This Issue's TLDR...

• Zig while others zag (the AI you've been sleeping on)
• How to fund your Q1 orders
• How to value your email list

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We're in a golden era of AI.

New AI tools are being released every day, each one seemingly better than the one we were all using last week.

It's honestly exhausting trying to keep up.

(Does anyone else feel that? Just me? OK.)

It's probably even more acute in this Amazon / eCommerce world, because so many of us small business owners are pushing the envelope because...we have to.

Everyone has their own recipe for staying "sane" in this dynamic industry that we call home. For me, personally, I seek out things that are durable in time.

This idea isn't something that I came up with alone. I stole it directly from Uncle Jeff, who actually just talked about it on stage: (horrible thumbnail; sorry Uncle Jeff)

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So, this begs the question...what's something that's durable in time that we all can use to stay grounded?

Here's one of my favorites:

Retail Math

That is:

Revenue = Traffic x Conversion X Order Value

This is a keystone mental model for me.

And it's particularly useful today, navigating the myriad AI tools that are released every day, because it helps you realize that so much AI right now is focused on the Conversion variable in the equation.

That's fine, but it ignores Traffic and Order Value.

Which means there's more opportunity to leverage AI!

I have a separate, upcoming article planned around Traffic, specifically SEO and AEO, so I'm going to skip that today.

And, instead, I want to talk about Order Value.

Order Value is a function of Price x Quantity.

You can influence Quantity through promos (e.g., BOGOs) and merchandising (you're aware of Amazon's new multipack feature, right?). And that's what most sellers and brands seem to focus on.

But, Price? Most sellers "set it and forget it".

Which is a weird thing because so many of us Amazon sellers *obsess* over split testing everything.

I'm going to make a bold statement:

I've seen this firsthand in my business.

I've also seen, firsthand, how dynamic AI pricing has created unbelievable results for others.

For example, my LinkedIn buddy Max Sigurdson-Scott told me that dynamic AI pricing added $88,700 to his bottom line last year.

He even brought receipts to our conversation:

My big question to him was...How?

His answer: Profasee.

You see, he had been using Chad Rubin's dynamic AI pricing tool for the past year, and the results were nothing short of spectacular. (If you like more money, that is)

After hearing this, I reached out to Chad to check in.

I was a very early Profasee customer for one of my businesses, until I exited that business (story for another day), but, I hadn't been keeping up.

Apparently, Chad and his team have been busy.

Both in terms of getting new brands set up with Profasee (250 and counting) and launching new features.

For example, Chad shared with me all of these ways that Profasee users can completely customize their pricing strategy:

• Freeze price on any ASIN at any time
• Set price to X% of a competitor or group of competitors
• Maintain "charm pricing"
• Permanent strikethrough
• Test the higher and lower bounds that people are willing to pay while maintaining BSR
• Set rules for each SKU to maintain inventory (running out soon?), push rank (get #1 organic), or grow profit (make money)

Bottom Line

I'm bullish on dynamic AI pricing for Amazon sellers going forward, and I think it's sort of a "forgotten frontier". If you pay attention to it while everyone else is getting "shiny object syndrome" from the latest and greatest image genAI tool, you'll get ahead.

And, of course, if you're going to lean in to dynamic AI pricing, I strongly recommend you book a demo with Chad over at Profasee. You might end up with $88,700 more to spend on expanding your business (or buying a Lambo).

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BEST from the B@A Archives

You're going to be placing Q1 orders soon.

And, likely, you're low on cash because you just wrote a big check (or multiple checks) for Q4 inventory.

This is the reality of running an Amazon native brand, or retail brand, in general.

Most of the time, your cash is locked up in inventory.

This is where *smart* borrowing can be useful.

Regular B@A readers might remember that I'm advising a financial institution that has quietly been working on an asset-based line of credit product for Amazon sellers. (In layman's terms...this is like a credit card with a super high limit, secured by your Amazon inventory)

This company is underwriting asset-backed lines of credit for Amazon FBA businesses, and only require minimum $2mm annual revenue (at this stage; this minimum will go lower in the next 6 months when they go-to-market).

This means you could have access to a revolving line of credit, with a limit based on the amount of Amazon inventory that you have, at a super low interest rate.

And, you pay down the credit line as your cash flow allows.

No weekly or biweekly revenue-based payments or other usurious nonsense.

If you find yourself with most of your cash locked up in Q4 inventory, yet needing cash for Q1 inventory, this could be a good solution for you.

Here's the deal, if you meet the criteria above, just reply to this email with "ABL" and I'll connect you with the company.

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PS: Here's your required reading if you don't understand working capital, cash conversion cycles, and asset-based lending:

• ​Unlocking Cash Flow in Your Business Through Smarter Borrowing​
• ​Unlocking Cash Flow in Your Business Through Smarter Borrowing - Part 2​
• ​Unlocking Cash Flow in Your Business Through Smarter Borrowing - Part 3​

PPS: I don't earn commissions or anything on this. Like I said, I'm an advisor on a fixed contract so nothing changes for me whether 2 or 200 of you take this offer. I just know that many of you could benefit greatly from this.

BEST from the Group Chats

Q: What's a good way to calculate how much my email list is worth?

My Answer:

Here's some quick napkin math that you can do:

That last factor (40–70%) accounts for churn, overlap, and engagement drop-off if you ever sold the list or transferred it.

Example: 50k active subs × $1.50 RPR × 12 × 0.5 = ≈$450k

If you're running both email + SMS, add them together (SMS often earns 2–3× more per subscriber).

Put simply...Take what your list actually makes in a year, then assume only half of that value would carry over to a buyer.

That generally holds true with what I've seen in lower middle market M&A deals.

BEST from X

🔥 HOT TAKE 🔥

This is the best feature that Amazon has released in 2025.

TheAmazonSellerLawyer @AmzSellerLawyer Amazon just launched the Seller Challenge — letting sellers dispute Amazon’s own enforcement decisions. 3 challenges every 180 days. Finally, a way to push back. #damlawfirm #amazonsellertips #amazonfba #sellerchallenge 10:2 AM • Oct 8, 2025 0 Retweets 0 Likes

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Good, practical tips for writing a strong LOI (and getting it accepted!).

M&A Focused CPA @BoilerPlateCPA One of the most frustrating things for searchers is losing out on LOIs. A few simple things you can do to enhance your odds of success: 5:0 PM • Oct 3, 2025 0 Retweets 7 Likes Read 1 replies

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