Shopify started as a snowboard shop. Now it's a $100B ecosystem

Hey there,

Let me tell you a story that doesn’t get told enough.

Before Shopify was a $100B company, it was… a snowboard store.

In 2004, Tobias Lütke just wanted to sell snowboards online. But the eCommerce platforms were terrible. He hated every single one.

So he built his own.

The twist? That pain, not being able to find a good tool, became the foundation of Shopify.

But what’s even more interesting is what they did after that.

They didn’t just fix one problem and move on. They kept solving the next thing that got in their way. Every tough part of running a store? They made it easier, and turned those solutions into part of the product.

Let’s break it down:

Step 1: They Built Tools Around Real Problems

Running an online store in 2006 wasn’t just hard. It was borderline impossible if you weren’t technical.

You had to figure out payments, hosting, inventory, emails, all of it.

So Shopify didn’t just give users a store.

They handled:

• Payments (Shopify Payments)

• Inventory (Shopify POS)

• Hosting (Shopify CDN)

• Abandoned cart emails (automated)

• Upsells & discounts (built in)

Each headache Tobi experienced personally? Became a feature in the product.

Most founders build what looks good to users.
Shopify built what felt bad to users, and removed it.

Do this instead:

• What’s something your users are Googling or hiring freelancers for?

• What’s something they shouldn’t have to think about, but they do?

• Bake that into your product

That’s not just UX. That’s distribution.

Step 2: They Built a Platform

In 2009, Shopify was growing, but slowly.

Then they made one move that changed everything:

They opened up the App Store.

That meant developers could build add ons for Shopify, things like themes, tools, and plugins.

By 2011:

• Developers made money.

• Store owners got more power.

• Shopify sat in the middle, taking a cut.

They didn’t just solve every need. They let others solve it, and took a fee.

Sound familiar?

Apple. Salesforce. WordPress. Same play.

The key here? Shopify shifted from being a store builder to becoming an ecosystem.

And ecosystems spread faster than products.

Actionable takeaway:

• What do your power users hack together around your product?

• Let them build it officially.

• Create revenue share for builders.

• You own the rails, they build the train cars.

Suddenly, users aren’t just users. They’re investors in your platform’s success.

Step 3: They Did Marketing Without Marketing

Shopify could’ve dumped cash into ads. Instead, they did something better.

They gave creators and entrepreneurs the spotlight.

Think:

• The Shopify Blog wasn’t about Shopify. It was about store owners’ success.

• Their podcast? Featured store owners.

• Their YouTube? Full of tutorials on running businesses (not on using Shopify).

And the genius?

Every story, every tutorial, every tweet ended the same way:

“…powered by Shopify.”

That’s called embedding your brand in your user’s identity.

If your users win, and you’re the reason they won… you never have to shout again.

Try this:

• Interview your users. Share their wins. Don’t talk about you, talk about them.

• Teach them how to do better, even if it has nothing to do with your tool.

• Position your product as the “quiet force” behind their success.

That builds trust. And trust scales harder than reach.

Step 4: They Made Complexity Invisible

Shopify today powers over 4.8 million stores. But here’s the crazy part:

Most of those store owners?

• Don’t know how to code.

• Don’t know what “conversion rates” are.

• Don’t want to learn about shipping logistics.

So Shopify did the most generous (and smartest) thing possible:

They made complexity invisible.

Want to add a buy button? It’s a toggle.

Want to launch a sale? Click two buttons.

Want to go from garage to global? No consultants needed.

The simplicity is the product.

The real copywriting win here? Shopify didn’t just simplify the language. They simplified the actions.

Ask yourself:

• What are users currently overthinking in your product?

• How can you remove the need to understand it?

• What can be a default instead of a setting?

People don’t want options. They want outcomes.

Step 5: They Turned Their Customers Into the Movement

The final unlock? Shopify didn’t build a tool. They built a tribe.

Their marketing says it clearly:

“We don’t sell stuff. We help entrepreneurs sell stuff.”

And that’s why users post about Shopify even when Shopify never asks.

They feel like Shopify is on their side.

Entrepreneur wins? Shopify celebrates it.
Business stuck? Shopify shares advice.
Scaling fast? Shopify’s tools grow with you.

How to apply this:

• Don’t brand yourself as “the product”. Be “the partner”.

• Talk like your users. Share their wins. Make them feel seen.

• Create swag they actually want to wear, for what they stand for.

That’s how you turn customers into advocates. Not with discounts. With belief.

The Bottom Line

Shopify is a playbook in turning your own challenges into a business that sells itself.

Here’s your cheat code:

✅ Turn every user headache into a feature
✅ Open up your platform and let others build
✅ Share stories, not features
✅ Hide the complexity. Deliver results.
✅ Be a partner, not a vendor

You don’t need millions to market like Shopify.

You need to listen like Tobi did.

Ask yourself:

“What sucked the most when I first used this product?”
Then go fix that.
Your growth might be hiding in your old pain.

Until next time,
Omar Waseem

Community (free) | YouTube | LinkedIn | Twitter