Our Curation Process: How We Differentiate From Amazon

The Problem

Mass marketplaces like Amazon are built for "Profit at All Costs," optimizing for the "Buy Box" with the cheapest price. To them, a shoe is just a SKU (Stock Keeping Unit). They don't care if the leather peels in three weeks, lasts a lifetime, or if the "Seller" is a bot in a basement. As long as it sells, they make money.

These marketplaces are useful for everyday customers. But modern working professionals have different needs. This means you have to filter through thousands of products or reviews not geared to solve business problems.

This is why I created Smarter Powers: to be an Amazon alternative which curates quality products to make it easier for you to find what you need as a modern professional.

Why This Should Matter to You

You have a job to do. You shouldn't have to spend your Saturday night cross-referencing random blogs and Reddit threads.

Your time is a valuable resource you can't get back. We’ve already done the "serious work" of vetting quality products for the workplace, so you can get back to your serious business, and look better doing it.

The Curation Lab: Our Method Behind the Marketplace

Most marketplaces are built for volume. We’re built for judgment. At Smarter Powers, every product starts with one simple question:

“Would we recommend this product to a serious professional?”

If the answer isn’t a confident yes, it doesn’t make the cut.

We don’t chase the biggest catalogs, the lowest prices, or the loudest brands. We focus on building a curated list of products that are reliable, professional, and actually worth your time.

How Our Curation Process Works

Every product on this site is reviewed by a real person using a consistent set of standards. Nothing is auto-approved simply because it sells well somewhere else. Our goal isn’t volume, instead it’s quality, reliability, and professional relevance.

Each product is evaluated across five core areas:

1. Real-World Durability: We don’t list disposable products. If it’s likely to peel, collapse, or fall apart after a few months, it’s out. A professional wardrobe should be built on materials and construction that hold up to real use, not short-term trends.

2. Actual Value, Not a Logo Tax: We skip products where you’re paying mostly for the name. If the price isn’t justified by materials, construction, and design, it doesn’t belong here. Branding should be a bonus, not the product.

3. Distinct Design, Not Clones: We avoid generic, copy-paste products sold under different labels. Every item we list needs a clear purpose and thoughtful design. If it looks like everything else, it doesn’t make the cut.

4. Fair, Transparent Returns: Buying the wrong product shouldn’t feel like a trap. We don’t work with brands that hide their policies, restrict returns, or force store credit. Our minimum standard: clear terms, at least 30 days, and refunds to the original payment method.

5. Built for Professional Life: Every product has to work in real workplaces, from business formal to business casual. To list it, the product must support a credible, confident professional presence.

We also periodically re-evaluate our selections to ensure they still meet our standards.

When a product appears on Smarter Powers, it’s not because it exists. It’s because it has earned its place through real judgment, real usefulness, real standards, and for the working professional.

Here’s our decision matrix:

Does that sound like what you want in a marketplace for a modern professional?

Then check out our selection of business casual shoes which made the cut.

View Our Business Casual Shoes

From one professional to another,
Jason Quey
Founder of Smarter Powers