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Shopify Raises $100 Million

shopify.com

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Re: Shopify Raises $100 Million

#2

Post by alex_anglin »

As someone who hails from Ottawa, where Shopify is headquartered, this is wonderful news. From my perspective, they have contributed more to the tech and startup community in Ottawa than anyone since Nortel. Kudos to them on their success!

Re: Shopify Raises $100 Million

#4

Post by knappador »

alex_anglin wrote: post #2

As someone who hails from Ottawa, where Shopify is headquartered, this is wonderful news. From my perspective, they have contributed more to the tech and startup community in Ottawa than anyone since Nortel. Kudos to them on their success!

I wish they would just re-implement the whole thing on top of a hybrid API with reference FOSS implementations of web client servers and client apps so that programmers can pick-and-choose how much PaaS they need. Please get the "apps" on the backburner by letting FOSS compete head-to-head with the little mini-ISV's and their inevitable hodge-podge. Payments and 90% of inventory schlogg can take a hike, but when it comes to that 10% of customization, working on one's own source is so much better that I would use a fully FOSS solution and self host it if I ever needed to do an e-commerce site again for anyone for any reason in any circumstances. Shopify apps and most of the backend customization options really blur the line between software consumers and software users while ignoring that true consumers never want to become users in the first place and true users want total, absolute headroom. Whole world is better off if Shopify is FOSSier.

Re: Shopify Raises $100 Million

#6

Post by fourspace »

Great news. Shopify is the one piece of ecommerce software we use that isn't completely maddening. (Having a fantastic API is a large reason why.)

I was struck by this comment, though:

   "Using Shopify and Shopify POS together reveals our true 
   ambition: To be the first company in the world that fuses  
   all the distinct parts that are needed to run a complete 
   modern commerce business - all in one amazing product."
If anyone thinks they can run a complete business using only Shopify, they're sorely mistaken. It's only a shopping cart. If you want to actually ship items, you need to use one of their third-party apps or roll your own. Those apps are the reason that ecommerce with Shopify is still frustratingly difficult -- unnecessarily so.

Re: Shopify Raises $100 Million

#7

Post by stevebenjamins »

simonbarker87 wrote: post #5

As a Shopify customer I am very pleased to hear this - they do a great job but there are areas that need tightening up, hopefully this will allow them to grow in the offline world and improve their core offering.

I'm curious, what do you think needs tightening up?

Re: Shopify Raises $100 Million

#8

Post by jusben1369 »

fourspace wrote: post #6

Great news. Shopify is the one piece of ecommerce software we use that isn't completely maddening. (Having a fantastic API is a large reason why.) I was struck by this comment, though: "Using Shopify and Shopify POS together reveals our true ambition: To be the first company in the world that fuses all the distinct parts that are needed to run a complete modern commerce business - all in one amazing product." If anyo…

I think the key term there is "vision" vs "what we believe we are right now"

Re: Shopify Raises $100 Million

#10

Post by stevebenjamins »

fourspace wrote: post #6

Great news. Shopify is the one piece of ecommerce software we use that isn't completely maddening. (Having a fantastic API is a large reason why.) I was struck by this comment, though: "Using Shopify and Shopify POS together reveals our true ambition: To be the first company in the world that fuses all the distinct parts that are needed to run a complete modern commerce business - all in one amazing product." If anyo…

I think you're right, except for the last line "unnecessarily so." I haven't seen any ecommerce builder do a better of this- I still think Shopify is leading the way on this (which means that it may just be a really tough problem).
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