Harley Finkelstein, the president of Shopify, joins the podcast to discuss the current state of e-commerce and the role of Shopify in the retail industry. They talk about the growth of e-commerce during the pandemic and its return to more normal levels. The conversation also focuses on the changing role of physical retail and the need for authenticity in brand experiences. We highlight the rise of new brands and opportunities in the retail space, as well as Shopify's commitment to shipping cool products. We also discuss the importance of turning aspirational entrepreneurs into actual entrepreneurs and the benefits of being part of the Shopify community. We conclude the discussion on improving the customer journey and the value of long-term relationships with customers.​Shopify invests in certain companies to make the e-commerce experience easier for merchants worldwide. They have a competitive advantage due to their amazing ecosystem of partners, which includes major players like Google and Meta who deeply integrate with Shopify. The goal is to build 80-90% of what most merchants need, and for the remaining 10-20%, they invest in partners who excel in those areas. One such partnership was with Max to quickly launch a buy now pay later product. Shopify also highlights the importance of mobile experiences and recommends apps like Tapcart to create customized and branded mobile applications. Overall, Shopify's mission is to empower more brands and entrepreneurs by simplifying the customer journey and providing the necessary tools for success.Highlights:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Sponsored by:🛒 Tapcart will instantly turn your Shopify store into an epic mobile app, no coding required and get up and running in less than 2 weeks! Sign up get up to 2 months free - Tapcart's best Offer, Ever. To Sign up for this offer head over to: 🔗 https://tapcart.com/ChewOnThisFollow us, subscribe to our newsletter, and to see our exclusive merch check outhttps://chewonthis.io/Ron Shah - https://twitter.com/obviceoAsh Melwani - https://twitter.com/ashvinmelwaniChew On This - https://twitter.com/chewonthisdtc