/Market Analysis & Strategy
Question
Should I pick a niche I know nothing about if the numbers look good?
Posted by •11/10/2025
Found a product with solid margins in the pet niche - specifically an automatic feeder for cats.
The thing is, I don't own a cat. Never have. I know nothing about cat owners or what they care about.
The numbers look good:
- €15 cost, could sell for €45-55
- Lots of search volume
- Competitors exist but aren't doing anything special
But everyone says "pick a niche you're passionate about" and I'm not passionate about cats at all.
Do I need to actually care about the niche to succeed? Or can I just learn enough about the customers to market to them effectively?
Part of me wants to just go with what I know (I'm into gaming and tech) but the margins there seem way worse and competition is insane.
The thing is, I don't own a cat. Never have. I know nothing about cat owners or what they care about.
The numbers look good:
- €15 cost, could sell for €45-55
- Lots of search volume
- Competitors exist but aren't doing anything special
But everyone says "pick a niche you're passionate about" and I'm not passionate about cats at all.
Do I need to actually care about the niche to succeed? Or can I just learn enough about the customers to market to them effectively?
Part of me wants to just go with what I know (I'm into gaming and tech) but the margins there seem way worse and competition is insane.
4 Replies
•11/10/2025
The 50 reviews test is actually genius. Going to do that tonight.
I think the real question I needed answered was: passion for the PRODUCT vs passion for UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER. That reframe helps a lot.
Will report back after my cat owner research deep dive lol
I think the real question I needed answered was: passion for the PRODUCT vs passion for UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER. That reframe helps a lot.
Will report back after my cat owner research deep dive lol
•11/10/2025
Quick test before you commit: go read 50 Amazon reviews for automatic cat feeders. Not skim - actually read them.
If you find yourself getting curious about the problems people mention, noticing patterns, thinking "oh I could solve that" - the niche might work for you.
If after 50 reviews you want to claw your eyes out, pick something else. The research never stops, and if you hate it now, you'll hate it even more 3 months in.
Took me 20 minutes to realize I couldn't do the baby niche (no patience for parent anxieties) and another 20 to realize I could absolutely do the home office niche. Worth testing before you invest real money.
If you find yourself getting curious about the problems people mention, noticing patterns, thinking "oh I could solve that" - the niche might work for you.
If after 50 reviews you want to claw your eyes out, pick something else. The research never stops, and if you hate it now, you'll hate it even more 3 months in.
Took me 20 minutes to realize I couldn't do the baby niche (no patience for parent anxieties) and another 20 to realize I could absolutely do the home office niche. Worth testing before you invest real money.
•11/10/2025
I'll give the opposite take: I tried 3 niches I "didn't care about" because the numbers looked good. Made almost no money and burned out trying to write product descriptions for stuff I couldn't care less about.
Then I started a store around a hobby I actually have (fishing) and it's done €2k/month for over a year now. The difference is I actually enjoy writing the content, I know which products are garbage, and I don't get bored of it.
Numbers matter but so does sustainability. If you're going to give up in 2 months because you hate thinking about cats every day, those margins don't matter.
That said, €45-55 price point with €15 cost is really solid. If you think you can genuinely get curious about cat owners (not cats, the OWNERS), might be worth a shot.
Then I started a store around a hobby I actually have (fishing) and it's done €2k/month for over a year now. The difference is I actually enjoy writing the content, I know which products are garbage, and I don't get bored of it.
Numbers matter but so does sustainability. If you're going to give up in 2 months because you hate thinking about cats every day, those margins don't matter.
That said, €45-55 price point with €15 cost is really solid. If you think you can genuinely get curious about cat owners (not cats, the OWNERS), might be worth a shot.
•11/10/2025
The "passion" advice is well-intentioned but often misunderstood.
You don't need to be passionate about cats. You need to be passionate (or at least curious) about UNDERSTANDING cat owners and solving their problems.
The advantage of picking something you know: you can skip the research phase because you ARE the target customer. You know instinctively what would make you buy.
The disadvantage: you're often too close to it. You assume everyone knows what you know. And like you said, competition in "passion" niches is usually brutal.
I'm in the baby products niche. I don't have kids. But I spent time in Facebook groups for new parents, read their complaints, understood their fears and frustrations. Now I probably understand what new parents want to buy better than most actual parents.
So the question isn't "do I like cats." It's "am I willing to spend time understanding cat owners."
You don't need to be passionate about cats. You need to be passionate (or at least curious) about UNDERSTANDING cat owners and solving their problems.
The advantage of picking something you know: you can skip the research phase because you ARE the target customer. You know instinctively what would make you buy.
The disadvantage: you're often too close to it. You assume everyone knows what you know. And like you said, competition in "passion" niches is usually brutal.
I'm in the baby products niche. I don't have kids. But I spent time in Facebook groups for new parents, read their complaints, understood their fears and frustrations. Now I probably understand what new parents want to buy better than most actual parents.
So the question isn't "do I like cats." It's "am I willing to spend time understanding cat owners."