Shopify

Shopify is a very dynamic company with a great culture. They are not afraid to take some big and risky steps and have really strived to perfect remote work, revolutionize how people are paid, and roll out innovative employee enhancement systems that take into account scope and mastery.

The workplace can be a bit chaotic. This is by design, but it can be hard for some people to get footing. Part of this chaos and the company’s willingness to make big jumps very quickly have also caused some issues with stable employment.

Recently, Shopify rewarded employees after much better-than-expected profits for 1H 2019 by selling off a major part of its business and reducing labor by over 20% across various parts of the company. While this made the stock skyrocket, it was not good for the really valuable employees who did a lot of work to get the company where it needed to be.

I get it; this is something that happens. Divesting yourself of unnecessary or unprofitable expenditures is the job of any CEO. This seemed like a move designed to make the company more lean so that it looks good going into the next increase in profits.

People just need to know that if you join, and if things don’t work out or the company switches directions, you are out. There is zero loyalty to try to keep you, even if it's possible.

I get that Tobi hates waste. We all do. Tobi is a brilliant CEO who is willing to do the hard thing if it’s right.

There is some chaos that is too much chaos, and I think in the pursuit of what’s “right,” you can lose sight of what is right for the people that helped get you to where you need to be.

That wasn’t me; I was at Shopify a short amount of time. I loved it and would come back if given the opportunity. However, this sometimes feels as if we’re tethered to the back of a race car that is changing directions rapidly. Some people find themselves under the tires, and pretty much everyone else has whiplash.