Newsletter #20: Shop app expanding to the web, a $400M ARR company and a French NBA prodigy

Hi there,

I hope you're feeling good.

I have been working remotely for the past 5 years. Most of the time, I work from home. However, I do like to change scenery sometimes to give another taste to the day and break the routine.

I particularly enjoy working from hotel lobbies.

Last week, I found my new favorite spot: the lobby of the Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch, London. A couple of people on Twitter recommended it, and they were absolutely right.

I feel like the word “cosy” was invented for this place. There are several beautiful areas with comfortable chairs and plenty of plug sockets. Plus, their restaurant serves yummy food (hello, mac and cheese) and the customer service is great.

I was supposed to try out different working spots over three days but I ended up spending all three days there. Two of my friends joined me, making it even more enjoyable.

In today's edition, we're discussing Shop app expanding to the web, a $400M ARR company and a French NBA prodigy.

Let's dive in.

Work

In 2017, Shopify launched Arrive, a mobile app that allowed customers to track their packages and receive notifications along the way.

In 2020, Shopify completely rebranded Arrive and transformed it into Shop.

Shop is a mobile app where customers can discover and buy products from thousands of different brands.

We often discuss the shift from desktop to mobile commerce, as an increasing number of people now shop directly from their smartphones.

However, there is another notable shift occurring: a transition from mobile web to native mobile apps. Brands such as Sézane have developed their own mobile app, through which they provide exclusive offers and content to their most engaged customers. We also see the emergence of tools like Makappi, which allow you to convert your Shopify store into a mobile app.

For independent brands, launching their own mobile app can be challenging. By adding the Shop app as an additional sales channel to their store, they can increase the visibility of their products while removing the complexity of managing a separate app.

Shop app’s customers enjoy a fully personalized shopping feed and AI-driven product recommendations. They browse and select their preferred products, before ordering them through a single integrated checkout. This is where the word “marketplace” truly comes to life.

In October 2023, Shop app made a significant move: it expanded to the web. It’s no longer just a mobile app. Customers can now search and order products directly from Shop app’s website.

Feel free to give it a try here. If you’re not sure what products to search for, you can ask the Shop AI chatbot for assistance to test its recommendation skills.

Inspire

Between January 2017 and December 2018, I was doing an apprenticeship at a French public financial institution known as Caisse des Dépôts. I had a two-hour commute everyday.

That’s when I discovered podcasts.

My favorite podcast was “Nouvelle Ecole”, hosted by Antonin Archer. It contained 85 episodes spread between 2016 and 2018. Antonin was interviewing people who were going off the beaten track: mainly entrepreneurs and artists of all kinds.

Coming out a depression and filled with existential questions, Antonin was an empathetic and authentic host.

His quest was to unravel the secrets behind the accomplishments of these remarkable people. What is their vision? What drives them? What are their perspectives on life? It was really fascinating.

“Nouvelle Ecole” was talking to both my brain and my heart.

To this day, I have yet to find another podcast that triggers the same emotion and inspiration.

But I continue to explore other podcasts.

One podcast I regularly listen to is “Generation do it yourself”, hosted by Matthieu Stefani, a French entrepreneur.

Last week, I tuned in to his 2.5-hour interview of Alex Bouaziz, the founder of Deel, and I was truly impressed by it.

Deel addresses a long-standing painpoint that is becoming more and more important in our globalized world: companies are eager to hire internationally, for various reasons, but they don’t have the time and resources to open local entities.

Deel helps them to hire freelancers or employees around the world without having to open local entities. They handle all the complexity due to varying regulations and requirements in different countries.

Among their clients, there are major companies such as Shopify, Nike, Klarna, Coinbase, Notion, Spendesk and Qonto.

Here are some crazy numbers I learnt about Deel in this podcast:

• Founded in 2019, when Alex Bouaziz was 26 years old

• $400M ARR with a 85% margin

• $12B valuation

• 3,000 employees

• 140 entities around the world

• 20,000 clients

• 400 000 people employed around the world for his clients

• 80% of their clients are small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

• Fully remote company

Learn more about Deel on their website.

Explore

Have you heard of Victor Wembanyama?

In June 2023, Victor made history as the first French basketball player to be chosen as the first overall pick in the NBA draft. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs. How impressive!

Just a few months later, numerous articles have already emerged in the press, highlighting his remarkable performances.

On November 2nd, during the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns, Victor Wembanyama scored 35+ points, 10+ rebounds and 2+ blocks in a single game. He joined the ranks of Kevin Durant and LeBron James as one of the only teenagers (meaning those under 20 years old) in NBA history to achieve this.

In Kevin Durant’s own words, Victor Wembanyama is unique.

To conclude this week on a high note, here is a 5-minute video showcasing his best moments from that game.

Enjoy.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading this edition until the end.

I'll talk to you soon.

Take good care of yourself.

Coralie