The Stack Overflow Podcast Getting rid of the pain for developers on Shopify
May 30, 2025
Glen Coates, VP of Product at Shopify, shares insights into enhancing the developer experience on the platform. He discusses the challenges of maintaining backwards compatibility while introducing new features. The focus shifts to the evolution of Shopify themes, showcasing how AI is simplifying development. Glen also weighs the pros and cons of building versus buying solutions, emphasizing the importance of effective tools. Finally, he highlights community engagement in addressing developer challenges, celebrating the contributions of users in advancing the platform.
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Backward Compatibility is Crucial
- Shopify's platform must prioritize backward compatibility because APIs once released have many dependencies.
- This requires careful design to avoid painful breaking changes while supporting a diverse developer ecosystem.
Shopify Checkout Rebuild Journey
- Shopify rebuilt its checkout after years of development, requiring developers and merchants to transition to a new system.
- The transition succeeded, avoiding the common problem where half the ecosystem abandons the upgrade.
Theme Blocks Enable Modularity
- Shopify themes now use theme blocks, enabling nested, modular building blocks within sections.
- This allows merchants more flexible website customization beyond fixed, mutually exclusive sections.