I will organize a list of good product examples. A successful brand is built on top of a successful distribution system and successful products that are presented in the best possible way and that delight customers. Here are some products to model after when your goal is to have a long term sustainable successful business.

A lot of these successes innovated within an existing market vs creating an entirely new market. Some like Tabs created a new market for sex chocolate that really didn’t exist before. Others listed were able to patent something to have some defensible IP. They also asked and answered important questions

• How does this go viral or get awareness very inexpensively?
• How am I going to market and position this?
• How is this going to be better than what’s already out there?
• How do I present this in the best possible way?
• How do I scale this?
• Is there a way to create good content around this product that can hit the for you page?
• Can I communicate the value of this vs competitors within 3 seconds?

WALABOT - A smart wall scanner, stud detector

• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BD7H2R3Q

Update: As of 1/1/2024 they are doing an estimated 15,500 units in sales or 2.78M in revenue.

If you check out the listing Amazon also shows a rounded estimate of units sold as well which at this time was 7k units sold. So 7k x $179 = $1.25M in revenue over the last 30 days.

WALABOT launched a product in an existing market “stud finders” with an enhanced value proposition of being able to use your smart phone to see better behind walls. They positioned them as premium to existing solutions and as a result could charge premium pricing to the existing offers in the niche which were around $36

Here are the niches that WALABOT appears in

For the “Behind Wall Scanner” niche here they are the primary offerings for this niche which shows that they currently don’t have any real competitors. Also note the search volume growth of 115% over the past 180 days

Their product does very well for virality on tiktok generating millions of views (here)

Takeaways:

• They innovated in an existing market with a better offer vs trying to create an entirely new market
• Because they made a product that was “dumb” into something “smart” with the connectivity of the smartphone they had a unique selling proposition that allowed them to charge a premium price to existing stud finders on the market
• This market was very bid - the stud finder niche has
• The product’s value can be shown within 3 seconds and is something unique which makes it worthy of tiktok virality generating millions of views

Manta Sleep Mask - Premium Patented Sleep Mask Design

Main Takeaways

• They innovated in the large sleep mask market - they built/designed a better sleep mask
• They patented their design so they can maintain a high price and take out competitors

The total revenue for all their products as of 8/14/2025 is at least $540,000/month. This is calculated by taking the figures Amazon shares for units purchased in the last month and multiplying this by the current price.

Despite being priced at 4-8x other sleep masks Manta is able to make about $410,000+/month with their two designs priced at $40 Original and $85 Premium.

The sleep mask niche market is huge with 14M searches/year. You can see bigger picture that the average price for products in this niche is $14.38.

Within the Sleep Mask Niche despite only getting 1.9% click share because the niche is so big they are still making $410k/month minimum despite being priced at 3-8x higher.

Looking at the top search terms within the niche all of them are generic which means either people really don’t care about the brand when buying a sleep mask or that no brand has been able to market effectively off Amazon to drive branded searches on the platform. This is a good niche to enter if you have a superior product since no one is brand loyal within it. So long as you can communicate why your offering is better than others then you should do well especially if you can get a patent to defend yourself from copycats.

An interesting question to ask is what job is a sleep mask supposed to perform? The answer is not black out light, fit nicely, be adjustable, etc (these are all features/attributes). The correct answer = “Get a great night’s sleep.” How much is a great night’s sleep worth to you? If my mask can provide that more reliably than others in the marketplace then even if I cost 4-8x more if there aren’t any other alternatives like me (because of a good patent) then I’m the best choice in town. The Manta team likely purchased the existing alternatives, tried them on to learn about the customer pain points (via negative reviews) and then think about how to redesign the sleep mask to solve all of those problems. During there design process they likely got feedback from other people to make tweaks to optimize the product before filing for the patented design. The patents help them to maintain their higher prices in the market and their abnormal profits in the space.

This feature differentiation is the SIGNAL in the space. They focused on that and as a result are still having a healthy profit despite launching their product in April 2016. If they just copied an existing listing in the space and hoped that they could overtake an existing competitor in the space their would have been a price war with them eventually losing because of lower total reviews in the space. Having this differentiating feature allowed them compete as a new entrant despite existing incumbents having thousands of positive reviews.

The one downside to the sleep mask offering is it is hard to instantly communicate the value of it within 3 seconds vs an alternative product. Unlike the cactus soil brand which could show superior drainage side by side it may be harder to show the value of a good nights sleep/rest or the feature that contributes to that 100% black out, adjustable eye cups. Manta does do a good job communicating this with their secondary images and also their main images do stand out vs the incumbents with their purple and gray color.

What patents does Manta hold?

The most valuable patent is the utility patent which prevents any competitor from creating a sleep mask with detachable eye cups. Design patents are easier to get around whereas with utility patent it’s much harder to get around.

1. What is the “Manta Sleep Mask patent”?

At its core, Manta Sleep Mask holds a design patent for the ornamental appearance of the sleep mask:

• U.S. Design Patent D861,771 was granted on October 1, 2019 to Manta Sleep, LLC for a sleep mask design. The inventors credited are Benjamin Schwarz and Mark Zhang. This patent protects the design features that give the Manta Sleep Mask its distinctive look—not its functional elements.Google Patents+7USPTO Report+7Reddit+7

This aligns with the Google Patents entry for USD861771S1, which confirms the ornamental nature of the patent and its association with Manta Sleep, LLC.Google Patents+1

2. Additional Patents Assigned to Manta Sleep

Beyond the design patent, there are at least two other notable patents:

• Patent Number US12016800B2: Covers an eyecup, headband, and eye mask for sleeping—a utility patent focused on functionality, granted more recently, and reflects engineering innovations in their sleep mask design.Justia Patents+2Google Patents+2
• Patent Number US12053419: Describes an eye mask with movable speakers, a utility patent grant that combines audio functionality into the sleep mask—likely linked to what they market as the “SOUND Mask.”Justia Patents

3. What Makes These Patents Special

Let’s highlight what sets these patents apart:

• Design Patent (D861,771)
• Protects the unique shape and styling of the Manta Sleep Mask.
• Aids in brand recognition and stops competitors from replicating its iconic look.
• Functional Utility Patent (US12016800B2)
• Focuses on the components—like eyecups and headband—for improved fit, adjustability, comfort, or maybe modularity, enhancing both function and user experience.
• Movable Speaker Patent (US12053419)
• Adds audio integration—“movable speakers”—likely targeting users who want quiet audio (e.g., white noise, meditation) without external earbuds.

How does Manta approach discounting?

They did 3 lightning deals over the past year for their top product (ASIN: B07PRG2CQY) priced at $39.

Their higher priced premium $85 offering lowest price discount is just shy of $65. It would be great to get an idea of how sensitive the revenue/BSR is to changes in price among differing products on Amazon. Some products will have greater price sensitivity than others.

One thing Manta Sleep Mask could do to increase their overall profits would be dynamic pricing using a tool like Profasse - https://profasee.com/. In terms of how they arrived at their current pricing I am unsure it seems like they just plucked it out of the air.

Looking at their product historically I don’t see many price changes which a price profit maximizer would do to test what price is optimal

Active Dishwasher Cleaner

• Estimated Revenue of $4M/month which means this is a $48M/year business - HUGE
• One listing accounts for more than half of their monthly revenue
• Solved a smell problem and performance problem with dishwashers
• Innovated with excellent packaging to get a high CTR on Amazon platform vs other offers
• Amazon Listing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MV5B75Y
• Amazon Storefront Link

Their main image is optimized for clicks vs their competitors which may have a harder time changing packaging just to optimize for Amazon’s CTR. As a result despite being priced higher they are achieving a 22.22% click share in the niche

With the success of their dishwasher cleaner offering they’ve expanded since and now make approximately $6.6M/month. These are the top 6 SKUs (out of a 113 SKU catalog) making up ~70% of their overall revenue.

They did 18 lighting deals so far this year (Jan through August 2025) as a strategy to maintain their BSR and rank in the category. The red dots below show when they ran lightning deals and at what price we can see an associated BSR drop each time they ran the deal. Strategies like this are more necessary in a competitive niche for a product without a protected differentiation.

The main thing to takeaway from this is that they innovated on the packaging design in a niche with competitors who would have a harder time changing their existing packaging. From their they quickly expanded to other niches.

So let’s focus on what Active did right.

1. They picked the right niche with a gap / opportunity they saw with product packaging
2. They sourced a supplier (likely in the USA) and negotiated terms that made sense to make it profitable. Likely worked with them to come up with a blend/formula for the scent.
3. They designed product packaging to stand out off the shelf vs competitors - likely did a pickfu poll to confirm/validate which design would have the highest CTR possible on the platform vs the incumbent products
4. Ordered their first batch/run and launched on Amazon targeting the right competitor products and keywords and including images to communicate their value/offering vs competitors - answering the question of why shoppers should select them above and beyond just price and ratings/reviews.

Laundry Turtle - Amazon focused with awareness via TikTok / Instagram Influencers

Main Takeaways

• Product had virality built into it
• Product was patented
• Product sold ~4,400 units last 30 days (1/1/2024) totaling $130k in revenue and on Amazon the rounded estimate of units bought = 2k which at a price point of $30 = $60,000.
• More recently (8/13/2025) the product with all the variations did about $50k/month
• The product makes life easier for people
• Amazon Listing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M7PJ9J5
• Viral TikTok video with 1.3M views here

Since they started with the green color for laundry turtle they’ve expanded to offering other color options for shoppers. Interestingly the green color isn’t the most popular one and gray/light blue are more popular colors.

This information below is as of 8/13/2025.

The Patent: What It Is

• The product holds U.S. Patent No. 11,572,655, titled "Laundry retrieval device and method of using"Amazon+4Laundry Turtle+4Laundry Turtle+4Justia Patents.
• This is a utility patent that protects the functional design and method of the Laundry Turtle—how it works, how it inserts into and molds inside the washer or dryer, and how it helps retrieve laundry using gravityLaundry Turtle.
• Additionally, Laundry Turtle's website lists U.S. Patent No. 10,866,027 and a Chinese patent (2023 2 0272733.5)Laundry Turtle+5Laundry Turtle+5Laundry Turtle+5.
• While I couldn’t fetch the details of 10,866,027 in the search results, the company does publicly highlight it alongside the key U.S. Patent 11,572,655.

What Makes This Patent Special

1. Functional Innovation for Easier Laundry
• Unlike design patents, 11,572,655 is a utility patent—it protects the actual mechanics and methodology of using the Laundry Turtle, not just how it looks.
2. Gravity-Assisted Laundry Retrieval
• The patent emphasizes using gravity and a flexible device that adapts to the shape of the washing or drying drum, making it effortless to collect every last item without bending over or reaching deep insideAmazon+3Laundry Turtle+3Laundry Turtle+3Laundry Turtle+5Laundry Turtle+5Laundry Turtle+5Justia Patents+1.
3. Tailored for Tight, Compact Living Spaces
• Inspired by Eric Mendes’s own living situation and his mother’s struggles with laundry in small apartments, the product is space-efficient (collapsible), ergonomic, and practical—all reflected in the patented design and methodYouTube+6Laundry Turtle+6Amazon+6.

Summary

• U.S. Patent 11,572,655 is the primary patent for the Laundry Turtle, protecting the innovative method of retrieving laundry with a flexible, gravity-reliant device.
• The product is not only functional but also emotionally and practically grounded in making laundry easier for real people—especially in compact living spaces.
• The company also cites a second U.S. patent (10,866,027) and a Chinese filing, suggesting a broader intellectual property strategy.

Tabs Chocolate - successful D2C first then launched on Amazon later

• Value Prop - Have better sex / more exciting sex with your partner. The best night of your life.
• Mixed natural supplements and powders into chocolate and wrapped it in a nice package
• Product had potential to go viral based off seeing a TikTok video with 8M views & 2M likes for sex chocolate with no company website
• Packaging was huge differentiator
• Excellent sales funnel strategy to get awareness and convert that awareness/attention into customers
• Tabs sold first through their website D2C and then later on Amazon

OTOTO

Unique cookware products. Take common household cookware items and innovate them with excellent attention grabbing designs. The designs are viral and so content goes viral to generate awareness and sales of the products via TikTok. Distribution channel = TikTok. Sales Channel = Amazon and their website.

Looking at their Amazon Storefront here: https://www.amazon.com/s?me=A1FWIW6RVM5XDB&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER

• They have 103 listings. Some don’t have sales estimates. Usually Amazon lists the top selling product at the top of the search results so at the very least they are doing $300k/month analyzing just 32 of their top 103 listings.

• The other thing to note is the quality of their listings is very high. They have excellent attention grabbing main images and excellent A+ content.
• They have a lot of listings so have thrown a lot of there to test. Through this process I am sure they must have figured out a way to increase the likelihood of success for new products before investing a lot into them.

J Pillow - Link

Changing the shape of a sleep pillow - Design improvement to do a better job than existing alternatives

Other things you can do with this. Connect the product to a specific niche it competes within using Amazon’s Product Opportunity Explorer. Then compare it vs the existing top products within the niche. Understand who the competitors are - larger companies or smaller ones and how much of their total revenue the product makes up.

Cactus Soil

Niching down to be a soil specific to cacti. Creating branding/packaging specific towards this.

Selling Dirt and making $25,000/month - view Spike Bloom’s listing here

The expanded towards making a specific succulent blend.

Ingredients can mostly be sourced within the USA with the bags made in China and shipped in to get the soil packaged.

For this it’s easy to validate whether packaging design is click worth with a pickfu poll test.

For them it’s easy to communicate the value of the drain-ability of the soil for cacti side by side vs a different popular brand. Even if this popular brand was made up showing the drainage of the soil vs a non draining soil instantly communicates the benefit/value of this cactus soil.

Despite obviously not having a patent they are able to defend their stream of revenue with a clear brand and positioning in the space. They will get competitors but can differentiate via the packaging to stand out and how they communicate the value.

There isn’t a specific cactus soil niche however when searching this is the most relevant niche for the product and does have “cactus” specific keyword searches

Other competitors in the space position their soil as compatible with succelents and cacti whereas Spike & Bloom has two distinct bags for cactus and succulent soil and is able to communicate what makes them special vs other blends available in the marketplace. Here is an example of a soil positioned as for both succulents and cacti.

Spike & Bloom has 1.5% click share in the niche with 1.2M annual search volume. Despite this they make $25k-$30k/month. Bigger players are Back to the Roots and Miracle Grow. Despite these larger players the smaller Spike & Bloom company is able to make a decent profit in the niche with their differentiated profit.

Most of the search terms are generic in the niche. It is clear to see there is a desire for soil for “succulents” and “cactus” plants as the main categories.

Crush the Memory

https://get.crushthememory.com/

Working to get traffic to their prelaunch page via twitter and using Launchkit for the pre-launch.

Why not just use a phone to record your thoughts?

Well a phone isn’t great if you are biking or rollerblading and you want something easy to collect your idea or thought. You may also want something more water resistant or potentially waterproof to take around with you wherever. You may also wear the device as a necklace which you would never do with your phone. Having an integrated application is nice as well to capture your thoughts.

A funny thing about this is it’s almost a different wrapper for this device which connects with a phone. The Banana phone.

The Mom Test Book - Link

Product Validation Checklist

Gsheet document for answering questions for product opportunity.