Shopify President Discusses Profitable Product Categories

What happens when a boring product faces a stylish makeover? Think of hand sanitizers transitioning into luxurious gifts – it’s a clever reimagination that goes beyond mere aesthetics!

Disrupting Boring Products

In a recent Shopify podcast conversation, the discussion focused on how entrepreneurs can take everyday products and transform them with design, fragrance, and marketing. A standout example was Touchland, a hand sanitizer brand that evolved from humanitarian aid into a luxury item on Shopify. The founder initially distributed sanitizer in Africa—where clean water is scarce and sanitation is critical—but imagined a new category: hand sanitizer as a fashion accessory. After raising about $67,000 on Kickstarter, Touchland used that capital to launch bottles with Apple-inspired packaging, subtle LED lights in the cap, and personal-care scents that replaced the typical alcohol aroma [verify].

Instead of the hospital smell of Purell, Touchland’s line featured notes like bergamot and jasmine, turning a utilitarian product into a desirable gift. The brand even collaborated with Hello Kitty and Disney to reach lifestyle audiences. By 2025, it was projected to hit $130 million in revenue and $55 million in EBITDA—and it was acquired for $880 million in late 2025 [verify]. This case study demonstrates how thoughtful product design plus smart entrepreneurship can expand the total addressable market and establish premium pricing in a crowded segment.

Swiss Army Knife Founders

As Shopify has grown to support millions of merchants, the company’s leaders have illustrated the evolution of founder roles. Early-stage “Swiss Army knife” entrepreneurs wear all the hats—sales, legal, customer support, and product development—to ship products as quickly as possible. Shopify President Harley Finkelstein referenced Dunbar’s number (around 150 relationships) to explain why teams stay flexible until they exceed that threshold. Once employees surpass this size, roles become more specialized, entering a “triple threat” phase where individuals own two or three functions very well.

Dyson’s founder James Dyson is another exemplar of multi-disciplinary entrepreneurship. He spent years refining prototypes for his first vacuum cleaner, then leveraged YouTube and modern media to tell a compelling story, captivating viewers with a five-minute product demo that went viral. This versatility—switching from design engineer to media presenter—demonstrates the power of adaptable leaders who blend technical expertise, marketing savvy, and operational know-how. Aspiring founders can learn from these “Swiss Army knife” journeys by actively seeking skills beyond their comfort zones and by embracing constant iteration across multiple business domains.

“People Only Remember Your Weird”

One memorable quote from the podcast was:

“People only remember your weird.”

This insight underscores the importance of unique branding and storytelling. When entrepreneurs highlight what makes their products or companies quirky—rather than conforming to industry norms—they forge emotional connections and stay top of mind.

Consider these brands:

• Method: Transformed the soap category with sleek bottles, bold color photography, and eco-friendly formulations.
• Olly: Entered the supplement market with gummy vitamins, bright packaging, and transparent labels that built trust.
• Ritual: Offers personalized vitamin subscriptions based on consumer data, engaging customers in their own wellness.
• Welly: Reimagined bandages as playful accessories with fun prints and convenient storage tins.

By embracing an unconventional angle—whether in product formulation, packaging design, or marketing narratives—entrepreneurs can make even the most mundane products memorable. In the era of digital marketing, such differentiation fuels social media buzz, drives word-of-mouth referrals, and delivers sustained growth.

Considering an Exit

The conversation also explored the strategic crossroad of acquisition versus independence. Early in Shopify’s history, the leadership team routinely ignored inbound calls from corporate development teams and resisted tempting buyout offers. Their reasoning was clear: maintaining founder control ensured long-term vision alignment, protected entrepreneurial culture, and allowed Shopify to innovate without constraints.

Many tech peers—Magento, Demandware, Hybris—opted for acquisition by Adobe, Salesforce, or SAP. Shopify chose to go public at a revenue stage around $100 million, well before most peers, to lock in independence and fuel growth organically. Today Shopify represents about 12% of all U.S. e-commerce transactions, proving that expanding the pie can be more valuable than capturing a fixed slice [verify]. For entrepreneurs, the lesson is to weigh the immediate financial windfall of an exit against the potential to grow market share, influence industry standards, and foster community-driven success.

Becoming a Better Storyteller

Great products need great stories. The hosts emphasized that storytelling is essential for engaging investors, customers, and media. During earnings calls, Shopify’s leaders deliberately infuse personality into their narrative—repeating key points, varying tone, and using anecdotes to emphasize commitment to merchants. Rather than read a script in monotone, they bring energy and authenticity that resonate with analysts and journalists alike.

Practical tips include:

• Open with a concise personal anecdote that illustrates your brand mission.
• Use metaphors and vivid imagery to make data points stick.
• Employ AI tools (like ChatGPT) to draft bullet points, then humanize the script with your own voice.
• Rehearse inflection patterns that highlight milestones and pivot points.

By treating each presentation as a performance—complete with narrative arcs, conflict, and resolution—entrepreneurs can elevate even technical financial updates into compelling stories that bolster brand trust.

Shopify’s Leaked Memo About AI

In a now-viral internal memo, Shopify CEO Toby Lutke encouraged employees to treat AI as a first-class collaborator rather than an optional tool. The memo introduced a provocative hiring requirement: before posting a new position, teams must document why AI cannot perform the role effectively. This friction forces staff to audit processes, identify repeatable tasks, and ask, “Can AI automate this?” If the answer is yes, the human role is redefined toward higher-value creative or strategic work.

The result is a culture of AI reflexivity: teams experiment with generative models, assess improvement areas, and integrate AI into workflows by default. Rather than fearing automation, employees learn to partner with algorithms—reserving human effort for nuanced decision-making, interpersonal negotiation, and storytelling. Shopify’s experience offers a blueprint for organizations aiming to balance technological adoption with workforce empowerment.

Biohacking Longevity

The discussion concluded on the personal well-being of founders. Harley Finkelstein shared how he splits his health strategy between cancer prevention and cardiovascular screening:

• Annual Prenova full-body scans and biomarker panels track potential tumors and cysts over time.
• Periodic clear-view CT scans identify arterial plaque accumulation and heart disease risk.
• A variation of the “Everest in a Day” challenge pushes him physically and mentally, ensuring workouts remain intense and purposeful.

As entrepreneurship demands sustained energy and cognitive agility, integrating advanced diagnostics, data-driven nutrition plans, and regular high-intensity milestones can help founders maintain peak performance well into later decades.

Conclusion

• Bold Actionable Takeaway: Challenge yourself to identify one everyday product in your market niche. Apply a distinctive story, premium design elements, and a dash of “weird” to reinvent that product and capture new customer segments in your ecommerce journey.

As we embrace this era of product innovation, entrepreneurial storytelling, and AI collaboration, where will you find your next breakthrough?