Shopify President Harley Finkelstein on Catalyzing Entrepreneurship

E-commerce platform Shopify launched a time when there were few options for entrepreneurs to set up their online stores, sell and and market products, and manage their operations. The company struck a chord both with retail entrepreneurs in need of better solutions and app developers eager to build them. Today, Shopify works with more than a million businesses that collectively represent some 10% of e-commerce in the United States, providing tools for companies to set up, sell, market, and manage their products.

Shopify president Harley Finkelstein sat down with Greylock general partner Mike Duboe to discuss the company's evolution along with the overall ecommerce landscape; offer advice to entrepreneurs navigating the current market conditions; and lay out his vision for the future.

This interview is part of Greylock's Iconversations series. You can read a transcript from the interview here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/shopi...

Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:52 Enabling Entrepreneurship
6:36 Platform Approach
10:02 Merchant Relationship
12:11 Suboptimal Merchant Experience
14:30 Building Audiences
21:18 Serving Both Ends of the Spectrum
26:35 Building Fulfillment
32:06 Future-Proofing
38:43 Creator Led Commerce
42:40 Bringing on Talent