want to see how it would how it would work. So, let's just try a couple of

11:07them. Um I'm in the market for a mechanical keyboard, and I've been getting a lot of ads for it, and I think like mechanical keyboards are being you know, it's it's a trend um that's gone bigger over the last 5-6 years. So, I said, analyze mechanical keyboard and list the top 10 unmet customer pain points with proof from reviews, forums, Amazon Q&A, cluster them by theme, and rank by urgency and

11:32willingness to pay. So, we're going to see if Axiom uh could actually go and do that. Um it says, yeah, you know, it's an agent task agent task thinking through your request to create the most effective approach and detailed plan. No worries. So, we start the agent task, and it really does feel like you're uh using something like a Manas, you

11:51know? It does feel like agent oriented. Um you know, when I use Manas, it does feel It was like the first product I ever used that it felt like it was it was a it was agents, like the agent era was here, and and this does feel the same. So, it says, uh it's gathering customer feedback on mechanical uh keyboards. You can check

12:12its sources if you double-click here. Um and it says, I will search for mechanical keyboard customer reviews, forum discussions on Reddit and Geek Hack, and common Q&A displays, uh uh comment Q&A complaints to get user pain points. So, it works pretty quick. It's a you know, it's been only a few seconds, and it says, I've gathered a good amount of data from general searches and specific specific forum summaries. I've detailed information on hardware reliability, customization gaps, software issues,

12:44aesthetics, market shifts. Um I have enough proof from reviews. Um and then it says, um I can now synthesize these into the top 10 pain points, cluster them, and rank them as requested. Think about what we're doing, which is absolutely insane. We're we're we we've heard about a trend, either we just in life heard about a trend, maybe it's on Instagram, TikTok, ideabrowser.com, and then we've gone and said like, hey, we want to create a product in this space basically, uh but we need to understand the pain points best cuz we don't want to be you know, just coming up with ideas not based on data. Um so, we're getting the

13:26data, and we're going to go and create something that has the highest likelihood of success for that reason. So, it comes up with a plan, right? Um Oh, interesting. So, [sighs] whoa, okay, cool. So, I'll do one quick search specifically specifically for willingness to pay and budget keebs to better quantify that ranking factor. One search to confirm the willingness to pay for specific features like the Hall

13:53Effect switches or premium stabilizers. After that, I will compete. Wait, I should check if there's more specific data on willingness to pay for fixing these issues. Users often mention, I'd pay an extra X dollars for a feature. I'll look for that specifically to fulfill the rank by willingness to pay requirement accurately. This isn't just an AI agent platform. This is a smart AI agent platform specifically designed

14:19with e-commerce in mind. That would not uh you know, happen on a lot of the other agent platforms because I think that this just understands, you know, the e-commerce mindset. So, it's now gone ahead and updated the plan. Uh it's done uh you know, final targeted search for willingness to pay. It's completed the task. Um and uh

14:42looks like we are almost done. Yeah. So, let's see what we got. So, it's gone ahead and shown what the pain points are. Key chatter, uh lack of hot swap in mainstream, bloated buggy software, poor wireless. Doesn't really matter. It just know like you know, it doesn't matter to us really. Um the point is cuz you you guys are probably not working on a mechanical keyboard company, but the point is like this as someone who's in the you know, in I'm not in the mechanical keyboard business, but in the market for mechanical keyboards, to me that makes sense that those are some of the key

15:24features. So, it's gone and put it into a chart. Um the double typing, the key chatter is like the biggest highest urgency complaint. Lack of hot swap PCB, the most common source of buyer confusion or regrets. Stabilizer rattle, mushy keys, proprietary software bloat. Um this is incredible. Um and then it goes, would you like me to research specific brands that successfully are successfully addressing these pain points or perhaps analyze a different peripheral category. Wow, that's a hard

16:00word to say sometimes. Um I would say I'm looking to build a mechanical keyboard company for Gen Z women, and I really like the trend of cozy gaming. So, I had actually seen like an ad like a you know, cozy gaming ad and and um I think that there that's where the opportunity is. So, it's going to go ahead and research this trend cozy gaming. Um and then building mechanical keyboards keyboards for this particular audience. And then if I was actually go and build this thing, well, we one need to find the suppliers and work with the suppliers, and we can do that on Axiom, but the

16:56second thing would be also, you know, once I build this thing, uh reaching out to uh all the different creators in this niche and getting them a part of it, you know, to help get distribution and stuff like that. So, it's uh synthesizing the previous research to create a brand identity and cozy gaming product concept tailored for Gen Z women including a preliminary

17:20product roadmap. Um So, this includes a suggested brand name, Cloud Key or Nook and Switch. Actually not bad. A mission statement focus on turning the desk into a sanctuary. I absolutely love that. And a product line, the Sanctuary series featuring tact tile materials like ceramic coatings and thocky acoustics. I also prioritize a three-phase product roadmap starting with a flagship 75%

17:49wireless keyboard. How good is this? How good is this, and why is no one talking about it? Um maybe they're talking they're not talking about it because it's Alibaba, China, and you know, there's that whole thing. Maybe they're not talking about it because they're just you know, I don't know. Maybe people just haven't heard of

18:10this. Um so, anyways, we've gotten uh some of the data here. Uh it it's gives the product concept, the Sanctuary series. They're calling the company Cloud Key or Nook and Switch. Um it tells you what the features are, um and it gives you the visual concepts. And this, you know, that looks pretty cozy to me. That looks pretty cozy. Look how cool

18:34that is. How with a little mushroom there? Kidding me? That's awesome. Um So, I'm going to say, okay, this looks great and all, but um I need a trusted supplier from Alibaba or somewhere else to reach out to and create this and make it a reality. Give me a list. So, we're going to ask the agent to you know, go and give us a list of

19:12it. Identify and vet suppliers. Um You used to have to either search endlessly on places like Alibaba, um and other kind of like sketchy marketplaces. You don't have to do that now. Um you can just ask the agent to do it. It's going to rank it by the ones that it thinks is going to be best, and then that's when you you actually have to do uh some of the hard work of like vetting these people, right? Just cuz they say it's 4.7 uh or people had a good experience doesn't mean you're going to have a good experience. So, please please do call these people. Make sure that you you

19:54feel good about them as well. And get to know them, right? You don't you know, buy 50 units in the beginning. Don't buy 5,000, right? Uh so, but the point is like why aren't we using this, right? It It this just like makes me want to start an e-commerce company in 2026. And I can't even believe

20:13I'm saying that. Um because the reason I had you know, I wouldn't start an e-commerce company is cuz it's just hard to do. But with things like this, it makes it a lot easier. So, um it's still working on the task. Um but it's it's giving me some notable suppliers. Um like you can see this Shengzhou Demolan Elect Demolan Electronic Technology, which supplies brands like

20:44Leobog, WOB Key. Um so, it's going to go ahead and do that. It gives a short list summary. Says, you know, the Zengzhou is the number one, the most aligned partner cuz they're building so I guess some of the bigger uh competitors. But let's see. Okay, so it's going to go So, it's made

21:05uh it's giving me four. Um and it's giving me like mid-range, high volume. So, it's telling me why it's it's great. And then okay, but like how do I outreach? So, when you reach out to these I recommend starting with three critical technical verifications. The ceramic finish rather than the anodization, the sound profile, confirm they can support a five-layer internal dampening structure to achieve the thocky rain

21:37sound signature, and the color matching. Verify if they can match the PBT keycap plastic color to the CNC case color for seamless monochromatic aesthetic. Would you like me to draft a professional inquiry email you can send to these suppliers? Or should I reach research cozy influencers for your launch partnership? What That's a bit too ahead right now,

22:01but I'm going to say, yeah. You can draft an inquiry email. Also, I was wondering is there any suppliers on Alibaba that that I can reach out to too? These don't seem like they are on Alibaba or another uh or similar website. So, let's see what that says. Um but what's cool about this um this platform is it seems like it works, right? A lot of times you like you're working at you know, and a a new LLM or a new product and it it sort of it goes a bit wonky, but most you know,

22:54I've been just I'm impressed. I'm impressed here. So, uh verify verify supplier platforms and search for additional options. Um so, it's going and doing that and this will be our last thing that we'll ask. Um but I'm just curious. Okay, oh so, these suppliers are indeed are indeed on they're actually on Alibaba. So, wow. So, hi, I'm looking to This is the the outreach email. I'm looking for a high-end manufacturing partner for

23:28upcoming Gen Z focused brand Cloud Key. We are developing Nuke 75, a premium 75% mechanical keyboard designing for the go cozy gaming aesthetic. Specifications. It It puts it all out there, so I don't have to do anything. The customization, delivery terms. It gives you the top verified Alibaba suppliers. And then says, strategic out

23:51recommendation outreach recommendations. Don't ask for matte paint, specifically ask for eco eco e-coating. These are the things that like why I wouldn't go and start an a new e-commerce product company is for these little things that I would never have asked. I feel like I would just get rinsed. Rinsed, rinsed, rinsed if I started an

24:11e-commerce company for these reasons. But with something like Axio, I you know, seems I just feel more confident. Um and then it gives you a whole document of all the different people I could be reaching out to with a checklist and technical questions. Um and I can even press the send inquiry button direct from Axio.

24:39All right. This is really cool. There you have it, folks. Uh my tour of Alibaba's new and really cool e-commerce uh LLM called Axio. No affiliation, but think it's cool and uh it's got me thinking about e-commerce startup ideas in 2026. I hope you enjoyed this. If you did, please drop a like, a comment,

25:06share with a friend. So, I know that I should be doing more of these uh startup idea podcast episodes. Um and if I should should I be doing more e-commerce stuff? Is that interesting to you or should I stick to my lane of just software? Uh or do you like me you like me to

25:24spice it up here and there? Thanks, everyone, and I'll see you next time.