5000 Words of Chicken Soup: 1+ Year in Global Selling, Haven't Even Tasted the Meat and the Sky is Falling?

Just after the Spring Festival, global sellers are devastated? Here comes the chicken soup again! In such an environment, I can still serve you chicken soup—either I'm bad, forcing "toxic chicken soup" on you, or I'm truly strong, able to brew chicken soup in any environment and condition.

This could genuinely become a trilogy of darkest moments. I've received too many messages and seen too many discussions in groups—I'm numb. I don't know if people are really looking for solutions, or simply seeking mutual self-mockery and comfort from peers, or just being "cloud players" watching from afar with "what do you think" talk.

So I'll write one article that gives you everything: self-mockery emotional value, solutions, and talking points.

Mental Nitro Pump: Let Me Perform a Grand Display of Misery

First, let me detail my industry destruction experience:

First Job

In 2016, I worked in marketing at a top-tier film industry company. That was the tail end of China's film industry peak. I was lucky to experience the industry's heyday when films had tens of millions in marketing budgets. Due to personal reasons, I left after 3 years, and the film industry gradually entered a downturn.

Second Job

In 2020, I moved directly from traditional industries to the cutting-edge new energy vehicle industry, participating in brand marketing for a new EV startup. In that era, one company would get billions in funding, another would get billions in credit lines; yet on social media, the public was still collectively mocking EVs as "electric dads" with "a liquid that can run 1000km in 3 minutes." Meanwhile, within the EV industry, everyone was mocking a certain brand for "using a 3-cylinder engine to generate electricity—truly putting on pants to fart."

I use this social discourse to illustrate how fast industry iterations happen. In less than 5-8 years, can you still see collective attacks on gas car users when you open social media? That brand tops the weekly charts every week (inventor of weekly rankings)—does anyone still criticize it?

As a participant in the industry, experiencing the rapid changes of emerging industries, I first felt the chaos and opportunities of so-called "trend industries" in their early stages.

Unfortunately, after about a year, shortly after I left, the startup I worked for collapsed dramatically.

Third Job

In 2021, I entered a so-called "internet giant," working in a "hot topic" business scenario that dominated discussions among young people online at the time—a local lifestyle and leisure activity that trended daily, where not participating meant you were OUT. Another cutting-edge opportunity.

However, the back-and-forth of pandemic events was a precise fatal blow to our industry. Until the final Shanghai lockdown hit our nest directly—the industry collapsed, and people were laid off.

First Attempt After Layoff: Web3

Anyone who knows the crypto space and has been in it for over a year knows this industry is cyclical. Every few months, a couple of black swan events occur, followed by new narratives and "games," starting a new round of harvesting.

My period was the peak of Web3: metaverse, NFTs, DAOs. From ecosystems to applications, projects packaged everything so gloriously that you really felt Web3 was reconstructing the world. Bored Ape NFTs peaked at over $1 million, and Chinese project founders made fortunes.

I participated for over half a year, posting social media content (trying to be an influencer) and building a brand marketing media account (which is the account you're following now, Metabrandl—I actually started with Web3 content. The L in Brandl is a Web3 meme; crypto enthusiasts use "buildl" to encourage industry participants to build solidly).

But after half a year, I understood the basic operating logic of this industry and realized it really wasn't for me. I couldn't shout "FAM, LFG, to the moon" (family, let's go, we're going to the moon) on Discord and Twitter in the morning, then "rug" (run away with the money) at noon.

To be brutally honest: anyone you see who quickly made fortunes in crypto did so through the sacrifice of countless greedy people who lost everything. In this industry, if you're not ruthless enough, if you have any bottom line, you're just sacrificial material. No arguments accepted—if you disagree, you're the fool.

Anyway, during my time there, I remember FTX's collapse marked the beginning of the bear market and the brewing of the next narrative. Occasionally checking back on crypto dynamics, it's truly foul. No more narratives, no more stories—just issuing meme coins and direct harvesting. Buyers and sellers reach consensus, eliminating the middleman. Truly disgusting.

Web3 also followed the burial of its most prosperous and diverse period.

Second Attempt: Global E-commerce

I've been bravely exploring for nearly 2 years—I never thought I'd persist this long. This year, everything was ready for a big push, but unexpectedly, the tariff situation was waiting to snipe me.

Let me be clear: my small shop operates in the UK region, so it doesn't affect me much. But from an industry development perspective, this tariff war is undoubtedly another precise blow to the global e-commerce industry.

Just Destroy It, I'm Tired

So you see, my industry destruction experience:

• Film industry (peak tail → downturn)
• New energy vehicles (trend → company bankruptcy)
• Internet giant hot business (pandemic precise hit → industry collapse)
• Web3 (cycle downturn → foul)
• Global e-commerce (tariff war precise sniping)

What is this industry destroyer physique I have?

But, and I say but.

Solutions: How to Survive the Darkest Moments

1. Accept Reality, Adjust Mindset

First, accept one fact: global e-commerce is no longer the era of "easy money." If you still hold this mindset, you'll only become more anxious.

2. Lower Expectations, Control Costs

Don't go all-in from the start, don't borrow money to start a business, don't overstock. Take small steps, validate the model first.

3. Multi-Platform Layout, Diversify Risk

Don't put all eggs in one basket. Try multiple channels: independent sites, Amazon, TikTok Shop, Temu.

4. Deep Dive into Vertical Categories, Build Barriers

Don't sell everything. Find a category you know well and have advantages in, and go deep.

5. Continuous Learning, Embrace Change

This industry changes too fast. You need to keep learning and keep up.