I have $500 to start. Should I run paid ads or do organic first?

At $500, strongly consider starting with organic content first. Here's the math: a real paid ad test costs $300–500 in spend alone, plus Shopify, tools, and creative production costs. $500 total leaves almost no room for the iteration that finding a winner requires.

• Organic TikTok path: Zero ad cost. You post content organically using your product. If a video hits, you get free validation that the product and angle have demand. You use that time to save more capital for paid ads. Skills you build — hooks, editing, understanding what formats work — directly transfer to paid creatives.
• Underfunded paid ads path: You run one product test, it doesn't work (statistically likely on the first try), you're out of capital, and you've learned very little because you couldn't iterate. This is the graveyard of most early dropshipping attempts.
• Practical threshold for paid ads: $1,500–$2,000 minimum for your first serious paid test, with room for at least one iteration. Below that, organic or the EcomTalent income path (see the course module) builds your capital and skills simultaneously.

More on Dropshipping Fundamentals

• How long should I stick with a product before switching to a new one?
• What's the difference between dropshipping and building a brand?