Commerce should get better for the person buying.
What I stand for, at every layer of commerce.
I've worked on every layer of commerce. I was at Shopify helping build the Partner Program, I built software that merchants pay for, and I've run the brands. The buyer only gets a better experience when all three do their part. These are the positions I hold at each layer, and I'll defend them in any client meeting.
The platforms.
Platforms win when merchants win
A fee, policy or product change that improves the platform's numbers by taxing merchants is a bad trade for both sides. I'll say so, including about platforms I've worked for.
Partners are part of the product
A lot of what merchants get from a platform comes from the partners built around it. I watched the Shopify Partner Program grow from dozens of partners to thousands.
Don't let one platform's attribution set the budget
Every ad platform's attribution leans toward itself. I track total spend per visitor and total revenue per visitor together, so the whole budget gets judged as one system.
The software.
Software has to show up on the P&L
An app should pay for itself in a way the merchant can see. I audit app stacks every quarter, and each app gets a keep, question or cut.
The product should sell by being shown
If the product needs a hard sell, the positioning is off. Position it so your sales team only has to show it.
Build for how merchants actually run the business
I've been the merchant these companies sell to. Software built around a merchant's working day beats software built around a feature list.
The brands.
The top line is growing. The margin should be too
I don't count it as growth when every new order loses money. I treat margin as part of growth.
Don't train customers to wait for a discount
Peak-season ad costs plus the deepest discount of the year is a losing trade. I'd rather a brand earn the second order at full price. One brand swapped 15% off the first order for $20 toward the second, and the share of new customers who came back within 90 days went from 9% to 32%.
The page has to keep the ad's promise
The buying experience starts at the ad. When the landing page doesn't match what the ad promised, the customer gets confused and the brand pays for it in CAC.
How I work.
Strategy is useful only when it ships
I only recommend what your team can run with the people and budget it has.
Nothing riding on the recommendation
I don't sell execution, so I don't profit from telling you that you need more of it.
The work is public
The data behind my calls is published: The Index trackers, the calculators and the ad-to-page teardowns. The free tools show you the result before they ask for an email.
Every client change gets tested, and the whole system gets read
Every recommendation ends in a test, with one objective metric named up front. A falling AOV is read next to conversion, LTV and revenue per visitor, never on its own.
A small roster, and I'm on every call
I take on a small number of companies each year and do the work myself.
If these sound like how you'd want to be advised, tell me what's stuck.
Engagements begin with a 30-minute scoping call: where you are, where you're going, and whether there's a fit.