Episode Number:

37

August 11, 2025

In this episode of The eCom Growth Show, Danan Coleman interviews Neil Twa, Co-Founder and CEO of Voltage Holdings, to break down the exact blueprint for building, scaling, and exiting profitable eCommerce brands on Amazon and beyond. With over 17 years of experience and multiple eight-figure exits, Neil lays out what it takes to win in today’s marketplace—and how to prepare your brand for a successful, high-value exit.

Meet Neil Twa: The Brand Builder Who Treats Amazon Like Real Estate

Neil Twa isn’t just an Amazon seller—he’s a business architect. Since leaving a senior role at IBM, Neil has launched five personal brands, generated tens of millions in revenue, and coached over 1,000 founders through Voltage Holdings. With his partner Reed Larsen, he recently co-authored the bestselling book Almost-Automated Income with FBA.

Start With the End: The Platinum Principle

Neil’s approach to brand-building begins with what he calls the “Platinum Principle”:

  • Build every brand with the goal of exiting.
  • Choose products and markets based on demand, margins, and acquisition potential.
  • Design infrastructure and SOPs from day one for long-term scalability and sale.
Strategic Move: Neil prefers to build, then buy to amplify what’s working. Why? Building gives him control over systems, margins, and brand equity.

Why 20% Net Profit is Non-Negotiable

Neil draws a hard line: if a product doesn’t deliver at least $12 in net profit, it’s out.

  • Focus on $50-$500 retail price points.
  • Ideal AOV: $100-$250 per item.
  • Profit sweet spot: $25-$150 net per unit.
Lesson: More profit per unit means more budget for marketing, growth, and long-term viability.

Brand, Not Bargain: Compete on Value, Not Price

Selling cheap isn’t a strategy—it’s a trap. Neil emphasizes:

  • Avoid the $27 “me-too” products crowding the bottom half of Amazon.
  • Build an affinity-driven brand that commands higher prices.
  • Aim to become the Reebok to someone else’s Nike.
Why It Matters: The bottom tier of sellers will be replaced by AI tools and cheap imports. The top-tier? They're building real brands.

Amazon Isn’t Dead—It’s Entering Its Golden Era

According to Neil, the opportunity on Amazon hasn’t been this good since 2013:

  • 50 new $100M brands have entered Amazon in the past 4 years.
  • Old tactics like dropshipping and retail arbitrage are gone.
  • AI-driven engines like Cosmo are rewarding well-optimized, brand-led listings..
Big Opportunity: If you're already on Amazon, now is the time to upgrade your brand. If you're not, now's the time to enter—strategically.

Forget Keywords. Understand Buying Intent.

Neil emphasizes that Amazon is no longer a keyword game:

  • It’s a demand capture platform, not demand creation.
  • Product listings must align with AI-driven buyer intent.
  • Sales happen when listings reinforce pre-existing buying decisions.
Pro Tip: Stop obsessing over what to sell. Start obsessing over how to position it.

Greenlight: A New Product Launch Platform Built for the AI Era

Neil teased the upcoming launch of Greenlight—a proprietary platform designed to:

  • Use AI, Amazon data, and customer demand to validate and launch private label products.
  • Replace guesswork with data-driven product strategy.
  • Track performance through a full 90-day launch window.
Inside Scoop: Greenlight isn’t just another research tool. It’s a launch system built from Voltage's internal playbook that has already generated millions.

The Book That Started the Movement

Neil’s book, Almost-Automated Income with FBA, is the strategic guide that backs Greenlight’s methodology.

  • 15 chapters of interviews, case studies, and real frameworks.
  • Available on Amazon for $4.99.
  • Required reading for any serious Amazon brand builder.

Connect with Neil Twa:

Final Thought: Your Opportunity Begins at the End of Your Excuses

Neil’s closing advice? Get uncomfortable. Push boundaries. Take the risk.

As he puts it: “Sales fix everything. But only if you’re selling what the market actually wants.”

For more insights like these, subscribe to The eCom Growth Show—where founders level up and eCommerce brands scale smart.