Amazon vs. Your Own Website: The Great eCommerce Debate with Daybreak Agency and Gawronski Media

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff moderates a candid debate between two ecommerce experts: Rugved Nakadi from Daybreak Agency (Amazon specialists) and Kevin Gawronski from Gawronski Media (DTC paid media specialists). The conversation tackles the critical question every emerging CPG brand faces: should you prioritize building your own Shopify website or launching on Amazon first—and what are the real economics, risks, and growth potential of each channel?

The discussion reveals how both platforms offer distinct advantages depending on your brand stage, category demand, and available resources. Rugved explains why Amazon's purchase-intent search traffic, fast validation path, and 6-15% conversion rates make it ideal for emerging brands testing product-market fit with limited creative assets. Kevin champions the long-term value of owning customer data, building lifetime relationships through email marketing and subscriptions, and maintaining complete control over pricing, promotions, and brand storytelling on DTC platforms like Shopify.

Throughout the episode, both experts candidly admit the limitations of their respective channels—from Amazon's copycat sellers and rising FBA fees to DTC's creative demands and longer path to profitability. Listeners gain practical frameworks for evaluating channel fit based on product weight/dimensions, category search volume, and target demographics, plus real economics breakdowns including referral fees (8-15%), FBA costs, customer acquisition costs (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), and conversion rate benchmarks across both platforms.

Connect with the guests:
Rugved Nakadi — CEO, Daybreak Agency
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Kevin Gawronski — Founder, Gawronski Media
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Daniel Scharff — Founder, Startup CPG
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Key Topics:
00:38 – DTC control vs. Amazon's marketplace: the fundamental trade-off
03:39 – Why owning customer data and lifetime value matters for DTC
06:41 – Amazon's purchase-intent advantage: speed to market and validation
12:53 – The $1M question: where to invest if you have one year to prove sales
18:39 – Platform risk: ChatGPT, social commerce, and the future of ecommerce
22:26 – The review challenge: building trust on Amazon vs. DTC
28:21 – Economics breakdown: CAC, LTV, and conversion rates on both platforms
37:49 – Long-term success strategies: what actually works on each channel
46:47 – Final advice: focus on fundamentals and avoid shiny object syndrome

About Startup CPG:
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Stay connected:
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