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In this bold and attention-grabbing TikTok, Adam Erhart delivers a clear warning to aspiring entrepreneurs: do not start a dropshipping business in 2025. He backs this up with a striking statistic — over 4.5 million Shopify stores currently exist, meaning new entrants would face intense competition from seasoned sellers. While he admits that dropshipping isn’t inherently a bad business model, he argues that the market has become oversaturated and brutally competitive, making success far more difficult for beginners.

Instead, Erhart offers an alternative: the “hybrid agency” business model, which he claims is used by only around 60,000 people worldwide — a tiny number in comparison. He frames this model as the new opportunity wave, likening it to dropshipping in 2010, when early adopters had massive success. The promise is simple: get in now while the market is still wide open.

What makes this video especially effective is its tone of honesty and relatability. Anticipating skepticism, Erhart quickly addresses the viewer’s likely reaction — “this guy is probably selling a course” — and disarms it by saying he’s giving everything away for free. This reversal builds trust and credibility, especially in a niche often plagued by overhyped promises and expensive upsells.

The virality of this video can be attributed to several key factors:

Controversial contrarian hook — telling people not to start something grabs immediate attention.

Strong contrast — Erhart doesn’t just say what not to do; he gives a clear, actionable alternative.

Timeliness — speaking directly to 2025 makes it feel urgent and forward-looking.

Social proof by implication — if millions are doing one thing and only thousands the other, the viewer naturally leans toward the “less crowded” option.

Low barrier CTA — offering a “free marketing system” without selling a course lowers resistance and boosts conversions.

The message also taps into a deeper psychological pattern: people want early access to the next big thing, but they also want to avoid wasting time on what’s already saturated. Erhart positions his hybrid agency model as both proven and underutilized, which triggers curiosity and a sense of urgency.

In summary, this TikTok succeeds because it challenges the mainstream, provides an alternative path, and delivers it with a tone of transparency and value. The result is a video that feels more like insider advice than a pitch — and that’s exactly what people are eager to hear in a crowded digital economy.