418: Shopify President Harley Finkelstein on Building the World’s #1 Ecommerce Platform

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harley Finkelstein is an entrepreneur, lawyer, and president of Shopify. Harley was store #137 when he started on Shopify as a merchant in 2009. After law school, he joined the team at Shopify and helped build it into the world’s #1 ecommerce platform. In 2021, the Shopify ecosystem generated $440B in economic value. For Harley, the success of Shopify all comes down to a belief that entrepreneurship is the greatest equalizer on the planet. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen to Nathan and Harley discuss: </span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Starting his first business at 17 </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">How he supported his family by selling t-shirts </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Why he went to law school to be a better entrepreneur</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Meeting Tobias Lütke at a coffee shop in Ottawa </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The early days of Shopify and the Build a Business Competition</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Why he started a tea business on Shopify store in 2021</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Why he looks for obsessiveness when angel investing in companies </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The importance of self-awareness as an entrepreneur</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">And much more ecommerce wisdom…</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><strong>Who do you want to see next on the podcast?</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Comment and let us know! A