AI WORKPLACE EVOLUTION: LESSONS FROM SHOPIFY'S VIRAL MEMO
Getting Ready for the AI-Powered Workplace
So, Shopify's CEO Tobi Lütke dropped a pretty eye-opening memo to his team that's making the rounds online this week. In it, he doesn't mince words:
"Reflexive AI usage is now a baseline expectation at Shopify."
Not a nice-to-have. Not something to consider down the road. A baseline expectation... right now.
This isn't just another tech company jumping on a bandwagon. This is a major shift in what companies are starting to expect from their teams. Let's break down what this means for folks like us and figure out some practical ways to stay ahead of this wave.
**Disclaimer: At the time of this writing, there didn’t seem to be an official release of this memo in entirety. I read a number of what I considered unfair and inflammatory critiques of it, so I’m including my source link here to what I believe (but don’t know) is a credible reprint, so you can draw your own conclusions if you want.**
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-memo-from-ceo-shopify-richard-king-kubsc/
The New Reality: AI Skills Aren't Optional Anymore
Reading through Lütke's memo, a few things really jumped out:
AI makes you way more productive: He talks about people tackling "implausible tasks" and "getting 100X the work done" when they use AI well. That's a massive multiplier!
It's do-or-die time: Lütke doesn't sugar-coat it: "I don't think it's feasible to opt out of learning the skill of applying AI in your craft... Stagnation is almost certain, and stagnation is slow-motion failure. If you're not climbing, you're sliding." Ouch, but fair.
Everyone means everyone: The memo makes it clear this applies to "all of us—including me and the executive team." No exceptions.
This trend is picking up steam fast. More companies are going to follow Shopify's lead, and probably sooner than we think.
What This Means for Executives and Team Leaders
Shopify's approach offers a preview of leadership considerations as AI reshapes organizational capabilities:
Rethinking performance evaluation: Shopify is explicitly adding "AI usage questions to our performance and peer review questionnaire." As a leader, consider how you'll assess AI proficiency across your team. Will you reward early adopters? How will you measure effective AI usage versus simply checking a box?
Resource allocation strategy shift: The memo states teams "must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI" before requesting additional headcount. This offers a powerful lens for your own resource decisions. Are you asking the right questions before approving new hires or expanded budgets? Consider implementing a "prove AI won't work first" approach to drive innovation.
Self-directed learning with accountability: While Lütke emphasizes "Learning is self directed," he establishes clear expectations for outcomes. This balanced approach provides a model for executive leadership—give your teams autonomy in how they build AI skills, but be unambiguous about the non-negotiable need to develop them.
Competitive pressure across sectors: Whether you lead in financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, or professional services, the productivity multiplier effect of AI (Shopify cites "100X the work done") creates market pressure that will reach every industry. Early-moving organizations will establish significant competitive advantages, while laggards face existential threats.
The question for executives isn't whether to embrace AI, but how quickly you can scale adoption to maintain market position. As the memo bluntly puts it: "If you're not climbing, you're sliding."
5 Practical Ways to Get Good at AI (Without Driving Yourself Crazy)
1. Learn How to Talk to AI
Why it matters: As Lütke points out, "Learning to prompt and load context is important" and most people give up too quickly.
Just do this:
Set a 15-minute timer each day to play with ChatGPT, Claude, or similar tools
Keep a Google Doc of prompts that worked well for your specific job tasks
When something doesn't work, try rewriting your request instead of giving up
Real talk: Lütke admits that "even I feel I'm only scratching the surface" with AI. Everyone's figuring this out—you're not behind (yet).
2. Look for the Time-Sucking Parts of Your Job
Why it matters: Some tasks are perfect for AI help, others aren't. Find the right ones.
Just do this:
Next Monday, keep a simple list of everything you do that feels repetitive
Pick one boring task you hate doing and try having AI help with it
Time yourself doing it the old way, then with AI—see what happened
Quick win: Start with anything involving writing first drafts, summarizing information, or organizing data—these are AI sweet spots.
3. Get Your AI Toolkit Together
Why it matters: Different AI tools do different things well. You need more than one.
Just do this:
Sign up for a free account on 2-3 AI platforms (many have free tiers)
Find one tool specifically made for your industry or role
Ask colleagues what they're using that's actually helpful
Shopify's approach: They give their people access to tons of tools like "chat.shopify.io... proxy, Copilot, Cursor, Claude code, all pre-tooled and ready to go."
4. Learn to Work WITH AI, Not Just USE It
Why it matters: AI isn't perfect. The real skill is knowing how to guide it and fix its work.
Just do this:
Never send AI output to anyone without reading it first
Get comfortable asking AI to revise its work ("try again but make it more X")
Use AI as Lütke suggests: "as a thought partner, deep researcher, critic, tutor, or pair programmer"
Mind shift: Think of AI as a really smart intern—helpful but needs supervision and feedback.
5. Share What You're Learning
Why it matters: You'll learn faster, and people will notice you're ahead of the curve.
Just do this:
When AI helps you solve something, tell a colleague how you did it
Share good prompts in Slack or team chats
Offer to show someone how you're using AI in a 10-minute demo
Take a page from Shopify: They have channels where people "share prompts that they developed" and "share Ws (and Ls!)" with their experiments.
Keeping It Real
While this AI stuff is clearly important, a few things to remember:
Double-check the work: AI makes stuff up sometimes. Verify anything important.
Use your judgment: As the memo says, knowing what's worth doing is still crucial.
Keep learning: This field is moving ridiculously fast—what works today might be outdated in six months.
What Now?
Shopify's memo is basically a preview of what's coming to workplaces everywhere. As Lütke puts it: "AI will totally change Shopify, our work, and the rest of our lives."
The people who'll do well aren't necessarily the most technical folks—they're the ones who figure out how to combine AI tools with their own skills and judgment to produce better work, faster.
Until next time.
P.S. If your team needs some help figuring out this AI stuff, I'm running a limited number of "AI Kickstart Sessions" next month. It's a 90-minute workshop to help your team find the right AI tools and approaches for your specific work. Drop me a line at mark@lojix.ai with "AI Kickstart" in the subject if you're interested!