In the tech world, most Public Relations plays follow a familiar pattern: launch a product, issue a press release, pitch some journalists, repeat. But Shopify — a Canadian e-commerce platform turned global powerhouse — built something much bigger than buzz. It built a culture, a founder narrative, and a durable public voice.
While competitors spent on flashy launches or influencer-driven hype, Shopify did something different: it turned its founder, its customers, and even its internal debates into assets for long-term brand-building. Shopify’s communications weren’t always polished — but they were authentic. And in tech PR, that’s an increasingly rare commodity.
This op-ed is a look into how Shopify’s communications playbook — built around founder-led PR, audience-first storytelling, and controlled transparency — made it one of the most trusted tech companies in North America, even during turbulent economic shifts.
The Challenge: Competing Without the Flash — and While Being Canadian
Shopify entered the U.S.-dominated tech market with none of the usual advantages:
- No Silicon Valley address.
- No celebrity CEO.
- No social media virality.
- No history of venture-fueled blitz-scaling.
It was a backend infrastructure company trying to serve small businesses, many of whom had never used cloud-based software. And yet, it managed to become a $100B company at its peak — not by mimicking Big Tech’s playbook, but by writing its own. That playbook had a name: authentic founder PR.
The Strategy: Build Trust by Talking Like a Builder
Shopify’s co-founder and CEO, Tobi Lütke, became the unlikely face of the company’s communications — not because he chased press, but because he talked to the public like a developer, not a CEO.
His strategy included:
- Speaking plainly on X (formerly Twitter) — discussing product decisions, regrets, trade-offs, and culture with zero spin.
- Openly criticizing Silicon Valley hype cycles, while praising indie developers, hackers, and open-source tools.
- Leaning into Canadian-ness — celebrating Shopify’s outsider status and framing it as a source of humility and pragmatism.
This posture attracted real followers, not just media attention. Developers, startup founders, and e-commerce merchants saw Tobi as a peer — not a suit. The result? A brand voice that felt native to the internet.
- The Developer-to-Developer PR Loop
Tobi’s Twitter/X activity wasn’t vanity posting. It was strategic founder PR — the modern equivalent of fireside chats.
He:
- Shared product updates before they became public — creating “insider” excitement.
- Engaged in public debates about company policy — like remote work, engineering decisions, or layoffs.
- Encouraged Shopify engineers and PMs to post transparently — making the whole org feel accessible.
This created a unique PR loop:
Tobi posts → engineers engage → media writes about the discourse → users feel closer to the brand.
The PR win? No press release needed.
- Turning Internal Culture into External Brand Value
Shopify didn’t hide its quirks — it turned them into part of the company story.
- The controversial decision to ban Slack channels for “side debates”? Explained publicly by execs, debated online, then positioned as a focus move.
- The move to call employees “craftspeople”? Mocked by some, celebrated by others — but undeniably bold.
- Tobi’s tweet calling meetings “a bug” in software design? A meme that became policy.
Instead of hiding weird internal decisions, Shopify’s PR strategy embraced them — offering the public a window into how the company thinks. The result: a reputation for clarity, courage, and cultural sharpness — even when the decisions were polarizing.
- Using Merchants as the Brand’s True Spokespeople
While Shopify’s internal voice was strong, its external PR strategy centered on its customers — small business owners, indie creators, and digital entrepreneurs.
The PR team:
- Invested heavily in founder success stories — from mom-and-pop shops to breakout DTC brands.
- Co-produced short films and docuseries about “entrepreneurial grit” — framing Shopify as an enabler, not just a platform.
- Offered press kits, photography, and templates for merchants to tell their own stories.
Shopify’s name was rarely the focus. Instead, the message was: we’re behind the scenes so you can be center stage. This customer-first approach became a virtuous PR cycle. Every successful merchant became a brand ambassador. Every DTC boom — from Allbirds to Gymshark — reflected glory back onto Shopify.
- Crisis Comms Done Quietly — But Effectively
Even Shopify had to navigate hard moments: layoffs, stock drops, and questions about platform fees. But instead of issuing generic damage control statements, they relied on founder-led acknowledgment, delivered through:
- Tobi’s direct messages to staff and the public, posted without PR jargon.
- Transparent, often self-critical earnings calls, where execs talked openly about what worked and what didn’t.
- A commitment to “build in the open”, where future plans were shared not just with investors, but with users.
The absence of defensiveness gave Shopify a rare kind of PR strength: public forgiveness. Their humility bought them trust.
- Strategic Media Minimalism
Shopify didn’t chase press. They curated it.
- They gave exclusives to journalists who understood the culture — not just those who would boost the stock.
- They favored deep product walkthroughs over flashy interviews.
- They never played the “founder-as-celebrity” game — no TED Talks, no podcast tours, no vision-board speeches.
This scarcity made every media appearance feel more credible. When Shopify spoke, people listened.
The Results: Trust, Loyalty, and Identity
- Shopify became synonymous with the indie internet economy, not just SaaS.
- The company retained strong media goodwill, even through market downturns.
- Their customers felt seen — and became part of the PR machine.
- Their engineers felt trusted — and posted with confidence.
- Their brand was cool, not because they tried — but because they didn’t.
Lessons for Other Tech Brands
Shopify’s PR playbook is a lesson in non-obvious communication:
- Let your founder talk like a human, not a mouthpiece.
- Celebrate customers, not just features.
- Don’t fear weirdness — explain it.
- Use your internal culture as a public asset.
- In a hype economy, trust is earned by scarcity and honesty.
Shopify didn’t become a household name through TV ads or Super Bowl spots. It did it by building a public voice that matched its internal values — practical, plainspoken, and product-obsessed.
That’s tech PR at its best. Not just storytelling — but alignment. Not just reach — but resonance.
In a space full of noise, Shopify didn’t shout louder. It just made more sense.
