AI as Default Expectation - The New Reality of Work at Shopify
We are living through one of the most transformative moments in the history of work. Artificial intelligence (AI), which for a long time existed only in futuristic imagination, is now as essential a tool as a computer or an internet connection.
For Tobias Lütke, CEO of Shopify, this transformation is not optional — it is fundamental.
“Using AI thoughtfully and effectively is now a baseline expectation for all Shopify employees.”
This mindset shift represents a silent but powerful revolution in how modern companies must operate.
AI as a Talent Multiplier
Shopify has always had the mission to empower entrepreneurs, breaking down barriers and simplifying the path to business creation. Now, AI has entered this game not just as a support tool, but as an active work partner.
Every step of the entrepreneurial journey requires judgment, skill and knowledge — and AI can act as an amplifier of these human capabilities. The company’s best talents, the so-called 10x engineers, are now using AI to become 100x engineers.
Not because they were replaced. But because they are being empowered.
It’s No Longer Enough to “Play” with AI
For a long time, the invitation was: “try AI”. But now, this has become a strategic imperative.
Using AI well is a skill that needs to be developed with practice. It’s not just about knowing how to generate prompts — it’s about knowing how to collaborate with AI, iterate, experiment, adjust. It’s like learning a new language or a new programming language.
What Does This Mean in Practice?
Tobias shared six concrete actions that become part of daily life at Shopify:
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Using AI is mandatory. Not learning is choosing stagnation — and stagnation is failure in slow motion.
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AI from the start of projects. Prototyping now includes AI as a base to accelerate learning and generate value.
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Performance evaluation includes AI. Your use (or not) of AI will be part of reviews and feedback.
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Learning is individual, but growth is collective. Sharing what you learned with AI will be part of the culture.
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More team? Justify why AI doesn’t solve it. Before requesting headcount, it’s necessary to show why AI agents aren’t enough.
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Everyone is included. This applies to everyone in the company — including the CEO.
Culture of Continuous Learning
What’s most impressive about this movement is that it’s deeply rooted in the company’s culture.
Be a Lifelong Learner Thrive on Change
These are not just slogans. They are real expectations of those who are part of Shopify. And they connect perfectly with AI’s current moment: a new, fast, and constantly reinventing territory.
The Path Forward: AI for Everyone
We are all living a golden opportunity: redesigning work.
AI can be assistant, copilot, autonomous agent — but never a substitute for human curiosity.
Shopify is showing us that, when used with intention, AI doesn’t eliminate jobs. It amplifies the impact we can have.
“What we need to succeed is the sum total of our skill and ambition applied to our craft, multiplied by AI, for the benefit of our merchants.”
And you? Have you started multiplying your impact with AI?
Full Letter from Tobias Lütke (Shopify CEO)
AI use is now a baseline expectation
Team,
We are entering an era where more merchants and entrepreneurs can be created than at any other time in history. We talk a lot about reducing complexity so more people choose this career. Every step of the entrepreneurial journey requires skill, judgment and knowledge.
Having AI alongside on this journey — and increasingly doing not just the consulting, but the work itself — is a profound transformation.
Our mission at Shopify is to make our software, without a doubt, the best environment to develop the businesses of the future. We do this by keeping everyone at the cutting edge and offering the best possible tools, so our merchants are more successful than they ever imagined. For this, we need to be absolutely ahead.
Thoughtful AI use is now a default expectation at Shopify
Maybe you’re already using AI as an ideas partner, researcher, critic, tutor or pair programmer. I use it all the time — and even so I feel I’m just scratching the surface.
This is the fastest change in how to work I’ve seen in my entire career.
Last year, I used agents to create my presentation, and made it a call to action. Many accepted. And we were all impressed with AI’s new capabilities to amplify our skills and fill gaps.
We learned that using AI well is a skill — and you only learn by using it a lot. It’s very different from any other tool. The suggestion to “try AI” was right, but too gentle. I want to change that starting today.
We also saw that AI acts as a multiplier. We’re surrounded by colleagues who are 10x engineers. But now we see the tools becoming 10x tools too. I’ve seen people solve previously unthinkable tasks, with thoughtful and brilliant use of AI, reaching 100x productivity.
The Red Queen Race
In my memo On Leadership a few years ago, I described Shopify as a Red Queen race, based on Alice in Wonderland — where you need to run just to stay in place.
In a company growing 20–40% annually, you need to improve at least that much annually, just to stay qualified. This applies to me and everyone.
This may seem scary…
But, with these tools, it doesn’t even seem that ambitious anymore. It’s the kind of environment our best talents want: learning together, growing, solving significant and difficult problems.
This is the kind of environment Shopify was created to offer. This represents both an opportunity and a requirement, deeply connected to our values:
- Be a Lifelong Learner
- Thrive on Change
These are not just motivational phrases. They are fundamental expectations for those who are part of Shopify.
What This Means
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Using AI effectively is now an expectation for everyone. I don’t think it’s viable to opt out of learning AI. Stagnation is almost certain. And stagnation is failure in slow motion. If you’re not climbing, you’re sliding.
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AI should be part of the prototyping phase of any project. Prototyping is learning. AI accelerates all of this. You can create something that colleagues can understand, use and reason about in much less time.
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We’ll add AI questions to performance reviews and peer reviews. Learning to prompt, load context and iterate is part of the process. Feedback from colleagues will be valuable.
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Learning is self-directed, but share what you learned. Use chat.shopify.io, Proxy, Copilot, Cursor, Claude. We’ll learn and adapt together. Sharing successes (and failures!) will be essential. Slack and Vault have channels like
#revenue-ai-use-casesand#ai-centaurs. -
Before requesting more team or resources, prove AI doesn’t solve it. What would this area look like with autonomous AI agents? This kind of question can open incredible paths.
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Everyone means everyone. This applies to all of us — including me and executive leadership.
The Path Forward
AI will totally transform Shopify, our work and our lives. We are all involved.
Our job now is to figure out what entrepreneurship will look like in a world where AI is universally accessible.
And for that, I need everyone’s help.
I’ve already made clear many of the AI projects for this year. Our roadmap is laid out, and our product will align even more with our mission.
What we need to succeed is the sum total of our skill and ambition, applied to our craft, multiplied by AI, for the benefit of our merchants.
— tobi Shopify CEO