Elina Panteleyeva, founder of Doodwoof, built a fast-growing Amazon brand for doodle owners after getting laid off in 2023. With no ad budget, she leaned on organic content, community feedback, and smart Amazon tactics to launch her first product straight into Amazon’s “#1 New Release” badge.
🎯 Start by niching down
“I knew that there's a ton of dog brands out there… They would just outspend me and just crush me.”
Instead of competing with big pet brands, she created a brand just for doodles. Calling out one specific dog breed made her content stand out instantly.
📣 Build the audience before the product
“I started documenting my journey on Instagram… I’m not a dog or doodle expert. I just branded myself as a doodle owner, just like you.”
She asked doodle owners about their struggles, shaped the product around their answers, and brought them along for every step.
🚀 Why her launch worked
On launch day, even her coupon code broke — but the audience still bought.
“I have a product that has zero reviews on Amazon… The only reason people bought it is because when you document your journey, you're essentially building trust.”
📬 Elina’s 3-step Amazon framework
Collect emails before sending traffic to Amazon
Push for reviews early, especially video
Launch consumables to stack Subscribe & Save customers
🎧 Watch the full episode
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