Business idea · Marketplace
WhatNot Live Shopping
WhatNot Live Shopping: WhatNot is a live shopping platform that allows sellers to connect with buyers in real time, creating an engaging shopping experience. It was pitched on The Side Hustle Show in the episode "I Bought a Side Hustle and Tripled Revenue in 1 Year (Greatest Hits)" (aired May 7, 2026).
At a glance
| Podcast | The Side Hustle Show |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | Nick Loper |
| Episode | I Bought a Side Hustle and Tripled Revenue in 1 Year (Greatest Hits) |
| Aired | May 7, 2026 |
| Category | Marketplace |
| Real companies on the episode | Whatnot, Nena's London, Nina's Laundrette |
The problem it solves
It addresses the challenge of visibility for sellers who struggle to get their products noticed in crowded online marketplaces, enabling them to sell more effectively by connecting directly with buyers.
How it makes money
Sellers can monetize their streams through sales and potentially through a commission model where WhatNot takes a percentage of each sale made during live sessions.
Skills you need
Skills needed include product presentation, customer engagement, marketing, and familiarity with live streaming technology.
The market, and why this works now
E-commerce sellers with niche products often struggle to gain visibility in crowded marketplaces. WhatNot leverages the shift towards live shopping, allowing these sellers to engage directly with buyers through real-time streams. A promising first revenue move is to promote products via r/ecommerce, where sellers can connect with an audience interested in unique items. Founders will face a constraint in managing customer acquisition costs due to the need for marketing spend to attract viewers to live streams, which can take time to build a loyal audience.
Our analysis, written after the episode. Not a quote from the show.
Real companies discussed on this episode
- Whatnot
A live shopping platform that allows sellers to go live and sell products directly to consumers in real time.
- Nena's London
A self-service laundromat located in Northgate, Australia, owned by John O'Cantan Maria.
- Nina's Laundrette
A laundromat business that provides laundry services and has adopted a modernized approach to improve customer experience and profitability.
Where this idea came from
Podcast: The Side Hustle Show, hosted by Nick Loper
Episode: I Bought a Side Hustle and Tripled Revenue in 1 Year (Greatest Hits)
Aired:
Summarized from the episode transcript. The show does not say which speaker raised each idea, so we credit the show, not a person.