Dragonproof Podcast Episode 2 - John Lawson

Rick Wilson, CEO of Miva, sits down with John Lawson, best-selling author, to discuss entrepreneurship, Amazon, and the current state of independent ecommerce. Hosted by Richard Otey, the trio share diverse perspectives on ecommerce and the role that marketplaces play in the success (and demise) of independent business. Episode Highlights 02:12 - Explanation of retail arbitrage - John Lawson sets the stage for a discussion about online marketplaces by explaining a common online sales business model. 07:15 - Early days of ecommerce software - Rick Wilson paints a picture of ecommerce marketplaces back when Amazon just sold books. Back then, his approach was to empower existing brick-and-mortar businesses to grow through building their own online store. 11:09 - Difference between ad engines and marketplaces - Instagram and Google Shopping act more as ad engines than marketplaces. Rick explains the distinction between ad engines and marketplaces. 17:12 - Amazon Prime - the not-so-obvious way Amazon is competing with you and creating a race to the bottom for sellers on Amazon. 20:15 - China tariffs - how the political climate with China is helping Amazon achieve end-to-end control over the supply chain and purchasing experience. 20:25 - Reaching scale - success in online marketplaces can come with a price. How counterfeit products and predatory reviews can threaten your account. 32:28 - John's biggest takeaway - John shares his top piece of advice for online sellers.    Dragonproof Ecommerce (Book) - https://www.amazon.com/Dragonproof-Ecommerce-Business-Products-Customers-ebook/dp/B07NKW3W52 Dragonproof Website - https://dragonproofbook.com/ John Lawson's website - https://www.johnlawson.com Kick Ass Social Commerce for E-preneurs - https://www.amazon.com/Kick-Social-Commerce-preneurs-Likes/dp/1939529441   Social Dragonproof Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dragonproof2019/ Dragonproof Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dragonproofecommerce/ Dragonproof Twitter - https://twitter.com/Dragonproof2019 Rick Wilson Twitter - https://twitter.com/RickMiva Richard "RichE" Otey Twitter - https://twitter.com/richardotey John Lawson Twitter - https://twitter.com/ColderICE