Shopify Editions is a new approach to bringing products to market at Shopify. Can you walk us through the process? What was the insight? How did you collaborate with stakeholders? What other options did you consider? Why now?
We used to host a developer conference at Shopify called Unite where we’d speak on updated product releases either in-person or online, but as time has gone on, traditional marketing is changing. It was time that we acknowledge that and change the way we bring our products to market. We needed to find a way to give our stakeholders a reliable and consistent way to have visibility to our growth so that they understand what we’re doing for them and how we can make their lives easier. This is not only an experience for people to look forward to, but also a timeline of product progress, in retrospect. It gives us a bit of accountability knowing that our customers are looking at our product growth alongside us. This was a super collaborative effort—we worked with many or all the product leaders across the company, all led by CEO Tobi Lutke. Tobi had a vision to make product the center of Shopify’s story, and this central place of showcasing our accomplishments was the only way to bring it to life.