Liquid Weekly Podcast: Shopify Developers Talking Shopify Development

In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page discuss a variety of personal and professional topics. They discuss rebranding efforts for Liquid Weekly and the importance of community engagement in their work. Eventually they get around to discussing various aspects of app development, including building a resource hub, the importance of internationalization, and the role of AI in enhancing productivity.

*Episode Highlights*

* Taylor recently underwent eye surgery, improving his vision significantly.

* Shopify development tools are evolving based on user feedback.

* Monetization strategies for tools can enhance community engagement.

* The hosts discuss the importance of work-life balance during summer.

* Rebranding efforts for Liquid Weekly are underway to improve its image.

* Internationalization is essential for reaching a global audience.

* AI can significantly improve productivity in app development.

* Client work is evolving towards subscription models for flexibility.

* Understanding app development challenges is crucial for success.

* Liquid and Shopify updates are vital for developers to stay informed.

* Shopify's revenue share changes impact app developers significantly.

*Timestamps*

* 08:04 Vision Transformation: The ICL Surgery

* 13:59 Shopify Insights: Building Tools for Developers

* 20:15 Community and Collaboration: The Shopify Developer Alliance

* 24:22 Balancing Work and Family Life

* 38:53 Rebranding and Community Engagement

* 43:04 Developing a Public App

* 47:05 The Gap in App Development Resources

* 50:35 Evolving Freelance Work and Client Relationships

* 53:22 The Impact of AI on Productivity

* 57:34 Navigating AI Limitations in Development

* 59:50 Shopify Developments and Liquid Hackathon

* 01:05:08 Shopify App Developer Revenue Changes

* 01:08:31 Updates on Shopify's POS and WebPixels API

* 01:13:02 Picks of the Week and Closing Thoughts

* 01:19:48 LW podcast intro video.mp4

*Dev Changelog*

* Update to Shopify’s app developer revenue share - https://shopify.dev/changelog/update-to-shopifys-app-developer-revenue-share

* [action required] POS UI Extensions - Cart API: Customer fields removed from subscribable hook - https://shopify.dev/changelog/pos-ui-extensions-cart-api-customer-fields-removed-from-subscribable-hook

* [action required] Web Pixels API: event.data.checkout.subtotalPrice.amount value change on the new /thank-you page and checkout events - https://shopify.dev/changelog/web-pixels-api-eventdatacheckoutsubtotalpriceamount-value-change-on-the-new-thank-you-page-and-checkout-events

* Refund to Store Credit - https://shopify.dev/changelog/refund-to-store-credit

* More automated checks for app review pre-submission page - https://shopify.dev/changelog/more-automated-checks-for-app-review-pre-submission-page

* [action required] Payment apps can no longer be embedded in the Shopify admin - https://shopify.dev/changelog/payment-apps-can-no-longer-be-embedded-in-the-shopify-admin

In this episode of Liquid Weekly, Karl and Taylor sit down with Ole Thorup, seasoned Shopify developer and creator of Accentuate Custom Fields and now Shopify Apps Espresso Editor and Espresso Live Metafields, to explore the power and possibilities of CloudFlare in Shopify app development.*Episode Highlights:** Ole's journey from COBOL developer to Shopify merchant to app developer* Deep dive into CloudFlare's features including Workers, Queues, and Durable Objects* How to handle app scaling and performance optimization* Tips for managing large-scale Shopify stores with 100,000+ products* Insights into building Espresso apps and live metafields* The evolution from traditional hosting to serverless architecture*About Ole Thorup:*Ole is a developer with 40 years of experience who transitioned from banking and telecom to Shopify development. After creating and selling the successful Accentuate Custom Fields app, he now runs Espresso with his son, continuing to innovate in the Shopify ecosystem.*Find Ole Online** Twitter/X - https://x.com/olethorup* Espresso Apps - https://espressoapps.com/*Timestamps:*00:00 - Introduction05:30 - Ole's Background12:45 - CloudFlare Deep Dive30:20 - App Architecture45:10 - Scaling and Performance52:30 - Shopify Dev Changelog57:00 - Picks of the Week*Resources:** Cloudflare - https://www.cloudflare.com/* Cloudflare Learning Center - https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/* Cloudflare Developer docs - https://developers.cloudflare.com/* Peacock’s Serverless Apps of Cloudflare - https://pragprog.com/titles/apapps/serverless-apps-on-cloudflare/* Flared Up - https://research.cloudflare.com/outreach/updates/mailinglist/* How Shopify Uses Cloudflare - https://www.cloudflare.com/case-studies/shopify/* Tanstack - https://tanstack.com/* Shadcdn/ui - https://ui.shadcn.com/*Dev Changelog** New opacity controls for theme colors - https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-opacity-controls-for-theme-colors* App ratings now factor in trust signals, with reviews from lower-trust shops carrying less weight. - https://shopify.dev/changelog/app-ratings-now-factor-in-trust-signals* New Inventory Transfers experience available for testing in Dev Preview - https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-inventory-transfers-experience-available-for-testing-in-dev-preview* Introducing PRODUCT_CATEGORY_ID_WITH_DESCENDANTS in CollectionRuleColumn for smart collections - https://shopify.dev/changelog/introducing-productcategoryidwithdescendants-in-collectionrulecolumn-for-smart-collections*Picks of the Week:** Ole: Black Mirror Season 7* Karl: King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard* Taylor: TalkingShop.dev Podcast*Sign Up for Liquid Weekly:*Don't miss out on expert insights and tips—subscribe to Liquid Weekly for more content like this: https://liquidweekly.com/

In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page welcome Prakhar, co-founder of FoxSell, to discuss his journey into software development, the intricacies of Shopify's cart transformations, and the challenges of running a Shopify app.

They explore the benefits and use cases of cart transformations, the importance of understanding customer segments, and the complexities of app pricing and acquisition strategies. The conversation also touches on the non-technical aspects of app development and concludes with personal picks of the week.

*Takeaways*

- Prakhar's journey into software development began with a conventional path in engineering.

- Cart transformations allow for bundling products in a more user-friendly way.

- Understanding customer segments is crucial for app development and marketing.

- The App Store can be a tricky space for new apps due to competition and review dynamics.

- Leveraging Shopify's infrastructure can enhance reliability and performance for app developers.

- The importance of customer support in obtaining positive app reviews cannot be overstated.

- App pricing strategies should be carefully considered to ensure market competitiveness.

- The future of cart transformations looks promising with ongoing developments in Shopify functions.

- Non-technical challenges in app development are just as important as technical ones.

- Building for Shopify can provide significant advantages in the e-commerce space.

*Timestamps*

00:00 The Journey into App Development

06:15 Exploring Cart Transformations

14:26 Understanding Cart Transformation Mechanics

18:00 The Evolution of Bundling Technology

23:48 Innovative Use Cases for Cart Transform API

27:30 Challenges and Opportunities in Cart Transform

34:42 Navigating the App Development Landscape

50:14 Building Trust and Reliability in E-commerce

01:00:53 Enhancements in UI Extensions and Attributes API

01:02:29 Tech Picks of the Week: Hardware and Software

01:05:07 The Evolution of Apple's Touch Bar

01:06:56 Microphone Recommendations for Quality Sound

01:08:14 Building with Polaris: A Game Changer for Shopify Apps

01:10:16 The Importance of Pricing in App Development

01:12:25 Reflections on Development and Innovation

01:12:59 LW Podcast Outro.mp4

*Changelog*

- Shopify.dev MCP Server - https://shopify.dev/changelog/mcp-server-for-the-shopify-dev-assistant

- New webhook to track updates to checkout and accounts configuration - https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-webhook-to-track-updates-to-checkout-and-accounts-configuration

- Liquid support for OKLCH colors - https://shopify.dev/changelog/liquid-support-for-oklch-colors

- Developer Preview: Localhost-based development for shopify app dev - https://shopify.dev/changelog/developer-preview-localhost-based-development-for-shopify-app-dev

- Checkout UI extensions: Attributes API now supports removing cart and checkout attributes - https://shopify.dev/changelog/checkout-ui-extensions-attributes-api-now-supports-removing-cart-and-checkout-attributes

*Resources*

- FoxSell https://www.foxsell.app/

- Eytan Tweet about BFS changes based on feedback https://x.com/eytanseidman/status/1903110665360794091

- Mat De Sousa poll on Twitter https://x.com/DsMatie/status/1906318592712261895

*Find Prakhar Online*

- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakhars96/

- X https://x.com/PrakharS96

*Signup for Liquid Weekly Newsletter*

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In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page welcome back Jan Frey, one of the greatest Shopify development teachers on the web with the incredibly helpful and popular YouTube channel Coding with Jan.The conversation covers a range of topics including the current landscape of Shopify development, strategies for finding clients, the importance of professionalism, and the evolving role of AI in web development. Jan shares insights on his new JavaScript training program aimed at helping developers enhance their skills, while also discussing the significance of soft skills in client interactions. Takeaways

• Finding clients often comes from referrals and established relationships.
• Professionalism is key in differentiating yourself as a developer.
• AI tools can enhance productivity but should not replace human developers.
• Soft skills are just as important as technical skills in client interactions.
• Building a solid portfolio and online presence is crucial for new developers.
• JavaScript is essential for Shopify development and should be learned thoroughly.
• Understanding the Shopify admin and Liquid is vital for effective development.
• Networking and community engagement can lead to more opportunities.
• Creating content can help establish authority and attract clients.
• Continuous learning and adapting to new tools is necessary for success in development.

• Introducing the .dev Assistant VSCode Extension - https://shopify.dev/changelog/introdu...
• [action required] Checkout APIs will be shut down April 1, 2025 - https://shopify.dev/changelog/checkou...
• [action required] AMAZON_PAY enumerated in DigitalWallets - https://shopify.dev/changelog/amazonp...
• [action required] Metafield description input field removal - https://shopify.dev/changelog/metafie...
• New customer address capabilities in the Admin API - https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-cus...

Timestamps

00:00 Exploring Shopify Development and Educational Initiatives01:25 The Evolution of Development in 202504:23 Finding Clients and Building a Portfolio07:21 Soft Skills in Development and Client Interaction13:15 Navigating Cold Outreach Strategies17:30 Building a Professional Online Presence22:59 The Importance of Referrals and Networking31:52 Establishing Technical Knowledge in Development38:49 The Future of Development in an AI World40:47 The Role of AI in Web Development46:04 Essential Skills for Freelance Developers47:03 Mastering JavaScript for Shopify52:56 Shopify Updates and Changes01:01:35 Personal Highlights and Future CollaborationsFind Jan OnlineYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CodingwithJanLinkedIn:   / jan-frey   Twitter (X): https://x.com/Coding_with_Jan Website: https://codingwithjan.com/Freemote: https://www.freemote.com/Javascript Training: https://www.codingwithjan.com/javascr... ResourcesLuck Sail:    • The little risks you can take to incr...   Dev ChangelogPicks of the WeekKarl: Ruby on Rails and Web Assembly - https://web.dev/blog/ruby-on-rails-on...Jan: Working with Shopify Academy - https://www.shopifyacademy.com/Taylor: GoRuck Weighted Vest - https://www.goruck.com/products/train...

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In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page welcome Ruben Bristian, co-founder of Krown Themes, to discuss the intricacies of Shopify theme development.

Ruben shares his journey from WordPress to Shopify, the challenges of adapting to Liquid, and the importance of understanding merchant needs.

The conversation delves into the theme development process, including design collaboration, quality assurance, and the impact of new Shopify features.

Ruben emphasizes the balance between creating user-friendly themes for merchants while also considering the developer experience.

The episode concludes with insights on the evolving landscape of Shopify themes and the importance of accessibility and market trends in development.

Takeaways

- The importance of understanding merchant needs in theme development.

- Accessibility is a continuous improvement area in theme design.

- Quality assurance involves feedback from support teams and demo stores.

- The development process is iterative and involves collaboration with designers.

- Shopify themes must balance simplicity and functionality for merchants.

- New features in Shopify can impact existing themes significantly.

- Developers should consider the user experience when building themes.

- Market trends influence the features included in themes.

- Ruben's team focuses on creating unique solutions for niche markets.

Timestamps

00:00 Ruben Bristian's Journey to Shopify Development

09:18 The Evolution of Shopify Themes

19:11 Theme Development Process and Challenges

29:16 Focus on Merchant Needs and Accessibility

32:34 Adapting to Shopify Updates

35:56 Feature Selection and Merchant Needs

39:13 Building Unique Features and Market Gaps

42:06 Submission Process to Shopify

44:29 Development Tools and Frameworks

49:17 Collaboration and Design Process

57:35 Personal Updates and Picks of the Week

59:15 Shopify's Theme Submission Process and Naming Challenges

Find Ruben Online

- Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubenbristian/

- Website - https://www.krownthemes.com/

- Shopify listings - https://themes.shopify.com/designers/krownthemes

Dev Changelog

- Flow: Template extensions no longer block deploys

- https://shopify.dev/changelog/flow-template-extensions-no-longer-block-deploys- Liquid arrays now support the find, find_index, has, and reject filters

- https://shopify.dev/changelog/liquid-arrays-now-support-the-find-findindex-has-and-reject-filters- No-op for unchanged metafields and metaobjects

- https://shopify.dev/changelog/no-op-for-unchanged-metafields-and-metaobjects- Reserved prefix protection for metafields and metaobjects

- https://shopify.dev/changelog/reserved-prefix-protection-for-metafields-and-metaobjects

Picks of the Week

- Ruben - Newborn! - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant

- Karl - Severance on Apple TV - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severance_(TV_series)

- Taylor - Person of Interest - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Interest_(TV_series)

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In this episode of the Liquid Weekly podcast, host Karl Meisterheim and co-host Taylor Page welcome Paolo Vidale, founder and CEO of Hidden Gears, to discuss the intricacies of technical debt, quality assurance, and the evolution of Shopify development.

Paolo shares his journey into development, emphasizing the importance of understanding technical debt both in-house and inherited from previous projects.

The conversation delves into the philosophy of quality assurance, the challenges of JavaScript, and innovative approaches like inside-out re-theming to manage technical debt effectively. The episode concludes with insights on the latest changes in the Shopify ecosystem and personal picks from the hosts.

Takeaways:

• Technical debt is a crucial aspect of development that can accumulate over time.

• Quality assurance should be viewed as a philosophy rather than just a task.

• Diligence in testing involves anticipating user behavior and potential errors.

• Inside-out re-theming allows for gradual improvements without complete overhauls.

• JavaScript can introduce complexities, especially with conflicting libraries from apps.

• Effective QA processes can prevent surprises and ensure a smoother development experience.

• Collaboration with app developers can lead to better product outcomes.

• Accessibility testing is an essential part of the QA process.

• Understanding the implications of headless architecture is vital for successful implementation.

• Using tools like Nacho Nacho can help manage SaaS subscriptions effectively.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

• 01:15 Paolo's Origin Story in Development

• 07:40 Transitioning to Shopify and E-commerce

• 09:59 Balancing Marketing and Development

• 12:31 Quality Assurance in Development

• 17:08 Understanding Quality Assurance

• 21:14 Design QA vs. Development QA

• 25:06 Accessibility and ADA Testing

• 29:19 Navigating Complexity in Design and Accessibility

• 30:10 Tools for Accessibility Testing

• 33:18 Quality Assurance in Development

• 34:32 Diligence and Destruction in QA Testing

• 39:23 Understanding Technical Debt

• 49:02 Inside-Out Re-theming for Technical Debt

• 54:17 JavaScript Challenges and Solutions

• 57:13 Dev Changelog and Picks of the Week

Find Paolo Online:

• Website: https://www.hiddengears.com

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/hiddengears

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paolovidali/

• Twitter(X): https://x.com/paolorobot

Resources:

• ARIA DevTools: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/aria-devtools/dneemiigcbbgbdjlcdjjnianlikimpck?hl=en

• Browserstack: https://www.browserstack.com/

• Deque University: https://dequeuniversity.com/

• WAVE: https://wave.webaim.org/

• JAWS Inspect: https://www.tpgi.com/arc-platform/jaws-inspect/

Dev Changelog:

• Removing unnecessary RELEVANCE sort options: https://shopify.dev/changelog/removing-unnecessary-relevance-sort-options

• Events and Origins in Store Credit Account Transactions: https://shopify.dev/changelog/events-and-origins-in-store-credit-account-transactions

• Attribute Marketing Consent to Retail Locations: https://shopify.dev/changelog/track-the-retail-locations-where-your-customers-update-their-marketing-consent

Picks of the Week:

• Paolo: Saas and AI Marketplace (https://nachonacho.com/)

• Karl: Logseq (https://logseq.com/)

• Taylor: Wahl Clipper/Trimmer (https://amzn.to/4keu34q)

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In this episode, Karl and Taylor engage in a lively conversation with Brian Gonzales, a graphic designer, web developer and founder of Solver Collective.

Dev Changelog

(Karl) Banana Chips! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0096EVMTE

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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.

Resources

Dev Changelog

Picks of the Week

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In this episode of the Liquid Weekly podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page reconnect to discuss their recent experiences in Shopify development, including custom bundling solutions, site redesigns using meta objects, and the challenges of attribution in e-commerce.

In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page welcome Matt Sodomsky, VP of Product and Strategy at Lightward.

- Matt Sodomsky shares his journey from tech support to VP of Product and Strategy

- Mechanic is a backend automation platform that allows for complex customizations

- The community around Mechanic is supportive and encourages collaboration

- The pricing model of Mechanic is based on a 'pay what feels good' philosophy

- Locksmith is another product from LightWord that focuses on access control for Shopify stores

- The architecture of Mechanic is designed to handle large volumes of data and tasks efficiently

00:00 Matt's Journey to Shopify and Mechanic

08:57 Career Decisions and Growth Mindset

15:59 The Unique Value of Mechanic

24:55 Innovative Use Cases for Mechanic

33:47 Pricing Model and Developer Insights

42:34 The Value of Community and Authenticity

49:37 API Challenges and Future Directions

55:45 Lightward: The AI Product

01:01:30 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

- Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewsodomsky/

- Mechanic website: https://mechanic.dev/

- Lightward App Store: https://apps.shopify.com/partners/lightward

- Mechanic app listing: https://apps.shopify.com/mechanic

- Locksmith app listing: https://apps.shopify.com/locksmith

- Fly.io: https://fly.io/

- Crunchy Data: https://www.crunchydata.com/

- AWS CloudSearch: https://aws.amazon.com/cloudsearch/

- Merchants on paid trial plans no longer able to leave reviews on Shopify's App Store - https://shopify.dev/changelog/merchant-eligibility-to-leave-reviews-on-shopifys-app-store

- Improved productTags, productVendors, productTypes - https://shopify.dev/changelog/improved-producttags-productvendors-producttypes

- Meta events for theme and app listings: https://shopify.dev/changelog/meta-pixel-events-for-app-listing-page and https://shopify.dev/changelog/meta-pixel-events-for-theme-listing-page

- [SCHEDULED] Minimum requirement is now optional on automatic discounts - https://shopify.dev/changelog/minimum-requirement-is-now-optional-on-automatic-discounts

- [SCHEDULED] Public apps must use new GraphQL Product APIs to be accepted in the Shopify App Store - https://shopify.dev/changelog/public-apps-must-use-new-graphql-product-apis-to-be-accepted-in-the-shopify-app-store

- Matt: Three body problem (Netflix documentary): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Body_Problem_(TV_series)

- Karl: Silo (series): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(TV_series)

- Taylor: Company of One (book): https://amzn.to/4gzSIxT