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Back in 2004, Tobias Lütke just wanted to sell snowboards online. But every e-commerce tool he tried was clunky, expensive, and built for big retailers, not for small businesses like his.
Instead of forcing a bad solution, he did what frustrated founders often do: he built his own. That side project, originally meant for a snowboard shop called Snowdevil, became Shopify, software that made it simple for anyone to build a beautiful online store.
Fast forward: Shopify grew from powering one small snowboard shop to enabling millions of entrepreneurs worldwide. Today, it supports 175+ countries, has facilitated hundreds of billions in sales, and at its peak, was valued at over $100B.
But here’s the kicker: Shopify didn’t scale by outspending Amazon or chasing enterprise contracts. Instead, they leaned into storytelling, ambassador programs, ecosystem integrations, strong brand identity, and strategic partnerships to empower small businesses at scale.
In this Newsletter issue, we’ll explore five key marketing lessons from Shopify’s growth stage lessons you can apply directly to your startup today.
Each lesson covers:
What Shopify did
Why it worked
The results they achieved
How you can apply it
Let’s dive in.
Lesson 1: Paid Ads with Storytelling
What Shopify Did
Instead of pushing software features, Shopify ads told stories of scrappy entrepreneurs building empires from their living rooms. The spotlight wasn’t on Shopify, it was on the dreamers using it.
Why It Worked
Humans buy into stories, not specs. Positioning Shopify as the tool powering real people made it relatable. It turned customers into heroes and Shopify into their sidekick.
Results
Helped Shopify gain massive mainstream visibility, cementing itself as the default e-commerce platform for beginners and pros alike.
How You Can Apply It
Stop listing features.
Tell one customer’s story, with your product in the background.
Run an ad (or even a LinkedIn post) showing what they achieved with you.
👉 Lesson for startups: People remember stories, not specs.
Lesson 2: Ambassador Programs
What Shopify Did
Shopify built a global “Shopify Experts” network, developers, designers, and marketers who weren’t just users but also evangelists. These ambassadors made money by helping merchants succeed on Shopify.
Why It Worked
It created an aligned incentive loop: the more Shopify grew, the more Experts earned. That gave Shopify an army of motivated advocates doing distribution on its behalf.
Results
Thousands of Experts worldwide drove adoption and localized support, turning Shopify into a grassroots movement.
How You Can Apply It
Start small: identify 5–10 power users and reward them for teaching, sharing, or onboarding others.
Create incentives so their success is tied to your growth.
👉 Lesson for startups: Turn power users into partners.
Lesson 3: Ecosystem Integrations
What Shopify Did
Rather than being a closed system, Shopify opened APIs and built an app marketplace. Payments, shipping, analytics, marketing, merchants had everything under one roof.
Why It Worked
Merchants didn’t have to leave Shopify. Stickiness skyrocketed. Plus, developers were motivated to build because they could monetize directly in the ecosystem.
Results
Today Shopify’s App Store has 10,000+ apps, making it the richest e-commerce ecosystem globally.
How You Can Apply It
Even if small, integrate with 1–2 tools your users already use (Slack, Notion, Stripe).
It instantly increases utility without bloating your product.
👉 Lesson for startups: Ecosystems scale faster than solo products.
Lesson 4: Strong Branding
What Shopify Did
Shopify positioned itself as the champion of entrepreneurs, with messaging like “arming the rebels.” It wasn’t just a platform, it was the identity of scrappy founders fighting corporate giants.
Why It Worked
Identity sells. People didn’t just sign up for software; they joined a movement. Shopify became emotionally sticky, not just functionally useful.
Results
Millions of merchants proudly call themselves “Shopify entrepreneurs.” The brand became synonymous with starting an online business.
How You Can Apply It
Pick a bigger mission your customers deeply identify with.
Sell the why, not the tool.
👉 Lesson for startups: People buy identity, not software.
Lesson 5: Strategic Partnerships
What Shopify Did
Shopify partnered with giants like Facebook, Google, and TikTok to let merchants sell directly through those channels. They didn’t try to reinvent distribution, they plugged into it.
Why It Worked
Partnerships extended Shopify’s reach instantly and gave merchants new sales channels. It created a “win-win” loop where both partners benefited.
Results
Merchants sold billions via these integrations. Shopify became the hub for omnichannel retail.
How You Can Apply It
Look for one strategic partner whose platform your customers already use.
Build a native integration and ride their distribution wave.
👉 Lesson for startups: Don’t build every channel, borrow reach.
Key Takeaways for Founders
Stories drive adoption → Stop selling features. Share customer stories that inspire.
Ambassadors compound growth → Reward your most engaged users so they spread the word for you.
Ecosystems create stickiness → Integrate into workflows to lock in long-term retention.
Identity sells → Give your users a bigger mission to believe in, not just a tool.
Partnerships = Leverage → Plug into bigger networks instead of trying to build them yourself.
Shopify’s growth wasn’t just about building great e-commerce software
It was about engineering momentum through storytelling, community, integrations, branding, and partnerships.
For founders, the playbook is clear:
Share one customer’s story in your next ad.
Empower your 5 most loyal users to become ambassadors.
Build a single integration with a tool your customers already love.
Frame your product as part of a larger mission.
Find one distribution partner to amplify your reach.
You don’t need Shopify’s billion-dollar budget to apply these moves. Start small, layer each tactic step by step, and let them compound.
That’s how Shopify went from a niche snowboard shop to powering millions of entrepreneurs worldwide.
👉 What’s the one tactic from Shopify you can start applying to your startup this week?