Shopify VP of Product on How to Build AI-First Products | Glen Coates | E269

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Jun 25, 2025

In a captivating discussion, Glen Coates, the VP of Product at Shopify, shares his unique journey from game development to leading a major e-commerce platform. He dives into the revolutionary impact of AI on product management, highlighting Shopify's innovative approach to building AI-first products. Glen emphasizes the importance of clarity in communication between engineers and product managers, and he advocates for a user-centered design that prioritizes simplicity. He also introduces the concept of the "Boring Edition," underscoring the necessity of refining existing features over constantly releasing new ones.

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INSIGHT

AI as a Fundamental Expectation

AI usage is a fundamental expectation across Shopify, not just engineers.
Access to internal data and LLM-ready systems is crucial for effective AI adoption.

INSIGHT

Making Shopify APIs LLM-Ready

Shopify exposes APIs through MCP servers to enable easy AI-powered interactions.
Non-technical users can perform complex Shopify operations simply by talking in plain English.

INSIGHT

AI Impact on Shopify Ecosystem

Small, low-risk tasks may move from developer apps to AI-generated code.
Large, critical software like Shopify requires guarantees, limiting AI-only replacements.

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In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Glen Coates, Vice President of Product at Shopify.

Shopify is one of the world’s leading commerce platforms, powering millions of businesses and helping entrepreneurs sell online and offline with ease. Since launching in 2006, it has become a global e-commerce giant and the second-largest online retailer in the U.S., with over $8 billion in annual revenue and 8,000+ employees working fully remotely.

Glen leads Shopify’s Core Product organization, overseeing the storefront, checkout, back office, marketing, analytics tools, and the core developer platform. He also drives Shopify’s thriving partner ecosystem, which offers merchants access to over 10,000 apps. From video game developer to B2B ecommerce founder to product leader at scale, Glen brings a rare blend of technical depth and entrepreneurial vision.

In this episode, he shares how his unconventional path shaped his approach to product leadership, the principles behind Shopify’s fast-moving strategy, and how the company stays ahead with AI and deep product focus. He also explains his org design for scale, why every product leader must “know everything down to the details,” and how the team keeps the experience polished with the “Boring Edition.”

What you’ll learn:
-Glen’s journey from game development to leading Shopify’s core platform.
- How Shopify’s viral “AI memo” raised the bar for PMs and engineers to build faster.
- The Outcomes, Assumptions & Principles framework behind better product decisions.
- Why focusing on fundamentals keeps Shopify nimble and merchants competitive.

Key Takeaways 👇
- Entrepreneurial Product Leadership: How building Handshake prepared Glen to tackle real commerce pain points at Shopify.
-Future-Proof Commerce: How Shopify uses its rich data and AI to help millions of merchants grow.
-Decision-Making at Scale: Glen’s practical frameworks for aligning thousands of people to deliver seamless, high-quality products.

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Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Glen Coates

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