Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke Confirms Leaked Memo: "Hire AI Before Humans"
Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke has personally addressed the leaked internal memo, firmly endorsing the company's AI-first strategy. The memo goes beyond a simple recommendation — it makes clear that AI is now a fundamental operating principle at Shopify.
Lütke acknowledged the leaked memo and shared it on his own social media accounts. He stated that "this memo was shared internally, and I'm making it public directly because it could be misconstrued in the course of leaking." He went on to emphasize that "if you're not using AI as a default at Shopify, you're already falling behind," underscoring AI as a core tool for the company.
🧠 AI First, Humans Second
The internal memo is titled "AI Usage Is Now a Baseline Expectation," and it makes Shopify's new direction unmistakably clear. The core message is simple: "You cannot request additional headcount or resources without first demonstrating that AI cannot do the job."
In the memo, Lütke writes:
"Stagnation is almost certainly failure, and stagnation is just slow failure. If you're not going up, you're sliding back."
This is not merely a warning — it signals that Shopify is undergoing a complete shift in mindset centered on AI. AI is no longer an experimental tool; it has become a core operating principle of the company.
🔄 From Recommended to Required: AI's New Role
Where AI use was once encouraged, it is now mandatory. Shopify employees are expected to integrate AI into their work by default, and a range of AI tools are provided to support this. These include external tools such as Copilot, Claude, and Cursor, as well as internal platforms like chat.shopify.io.
Lütke describes AI not as a mere tool but as a "multiplier" — one that can help employees grow from being part of a team that delivers 10x results into one that delivers 100x results.
"AI is not just a feature — it stands alongside backend, frontend, and design as a core element."
AI proficiency is now also a key criterion in employee evaluations. "How well you use AI" will be reflected in performance reviews, and prototyping with AI is expected as a default. Lütke specifically noted that "those who can write better prompts" will hold a competitive advantage.
📋 10 Key Takeaways from the Memo
One social media user distilled the memo's core content into ten points, offering a concise picture of Shopify's new AI-centric strategy:
- "Don't hire humans before hiring AI."
- AI proficiency becomes a baseline qualification.
- AI agents are now treated like team members.
- Prompt writing is established as a core skill.
- AI usage will be tracked. (A dedicated product for this may be developed.)
- Prototyping starts with AI. Speed improves dramatically.
- Org charts begin to include AI bots.
- AI proficiency becomes the new coding literacy.
- AI is not just a feature — it becomes a core part of the company's structure.
- Shopify uses AI to increase productivity per person.
🌍 Everyone Must Participate
Lütke emphasized that this change applies to all employees, including the leadership team. He shared his own experience of using AI agents to prepare for the Shopify Summit presentation, demonstrating firsthand just how powerful AI can be.
"Using AI well is not a simple skill — it's a capability that must be developed through repeated practice."
He noted that some teams have already reached levels of productivity that once seemed impossible through AI, and that employees who are genuinely leveraging AI are driving significant change within the company.
🚀 Shopify's Future: How AI Will Reshape Company Culture
Closing the memo, Lütke declared that Shopify is completely redefining its company culture and ways of working through AI. He compared this to the "Red Queen Race," stressing that everyone must continuously grow in order to keep up in a rapidly changing environment.
"Our mission is to define what entrepreneurship looks like in a world where AI is universally used."
Lütke expressed his conviction that AI will open up greater possibilities for Shopify's merchants, and pledged to build an environment where more people can grow into entrepreneurs through AI.
💡 Key Terms Summary
- AI-first strategy: "Don't hire humans before hiring AI."
- AI proficiency: The new baseline qualification and performance evaluation criterion.
- AI tools: Copilot, Claude, Cursor, chat.shopify.io, and others.
- Prompt writing: Established as a core skill.
- Red Queen Race: The necessity of continuous growth and change.
- Entrepreneurship: Creating an environment where more people can grow into entrepreneurs through AI.
This shift at Shopify is not merely a change in internal policy. It heralds a new era in which AI becomes the foundational infrastructure of business operations — and it is likely to have a far-reaching impact on other companies as well. Shopify's moves toward an AI-centric future will continue to draw significant attention. 🌟