Video summary

Ranking the best business models to start in 2026

Main summary

Key takeaways

Business

Overall Premise (Business-Model Ranking for 2026)

John Ryder ranks various “business models to start” into tiers (S/A/B/C/D) based on perceived:

  • Startup cost/risk
  • Market saturation
  • Difficulty
  • Exit potential (ability to sell the business/brand)

Tiered Business Model Recommendations (Execution-Focused)

S-Tier (Highest Recommendation)

TikTok Shop Seller (Brand/Vendor on TikTok Shop) — Ranked #1

Why

  • “Blue ocean” timing + simplicity
  • Strong ability to scale into other channels

Core operating model

  • You list your own products as the vendor/brand on TikTok Shop.
  • You attract TikTok Shop affiliates (creators) to promote your products.
  • TikTok handles much of the operational mechanics (e.g., platform/CRM functions), so you don’t have to do everything (ads/creative production) yourself.
  • You get content + distribution via affiliates rather than relying entirely on your own ads.

Market/scale claims

  • Fewer than 100,000 TikTok Shop sellers (claimed).
  • TikTok Shop is expected to reach growth similar to Amazon but much faster:
    • Amazon took 13 years to reach X scale
    • TikTok Shop expected to replicate in 3 years
    • By 2029 (claimed)

Example + targeting

  • Mentions “Veganic” as a niche example, targeting African-American women with specific product categories/ingredients.

Actionable path given

  • Start TikTok Shop seller → scale to Shopify branded store → then Amazon
  • Positioned as a top-of-funnel discovery/content engine through affiliate distribution.

A-Tier

High-Ticket Closing — A-Tier

Operating model

  • Become a closer who takes calls for a mentor/coach/guru with an existing funnel.
  • Commission structure: typically ~10% of a $5,000–$10,000 program.

Example math

  • Program price $10,000 → commission closer earns ~$1,000 per sale

Go-to-market requirements

  • Need access to a “good offer” with high-quality leads
  • Emphasis on:
    • Objection handling
    • Framing/pitching (a light sales playbook)

Constraint

  • Highly saturated; you must stand out and access quality funnels.

Copywriting — A-Tier

Positioning

  • Writes conversion assets: web copy, emails, SMS flows
  • Framed around improving LTV (lifetime value) and AOV (average order value)

AI stance

  • AI can assist, but humans must still operate it effectively.
  • Presenter argues copywriters won’t be fully replaced (as of 2026–2030 framing).

AI Implementation into Businesses — S-Tier (and overall “AI” bullish)

Two lanes described

  1. Build AI software (more capital required: dev team + marketing)
  2. Implement AI workflows as an agency/retainer service
    • billed as retainer + revshare

Example pricing/targets

  • Claims you can sell a workflow package with:
    • Retainer: ~$2,000
    • Revshare: 5–10%
    • Target outcome: ~$10,000/month (claimed)
  • Also claims brick-and-mortar small businesses may be “missing out” on $10k–$15k/month if they aren’t using AI (marketing claim)

Sales wedge / pitch angle

  • Cold call question:
    • “Are you running AI in your business right now?”
    • If “No,” triggers value/FOMO.

B-Tier

Shopify Dropshipping — B-Tier

Execution loop

  • Build site → test products/ads → “double down” on winners
  • Scale ad spend → add more creatives/products
  • Uses “ripping” product concepts from TikTok Shop and duplicating/using affiliate-style content
  • Meta emphasized for ads

Bottlenecks

  • Capital required to test ads (burn budget)
  • High competition
  • Ad skills complexity

Assessment

  • “Old but still opportunity”: saturated yet workable.

SMMA / Freelance Brand Scaling — D-Tier (but discussed similarly)

Note: Although described as “brand scaling/SMMA,” it is explicitly placed in D-tier later.

Operating model described

  • Marketing agency runs ads for brands using profit share / rev share:
    • profit share or “% of spend” model

Clipping — B-Tier (declining)

Operating model

  • Clip top creators’ YouTube content into short-form posts
  • Get paid per view (platform-dependent)

Performance degradation metrics (pricing)

  • Presenter says payouts fell:
    • from $1 per 1,000 views to $0.25 per 1,000 views
  • Also mentions caps, e.g.:
    • paid up to ~200k views of a 1M-view clip

Constraints

  • Still requires:
    • creative editing
    • consistent viral output
  • Less budget from gurus and less distribution than earlier periods.

Etsy Store with Digital Products — B-Tier

Product strategy

  • Digital products like:
    • journals, calendars, fitness plans, self-help, sports books, recipe books
  • Avoids generic PNG/image designs

Key risk

  • Saturated + marketing difficulty (still needs acquisition strategy)

Branded Dropshipping (Private Label/Custom) — Positive Discussion, Tier Unclear

Operating model

  • Build a real brand (not random commodity dropshipping)
  • Manufacturer in China for custom/private label (higher production cost)
  • Heavy reliance on affiliates/creators for creatives

Key constraints

  • Capital: claimed at least ~$10,000 for production/manufacturing
  • Marketing/creative costs (affiliates + content production)

Strategic sequencing recommendation

  • Start with TikTok Shop seller first for free content + demand discovery, then push to Shopify/Amazon.

Amazon FBA — C-Tier

Why it’s weaker now

  • Thin margins due to Amazon referral fees
  • Significant capital risk: at least ~$10,000
  • Operational friction:
    • platform complexity
    • PPC ad spend required

When it works

  • If you already have a brand (not recommended as a beginner entry).

C-Tier

  • Amazon FBA — C-Tier (covered above)
  • Fitness coaching — D-tier (mentioned here in passing in the source summary)
  • TikTok Shop affiliate — unclear label in transcript
    • Described as strong entry-level potential (presenter notes a tier but label is inconsistent in the transcript summary)

D-Tier (Lowest / Not Recommended for Beginners)

Fitness Coaching — D-Tier

Value perception problem

  • “Lifestyle/look fitness” has lower willingness to pay
  • Limits pricing and closing ability; “high-ticket” is difficult

Market saturation + scamminess perception

  • Presenter claims many low-quality/scheme-style offers
  • “Only charge a couple hundred”

SMMA — D-Tier

Why

  • Hard to find clients
  • Credibility barrier if you lack proof/results

Trading/Day Trading — D-Tier

Positioning

  • Treated as gambling with no real edge
  • Emotional swings and poor sleep

Crypto (as a way to make a living) — D-Tier

Positioning

  • “Betting on news”
  • Constant Twitter monitoring

Shared Critique Theme

Fitness coaching, trading, and crypto share the same framing:

  • betting/gambling or low value perception

Frameworks / Playbooks Referenced

  • Commission + ticketing math for sales roles

    • Closer commission ≈ 10%
    • Program price $5k–$10k → example ~$1k per sale

  • “Top funnel then scale” sequencing

    • TikTok Shop seller (content + discovery via affiliates)
    • → Shopify branded store
    • → Amazon

  • AI service packaging model

    • Retainer ~$2,000 + revshare 5–10%
    • Target outcome: ~$10k/month

  • Dropshipping scaling loop

    • Test ads/products → scale winning creatives/spend → add new product tests

Concrete Numbers / KPIs / Targets Mentioned

High-Ticket Closing

  • Program price: $5,000–$10,000
  • Commission: ~10%
  • Example: $10,000 program → ~$1,000 commission

Amazon FBA

  • Startup capital risk: ~$10,000+

TikTok Shop Seller

  • Sellers: <100,000 (claimed)
  • Growth claim:
    • Amazon took 13 years to reach a milestone
    • TikTok Shop expected to replicate in 3 years, by 2029 (claimed)

TikTok Shop Affiliate Products

  • Commission range: 10%–30%

Clipping

  • Payout change:
    • $1/1,000 views → $0.25/1,000 views
  • Example cap:
    • 1M-view video paid up to ~200k eligible views

Branded Dropshipping

  • Claimed starting capital: ~$10,000 (manufacturing/private label)

AI Implementation Business

  • Retainer: ~$2,000
  • Revshare: 5–10%
  • Target: ~$10,000/month
  • Claimed “missed opportunity”: $10k–$15k/month for non-AI businesses (marketing claim)

TikTok Shop Seller Case Result (Presenter’s Story)

  • Crossed $3 million sales in ~2 years

Key Actionable Recommendations (From the Presenter)

  • For the best “entry + scale + exit potential”

    • Start as a TikTok Shop seller
    • Use affiliates for content + demand
    • Scale later into Shopify and Amazon to build a real brand with enterprise value

  • For fast cash with sales ability, but saturated competition

    • Consider high-ticket closing
    • Strong commission math, but you must access quality offers

  • For service-based scalable income

    • Copywriting to improve conversions by optimizing LTV and AOV
    • AI workflow implementation as a retainer + revshare offer

  • Avoid / be cautious

    • Trading/day trading and crypto living due to “gambling” framing
    • Amazon FBA for beginners due to capital + thin margins + operational friction
    • Fitness coaching for “high ticket” goals due to low value perception and saturation
    • SMMA if you can’t prove results/credibility yet

Presenter / Sources Mentioned

  • Presenter: John Ryder
  • Referenced creators/gurus/brands/examples:
    • Sam Millsap, Vincent Fiser, Ashton Hall, Shelby Sap, Brez Scales, TJR, Rob the Bank, Iazi, Veganic, Samir (branded dropshipping mention)
  • Platforms referenced: Amazon, Meta, TikTok / TikTok Shop, Google
  • Other mention: FA (as platform references in dashboards)

Original video