Product/store research (Meta Ads Library, Shopify)

We are looking for a sharp, self-directed VA to research and track newly launched ecom/dropshipping stores using the Meta Ads Library. The goal is to identify stores that have launched within the past 3–4 months — active advertisers, new angles, emerging product categories — before they become saturated. The work is not just searching; it is knowing how to search smarter each time.

What you will do :
Search the Meta Ads Library daily/weekly to surface newly launched ecom/dropshipping stores
Focus on stores that have been running ads for no more than 3–4 months
Use a rabbit hole method: each store you find leads to a new search — new niche, new problem, new avatar, new angle — and the process repeats
Document your findings in a structured tracker (store name, URL, niche, ad start date,)

How you will do it:

Find a niches and identify the problems people in those niches have
Turn those problems into search keywords — the words people actually use
Use those keywords in the Meta Ads Library to find stores
Let each store you find lead you to the next search — new problem, new keyword, new niche


The rabbit hole method

This is the core of the role. The research should be self-feeding — each store you find should open the next branch:

A store solves a problem ? that problem has related problems ? those lead to new keywords ? new stores
A niche leads to an adjacent niche you had not thought of
One search opens three new directions

Just as important: you need to know when you are going in circles. If you keep finding the same stores or the same niches, you should recognize it, stop, and redirect. This is what separates a good researcher from someone who runs the same searches on repeat.


Requirements

Hands-on experience with the Meta Ads Library — you know how to use it as a research tool, not just browse it
Organized and consistent — the tracker should always be up to date and easy to read
Able to work independently without step-by-step direction
You will be asked to walk through your research process during the interview

Nice to have

Familiarity with how ecom ads are structured (hook, angle, mechanism, offer)
Ability to briefly summarize what problem a store is solving and who their buyer is
Experience using other ad spy tools (Minea, AdSpy, TikTok Creative Center, etc.) as a complement


In your application, write me a short message answering this: pick any niche you have researched before, tell me one problem people in that niche have, and tell me where that problem could lead you next. 3–5 sentences is enough. Applications without this will not be reviewed.