Justin Cao looks like he should slide his aviators down his nose and pinch some salt onto my steak from an awkward distance above it.
Doesn’t he?
What’s this Kmart Salt Bae doing in my feed?
Christ, don’t tell me it’s another Amazon FBA course.
I thought we decided that business model was done, finito, kaput.
Costs too much, takes too long, and if you somehow manage to make a sale, copycat competitors ooze from the woodwork to undercut you by a penny until you’re in an all-out sprint towards zero. No?
Read on for my AMZ Shifu review.
It’s hard to find the right product to sell online.
Even harder to build a brand that actually cash flows on autopilot.
And sustaining it long-term? Exiting for six or seven figures? Leaving behind a legacy? That’s borderline impossible.
Soft-spoken Justin knows that all too well.
But his Amazon brand, doing $4 million a year, proves that with the right blueprint and work ethic, you can beat the odds.
AMZShifu has the blueprint – as long as you’ve got the hustle.
By the way, “shifu” is a Chinese word that means master or teacher.
Inside the program, Justin is joined by mentors like Charlie Pham, Nhut Cao, and Han Nguyen – each confident they deserve that title.
Now.
You don’t need Justin setting the table on why Amazon, but he’s going to anyway.
Online shopping good, he says. Online shopping easy. Trend continue. Amazon popular. Opportunity big. Stats and headlines and stuff.
Yeah bro, we know.
Signing up for an FBA account practically guarantees there’s a new AMG glowing under the showroom lights with your name on it. Right?
But only if you pay Justin and company first.
Because TikTok just teases you with tips and YouTube buries you in outdated info and gurus can’t stop contradicting each other.
Going the “free route” traps you in what Justin calls a liability loop: lose money, lose time, repeat.
Whereas, when you drop $10,000+ on AMZ Shifu University – plus another $5,000 to $15,000 to launch your product – I guess that won’t be an issue.
Yes, per a 1-star Trustpilot review from someone who actually bought in, these shifus ain’t cheap.
But I s’pose it could be worth it if you’re posting AMZShifu reviews like Chloe, who said she sold 252 units – good for almost $23k in revenue – in a single day.
Or Susan, a mother of four, who tried other Amazon courses, got overwhelmed, joined AMZ Shifu, and profited $27k in seven months.
Then there’s Khoa, an Australian student whose first product flopped. He regrouped and made $499k in a single month during the holidays.
And Han went from nothing to $100k months before being recruited to Team Shifu.
Remember, too:
Justin retired his mom, bought her a Kia, and spammed the internet with self-promotional articles. He must be legit.
Oh, and you could probably sharpen a Cutco knife on his abs. Alright? So there’s that.
Justin wants to help you:
- Find a winning evergreen product.
- Build a strong brand around it.
- Use outside traffic like TikTok and Instagram to drive more sales.
- Exit for a fat payout.
- Roll your skills and experience into the next venture.
He asks that you book a call if you’re interested.
AMZ Shifu has managed to stay under the radar on Reddit and the Better Business Bureau, but some of the Trustpilot complaints are a little concerning.
One reviewer said they were walking away with over $20k in credit card debt.
Another called it an “overhyped FBA coaching scam” that offers basic information you could just as easily get from ChatGPT or a quick Google search.
This other dude said they spoke with 50 other mentees in the program, all failing and drowning in debt.
Granted, their overall Trustpilot rating is still 4.6/5.
But some say all the 5-stars are from bribes. As in, “Go leave a good review and we’ll give you a free gift.”
For me, it does’t matter either way.
I can launch a new website in a day for under $50 and grow it to six figures.
The bottom line is this:
I’d drink your aunt’s colostomy bag before I’d try Amazon FBA.
Q&A
Q: Why do you think Amazon FBA has fallen off in popularity?
A: For all the reasons I mentioned earlier: it’s a money pit, a time sink, and a logistical nightmare. And just when you think you’re winning, your best-selling product gets cloned by 10 knockoffs that undercut you into oblivion. No biz is perfect, but plenty suck less than this – and at least you’re not bleeding out while Amazon and a horde of leeches feast on your hard work.
Q: If FBA is so bad, why are some people still doing it?
A: Because every guru makes it sound like a no-brainer. They show you impressive stats about Amazon’s trillion-dollar empire, followed by some doctored screenshots of their supposed sales, and top it off with a pic of them working from the beach. They forget to mention the six months they spent in a losing war with Amazon Seller Support, only to get a vague email that starts with, “We regret to inform you…” Gee, must’ve slipped their mind.
Q: Wait, you mean not every guru is Honest Abe with a bluetooth mic?
A: Shocking, I know. It’s like your buddy who “almost got drafted” and “once dated a model.” Same delusion. Different funnel.
Q: What’s the most messed up thing FBA gurus say?
A: That you don’t need much money to start. Bruh. Unless you’re manifesting inventory out of thin air, this is an expensive game. They also love to preach that Amazon handles everything for you. Yeah, handles you like a pimp handles his bottom bitch: keeps you working around the clock, takes the biggest cut, and slaps you around with fees and fine print so you never forget who’s in charge.
Q: Aren’t you exaggerating a little bit?
A: No, I’m not. If you and FBA were in a relationship, your friends would stage an intervention. The control, the gaslighting, the cheating on you with some overseas factory selling replicas for $3.17. Your best friend, fighting back tears, would take you by the hand and say, “This isn’t Fulfillment by Amazon. This is Cucked by Amazon. And you deserve better.”
Q: If I start today, how hard will it be to make money with FBA?
A: Harder than a prison push-up routine. You’re up against deep-pocketed brands, bot-powered Chinese sellers, and dudes who’ve been doing this since Amazon was just an online bookstore. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible – it just means by the time you get your product ranked, you’ll look like you’ve aged in dog years.
Q: Dog years? That bad?
A: I’m afraid, by the time you break even, your skin will flap in the wind like Grannie’s knickers on a clothesline, joints clicking when you stand up, hemorrhoids flaring like a tiki torch on the 4th. At that point, you won’t know if you need a shifu or a hospice nurse.
Q: Does Amazon even want third-party sellers to win?
A: In my cynical opinion, no, they don’t. Amazon sees you as free R&D. You prove a product sells, they roll out something better with an Amazon Basics logo on it, and bury your listing under theirs. And if you somehow still survive? They’ll hike your fees and change the rules until you’re all alone in an empty apartment with one Natty Light in the fridge, duct tape over the peep hole, and a LinkedIn bio that reads ‘Former Amazon entrepreneur. Currently in shambles.’
Q: But wasn’t FBA easier back in the day? What changed?
A: Yeah, a few years ago, you could stick a logo on a screen protector, rank on page one after three friends left you a 5-star review, and enjoy Prime Day profits before Jeff Bezos got his morning BJ. But today? The market’s cutthroat, ad costs are sky-high, and Amazon’s tickled pink to copy your product and sell it under their own brand. The “wild west” days of FBA are over. Now it’s a bloody knife fight, and your ass showed up with a spork.
Q: Should I do Shopify dropshipping instead?
A: That’s like asking if you’d rather get hit by a truck or mauled by a bear. With FBA, you’re tying up thousands in inventory and months of effort before seeing a dime. With dropshipping, your supplier might dip overnight, leaving you 100 furious customers demanding refunds because their ergonomic cat beds never left Shenzhen. Either way, hope you like stress.
Q: Sounds like both paths lead to drinking boxed wine at 11 a.m.
A: Facts. Only, with dropshipping, you’re also rage-refreshing AliExpress tracking like it clapped your girl and wore your slides to the fridge after.
Q: Felt oddly specific.
A: He took my last Capri Sun on the way out. Cold world.
Q: Are you serious about needing $5,000 to $15,000 just to start an FBA business?
A: Dead serious. Between inventory, branding, product testing, PPC ads, storage fees, shipping fees, and Amazon’s cut, that shit adds up fast. And the $10k you dropped on AMZ Shifu University doesn’t count toward any of it. Hey, at least your BetterHelp therapist won’t laugh when you confess you took out a second mortgage to bulk order collapsible dog bowls from China.
Q: Didn’t Dan Lok call himself sifu? What’s the difference between sifu and shifu?
A: Indeed. Dan wanted to be seen as the all-knowing guru, but spelled it differently because he’s from Hong Kong. It’s like the English versus British spelling of color vs. colour. Same meaning, just a regional difference in how it’s written. Capeesh?
Q: Who is Justin Cao?
A: The guy behind AMZShifu. Once a little Asian kid who grew up poor, lost his dad at 13, made some bad choices, but with God’s mercy and OG Shifu Charlie Pham’s mentorship, he turned his life around.
Q: Justin Cao net worth?
A: He claims he’s made $7 million on Amazon and probably more than that from coaching, so you tell me. Maybe a few mill after the dust settles? Based on his Instagram, it’s enough to fly private and drive a bright blue Lamborghini Urus.
Q: That’s not very Christian-like, is it?
A: Justin will have you know he gave away seven houses and put countless kids through school before copping the Lamb Truck. And according to him, dropping a quarter mil on a car is like you grabbing a McDouble $5 Meal Deal – just another Tuesday. Also, God doesn’t call us to stay small. He’d rather you steward His blessings, build wealth, bless others… and, of course, treat yourself. That’s Justin’s outlook, anyway.
Q: What’s his motto?
A: “1% better every day.” Which, I get it: small gains add up. But if we’re being literal, the math on that is cooked. If you bench 150 today and get 1% stronger every day, you’d be throwing up 5,667 pounds a year from now. This motto should come with an asterisk.
Q: Who is Charlie Pham?
A: A Vietnamese immigrant who knocked poverty out cold, bitch-slapped language barriers, and went from dealing drugs to making millions in ecom before selling his company in 2016. Proof that with hard work, perseverance, and a little luck dodging the fuzz, you might just level up like Charlie.
Q: Who is Nhut Cao?
A: Another Vietnamese success story, now in Dallas. Says he’s built seven-figure businesses through Amazon, Shopify, and product manufacturing. Sheesh, why coach then? Loves passive income, travel, and his puppy, Peaches. (Made that last part up.)
Q: Who is Han Nguyen?
A: You’re not gonna believe this, but he’s from Vietnam and used Amazon FBA to get it out the mud. Now he’s all about shifting your mindset and shifu-ing your goddamn face off.
Q: Any AMZ Shifu alternatives you could point me to?
A: Sure thing, happy to ruin my free time for you:
- Capital Club
- Hatch Method
- Build Assets Online
- Proper Ecom Academy
- Amazon Wealth Academy
- Amazon Accelerator Program
- High-Ticket Ecommerce Academy
Q: Which one’s your top choice?
A: Did you miss my last line of the review? Don’t make me grab a straw, now. I really hate Amazon FBA. But e-rentals? That’s my jam. Watch and learn.