Newsletter #62: Shopify news, Julia Fedorin, and Burna Boy

Hi there,

I hope you’re feeling good.

Long time no speak! March was a big month. I was heads-down on a major project at work, and then I took my first vacation of the year.

How did I choose my destination? Simple: we googled “live Europe weather” and found that Lanzarote had the warmest temperatures that week. We booked our plane tickets, flew out the very next day, dropped our suitcases in a beautiful 5-star hotel, and had the best time!

When we landed, I knew nothing about Lanzarote. It was amazing to just explore and discover.

Lanzarote is a volcanic island. Every landscape was simply breathtaking. I felt like I was on another planet, or on the moon perhaps. The fact that most places were almost completely empty made it feel even more otherworldly.

It was the perfect destination to completely unwind and reset after an intense first quarter. “Q1”, as the pros say.

I'm back now, full of energy and ready to tackle what’s next!

In today's edition, we’re discussing Shopify news, Julia Fedorin, and Burna Boy.

Let's dive in.

Work

As always, sooo many things happened in the Shopify ecosystem! Let’s break it down, shall we?

• Tobi Lütke, CEO of Shopify, publicly shared an internal memo called “Reflexive AI usage is now a baseline expectation at Shopify”

The reason I enjoy reading Tobi’s memos is the same reason I enjoy watching his interviews: they give us access to what’s in his head, which I find super interesting.

In this now-public internal memo, the message is clear: the time when Shopify encouraged employees to “tinker with AI” is over. AI now needs to be fully integrated into our work, and questions about AI usage will be included in our performance and peer review questionnaire.

AI must become second nature: it should be part of our prototyping phases and seriously considered before requesting additional headcount or resources. On that point, Tobi clearly states that “teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI”.

I imagine this memo might feel a bit shocking to some people. To me, the only shocking thing is the pace at which AI is progressing. There are literally mind-blowing new capabilities every week, sometimes every day. Accelerating our own pace to match this momentum, or at least keep up with it as best we can, seems like the only way not to be left behind. As Tobi writes in this memo, “stagnation is slow-motion failure”.

When I joined Shopify a year ago, I was well aware of the company’s core values: “Be a constant learner” and “Thrive on change” (rather than simply endure it). They’re written in every job description. This internal memo is yet another reminder that these are not just words.

If you’re enthusiastic about AI and the broader evolutions we’re seeing in tech right now, I truly believe Shopify is one of the best companies to be working at today to learn and push things forward together.

Discover more by reading Tobi’s memo on Twitter.

• Kaz Nejatian, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Shopify, is coding a Shopify application

Kaz shared on his Twitter account that he is currently using Cursor with MCP integration to build a Shopify app. He plans to submit it to the app review process to see how it goes. I hope he keeps us posted!

I love this level of commitment and closeness to the product. This is how companies win.

• My interview on the “Coding with Jan” YouTube channel

I had the honor of being invited by Jan Frey for an interview on his YouTube channel, which now has 55,000+ subscribers.

Back in 2019, when I started as a freelance Shopify developer, Jan’s videos were a huge part of my learning journey. Being featured on his channel 6 years later feels like I’ve come full circle.

I first met Jan at Shopify Unite in London in 2022, and we’ve been friends ever since. It was great to have this conversation with him. I hope you enjoy it!

Inspire

I always love reading about people who land internships in bold and original ways.

Last week, Julia Fedorin, a Communication and Design student at the University of Waterloo, did exactly that and absolutely nailed it.

Julia applied for a marketing internship at Shopify in the most impressive way possible: she posted a pitch video of herself on her Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.

Inspired by Shopify’s homepage video, she replicated the brand’s style, language, and rhythm. It was a clear signal that she had been paying close attention.

In the caption of her post, Julia wrote:

“Shopify has always stood out to me because of how deeply it champions creators and entrepreneurs. I’ve watched the way you uplift small businesses, storytellers, and everyday builders - and I see myself in that mission.”

As we all know, Shopify moves fast. So the response was just as fast.

Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, replied with: “Love this ambition and hustle.”

An hour later, Kaz Nejatian, who I mentioned in the previous section, replied in a very straightforward way:

“You are hired. My DMs are open. Message me and I’ll find you an internship.”

Guess what? There wasn’t even a marketing internship position open at the time! But that didn’t matter. Julia’s pitch was so good that Shopify created a position for her and hired her in less than 24 hours.

In the words of Christine Cassis, Global Brand Marketing and Director of Social Media at Shopify, “Julia's pitch wasn't just creative; it was a masterclass in taking initiative and embracing the "build in the open" spirit. Exactly the kind of person who thrives at Shopify. More specifically, the kind of talent I want on my Social Marketing team.”

Julia will join as Shopify’s only marketing intern this fall.

It just goes to show: sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you create for yourself.

Discover more by watching Julia’s pitch video on Twitter.

Explore

April 18th, 2025 was a date I had circled on my calendar for months.

That night, my brother, his girlfriend and I headed to the Stade de France in Paris for the concert of Burna Boy, the Grammy-winning Nigerian artist.

In edition 54, I wrote about my love for Burna Boy, his song “Gum Body” featuring Jorja Smith, and how I had dreamed of seeing them perform live one day.

I’m yet to see Jorja Smith live, but for Burna Boy that day finally arrived!

The concert was absolutely unreal. Burna Boy delivered a full-on spectacle: musicians, dancers, pyrotechnics, and surprise guests including Youssou Ndour, Dave, Dadju, and Joé Dwèt Filé.

Burna Boy is a born showman and his joy to perform in Paris was contagious. We had such a great time! It’s one of those nights we’ll remember for a long time.

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