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Shopify will be smaller by about 20% and Flexport will buy Shopify Logistics

news.shopify.com

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Re: Shopify will be smaller by about 20% and Flexport will buy Shopify Logistics

#251

Post by ryukafalz »

HDThoreaun wrote: post #225
bambataa wrote: post #143

Is this the same CEO who decided to double the engineering team in a single year? https://techcouver.com/2021/01/06/shopify-to-double-engineer... Aren’t CEOs paid ludicrously well to make long term decisions, rather than just flail around?

Over hiring in the face of uncertain macro conditions and consumption changes is probably the right choice. If your market expands as you believe it might you're ready to step in and grow. If it doesn't grow you can just lay people off and you're back where you started. The important thing here though is that it's hard to catch up to competitors that have lapped you but it's easy to slow down when you're ahead. If yo…

> If it doesn't grow you can just lay people off and you're back where you started.

"Back where you started" with a now highly demotivated team isn't quite back where you started.

Re: Shopify will be smaller by about 20% and Flexport will buy Shopify Logistics

#252

Post by elijaht »

skizm wrote: post #185
Arubis wrote: post #155

“We will also keep Slack and internal email open today for everyone so we can share farewells.” That’s drastically different. Most orgs that’ve run layoffs over the last few years have terminated access immediately, or even before informing those losing jobs. This feels more human, and I hope it goes well for them.

Most of the tech layoffs this cycle have done the same. Meta and Google left open coms access (email and chat) for at least the one day, pulling other more sensitive access. Definitely a positive change, but if I were a big tech lawyer I'd probably still be nervous lol.

Google did not leave open comms, at least for the US layoffs

Re: Shopify will be smaller by about 20% and Flexport will buy Shopify Logistics

#254

Post by huehehue »

Shindi wrote: post #201
thegginthesky wrote: post #68

I'll tell you a personal anecdote about Shopify and why I dislike the company. Back in 2019, I was contacted by Shopify for a job opportunity. After acing multiple remote interviews, their recruiter couldn't contain their excitement. They promised me an onsite interview to simply meet the team and potentially secure an offer. Imagine my surprise when, after enduring a 15-hour economy class flight with barely any time…

> They promised me an onsite interview to simply meet the team and potentially secure an offer. Was that your first tech onsite? The onsite is an interview you have to pass, you're not guaranteed an offer. Also why did you not bring your laptop to your tech interview lol Honestly, sucks to fly out far and get rejected but that's part of the process my guy. Most onsites are 5 back to back interviews.

Fwiw, every time I "meet the team after interviewing", it literally is just to meet the team. If there were any technical exercises involved, I'd expect an agenda or some kind of heads up. And it makes sense to wait for the technical evaluation before scheduling this sort of meeting, imo.

For bigger orgs, this is a chance to sanity check team fit and potentially re-route if longer-term interests align better with some other team. For startups, it can be more of a vibe check.

Re: Shopify will be smaller by about 20% and Flexport will buy Shopify Logistics

#255

Post by tgtweak »

ilamont wrote: post #237

Shopify was the perfect place to bootstrap this [logistics] effort from 0 to 1 and we have done this. The next step is to take what we have and take it from 1 to N as a main quest. Then he says they're selling to Flexport, an act which doesn't sound like a "main quest" at all ... it sounds like it's a difficult side quest being offloaded to someone else. For Shopify customers: What does this mean for shops using Shop…

SFN was just deliverr anyway so it will likely continue in that sense under flexports banner. Since Shopify sold it as an equity swap they still have an interest in promoting it and keeping it in house.

The bigger picture here is that Shopifys visions of becoming an aggregate Amazon and competing in this space are dwindling.

Sad as there is a real solution waiting here.

Re: Shopify will be smaller by about 20% and Flexport will buy Shopify Logistics

#257

Post by tgtweak »

gurchik wrote: post #4

> We legally need the work laptop back, but we’ll help pay for a new one to replace it. What law? I’m not criticizing Spotify at all for this decision, I’m just genuinely curious. A few other companies recently are giving away the laptops so I’m wondering what is different here.

Data privacy and protection compliance, specifically for devices that may have accessed customer data.

Re: Shopify will be smaller by about 20% and Flexport will buy Shopify Logistics

#258

Post by bombcar »

boringg wrote: post #246
bombcar wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read it as "this works, but it's not our core competency so we will sell it off" - whether they're pulling one over on the company and it'll die immediately remains to be seen. Shipping is getting expensive across the board, which might be part of it.

I think you've nailed it on the head. I think they've now offloaded a key piece of e-commerce which they now have less control over their own destiny. Flexport is going to have to make margins as well which is going to get pushed onto the consumer at the end of the day which drives up prices, decreases demand. Tricky future incoming.

If you know a portion of your business is going to get more expensive, it can be very nice to disassociate yourself from it - now people will be saying "Flexport screwing me, what other options do I have" instead of "Shopify is screwing me". A similar thing happened when eBay and PayPal stopped being connected at the hip.

Re: Shopify will be smaller by about 20% and Flexport will buy Shopify Logistics

#259

Post by pastor_bob »

rcme wrote: post #224
bambataa wrote: post #143

Is this the same CEO who decided to double the engineering team in a single year? https://techcouver.com/2021/01/06/shopify-to-double-engineer... Aren’t CEOs paid ludicrously well to make long term decisions, rather than just flail around?

From a business perspective, this is great for Shopify. The labor market for software engineers has seriously softened as a result of all the layoffs. Go look at job openings and their posted salaries. When Shopify beings hiring again, they are going to be able to hire talent at a fraction of the price. Also, this is largely a coordinated effort from activist investors specifically targeting large tech salaries. E.g.…

Shopify already pays at the low end. I mean, not even relative to FAANG; you can make a similar salary at a government job as an engineer.

Re: Shopify will be smaller by about 20% and Flexport will buy Shopify Logistics

#260

Post by [deleted] »

kalleboo wrote: post #98
FredPret wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CEO's job is to deliver results, not maintain full employment. Companies exist, and have always existed, to be temporary money-making enterprises. Acting like they are civil institutions tasked with upholding the social fabric is absurd.

But why did the CEO hire all these useless people in the first place if they are so competent? Why did it take until now to fire them?

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