Liquid Weekly Podcast: Shopify Developers Talking Shopify Development

Episode 034 - Guest Matthew Smith of Sections Pro on Shopify Theme Blocks

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In this episode of the Liquid Weekly podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page welcome Matthew Smith, a Shopify developer and creator of the app Sections Pro. The conversation delves into Matt's journey into Shopify development, the challenges of balancing a full-time job with app development, and the exciting new features of Shopify's theme blocks.

In this conversation, Taylor Page and Matt Smith discuss various aspects of app development within the Shopify ecosystem, including the importance of usability, theme customization, pricing strategies, and the role of ROI in app success.
They also delve into support strategies for app developers, the challenges of navigating Shopify's review system, and the future of Shopify's tech stack. The discussion highlights the need for developers to understand their audience and the market dynamics to create successful applications.
Takeaways

  • Matt started his journey in Shopify development around 2000.
  • Sections Pro emerged from Matt's experiences with previous app failures.
  • The app development process involves learning from failures and iterating.
  • Fast deployment is crucial for maintaining productivity in development.
  • Theme blocks allow for more flexibility and reusability in Shopify themes.
  • Current limitations of theme blocks include their inability to coexist with section-defined blocks.
  • The future of theme blocks looks promising as Shopify continues to improve UX.
  • Matt emphasizes the importance of community feedback in app development.
  • The conversation highlights the balance between speed and user experience in app design.
  • Matt's approach to development is consistent and incremental, focusing on daily progress. If you build an app, you don't use your app.
  • It's important to showcase the value of your app to users.
  • Apps that demonstrate ROI tend to perform better in the market.
  • Support should be minimized to enhance user experience.
  • Reviews are crucial for app visibility and success.
  • Understanding customer needs is key to app development.
  • Pricing strategies should reflect the value provided to users.
  • Partnerships and integrations can enhance app functionality.
  • Navigating Shopify's review system can be challenging for developers.
  • The tech stack should align with Shopify's evolving vision.

    • Find Matt Online
    Matt's website: https://matthewsmith.com/
    Twitter (X): https://x.com/matthewsmith
    Sections Pro: https://www.sectionspro.com/
    Sections Pro (app store): https://apps.shopify.com/sections-ai

    Resources

    • Theme Blocks developer preview (announcement):: ⁠https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog...⁠
    • Reference theme discussions: ⁠https://github.com/Shopify/reference-...⁠
    • Dev Docs on Theme Blocks: ⁠https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/...⁠
    • Quick start (with code examples): ⁠https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/...⁠
    • Dawn commit: ⁠https://github.com/Shopify/dawn/commi...⁠


      • Dev Changelog

      • Continuous cart authentication: ⁠https://shopify.dev/changelog/continu...⁠
      • New Buyer Consent Requirement: ⁠https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-buy...⁠
      • Performance, integration and category-specific requirements come into practice: ⁠https://shopify.dev/changelog/perform...⁠


        • Picks of the Week

        • (Karl) Music Go Round: ⁠https://musicgoround.com/⁠
        • (Matt) Over the air tv and antenna: ⁠https://www.thefreetvproject.org/what...⁠
        • (Taylor) Sam's Club Membership: ⁠https://www.samsclub.com/join⁠


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          Liquid Weekly Podcast: Shopify Developers Talking Shopify DevelopmentBy Karl Meisterheim