Earlier quoted context omitted.
Nothing you say is backed by data. And none of the data you pointed to disproves anything I said. Additionally, there is some data to back up my position: while it’s true that it would be impossible for anyone to have data on how many accounts have been opened due to the guru effect, a quick search of YouTube should help you understand the gigantic scale of this issue. Here’s why you have not disproved a single thing…
The cohort data from their presentation https://s2.q4cdn.com/024715446/files/doc_presentations/2019/... suggests the 'ghost town' thing won't happen. eg the 2014 cohort are producing like 2x the revenue they did in 2014 rather than dying off.
Of course they are, there are many more gurus pushing them today than there were in 2014, and those that still remain from 2014 will necessarily have grown their revenues. Further, because the guru quotient was relatively minor in 2014, the businesses that used Shopify back then would tend to be more solid than those that have been brought into the fold in the last 2 years. That won’t continue forever, and the internet marketing world is already starting to show signs of Shopify fatigue. Courses aren’t selling as well, etc. The fact that they are at 2x what they were in 2014 does not disprove that their growth is being driven by a fickle source that is soon to end.