Hello! I am writing this newsletter from my hotel in Toronto.

I’ve attended 2 events, 1 dinner, and 1 breakfast. I’ll attend another breakfast, 2 more events. And it’s not even Editions yet.

The energy is just incredible.

I’m taking a break between two events to write this email. Because a lot happened in the ecosystem recently.

In today’s email we’re going to talk about:

• Shopify AI in the theme has been released

• Thousands of reviews being removed

• Shopify Editions in Toronto

Let’s go! 🔥

Shopify AI in the theme has been released

Shopify Summer Editions was released a few days ago, and we were able to see all the changes Shopify made in the last 6 months.

As always they didn’t hold back and announced 150 new things.

One of the changes caught my attention: Sidekicks.

It’s the new AI to help merchants do whatever they want on their store. Including creating blocks directly inside their theme

And I tested it.

It’s insanely good. Like actually amazing. The blocks generated are good, and you can even customize everything, including colors, sizes, and products, based on your request.

So there is a question: Why would merchants use apps if they can now create things in one click?

It seems like creating basic sections isn’t a thing anymore. You still got some time before merchants start using it. We usually say that most merchants change the way their work after a year when there is a change.

So how do you survive?

First question is: Can AI generate what your app does right now?

If yes, you just question yourself: What layer can I add on top of my app that would bring value to the merchants that ideally AI can’t do?

Taking an example: reviews apps. You may be able to create a section showing reviews, but AI won’t be able to collect reviews for you, you may need a system for that, you may need as well a system to send emails asking customers to leave a review.

All these layers create complexity making it hard for AI to replace your app.

And it will become even more important. I don’t know how far Shopify wants to go, but they announced it clearly: they’re going all-in on AI. So the end of 2025 and 2026 will see a lot of movement.

You either find a way to be better than an AI generating html/liquid or you’ll die.

Here is a prompt you can use on ChatGPT:

“Shopify introduced Sidekick, allowing merchants to generate sections directly into their Shopify stores and interact with their store. My Shopify app is [Your app’s name]. What are the layers I can add to my app to make it relevant even if Sidekick exists?”

And it will give you some ideas about what you can do or add.

Thousands of reviews being removed

I’ve lost 70% of my reviews.

You’ve read it right. 70%

For those who don’t know yet, Shopify “cleared” the reviews using their new system.

They removed some irrelevant reviews, from closed stores, or other filters like that (we don’t know what they used exactly)

And for example, I lost 70% of my reviews.

Apps that have been around for a long time tend to lost more reviews than newer ones. Because we used to have most of our reviews before, when there were fewer competitors.

We went from 4.9 to 4.8 rating on WideBundle. That hurts.

What does that mean?

It means reviews may soon not be the best way to get a better ranking. Or at least the way we know it.

Today, everyone knows that the best way to get reviews is to offer exceptional customer support and to ask for reviews during the conversations.

However, reviews that only mention customer support will now have less impact than those that mention the actual features of the app. Which in some way, makes totally sense.

But that means we’ll need to change the way we handle that. And perhaps getting new reviews won’t be the best strategy anymore. Wait and see.

Shopify Editions in Toronto

I landed in Toronto on Saturday.

Jetlag hit me hard.

So I came early. Just to have time to adjust before everything starts. Because when it starts, it really starts.

It’s Tuesday now and I’ve already had two events yesterday. One in the afternoon. One in the evening. And dinner with some Shopify Partners right after.

This morning? Breakfast with other Partners.

And tonight? Another event.

It’s already intense. But the energy is insane.

It’s the kind of energy that makes you want to work harder. Build faster. Be better.

I’m tired. But I’m also buzzing. Because this is what it’s all about.

And it’s just the beginning.

More events are coming. More meetings. More dinners. More breakfasts. And the best part?

I’m speaking at Techtonic (by Mantle).

I’ll be sharing exactly how I built a Shopify App from scratch to $50K MRR.

Every step. Every strategy. No fluff.

But here’s what matters most.

These events are not just about talks or free coffee. They’re where it all started for me.

My first app? Came from a connection I made at an ecom event.

My first cofounders? Met them at another one.

WideBundle? The idea came from a conversation at an event like this.

Everything I built started in rooms like these.

So when you get the chance to be in the room take it!

Even if you can’t be in Toronto right now, find your room.

A local meetup. A small community. A Discord server. Anything.

Put yourself in the right conversations.

Because nothing happens alone. And everything starts with a “Hey, I’m building something cool. Want to hear about it?”

And if you are in Toronto this week, come say hi.

I’ll be around Shopify Editions. Or follow me on Twitter to know exactly where to find me.

Let’s talk. You never know what can happen.

Congrats on reading that far!

If you want to help me, forward this email to a friend or a colleague.

See you in the next email!

Mat 😁