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Harley Finkelstein

President, Shopify

Search every verified Harley Finkelstein interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, recently published a children’s book titled "We Can Be Entrepreneurs," designed to encourage young people to start businesses. In interviews promoting the book, he said he was inspired by his own daughters and argued that asking children "what do you want to be when you grow up" implies they are not ready yet, whereas entrepreneurship requires starting before feeling ready. He also cited his own childhood, including a business card his father made for him, as formative. In podcast and conference appearances, Finkelstein discussed Shopify’s focus on supporting merchants during Q4, including survey data on holiday shopping behavior and loyalty drivers such as discounting and free shipping. He said e-commerce remains in its early stages in North America, noted that consumers increasingly discover products through AI-driven tools rather than traditional search, and expressed optimism about AI’s impact on smaller merchants. He also spoke about building a "100-year company," the value of focusing on one’s strengths, and connecting with first-generation entrepreneurs, citing his father’s background as a refugee.

Recent appearances

Verified interview transcripts

Notable quotes

“I think the difference now is number one, the cost of failure to entrepreneurship is about as low as it's ever been. Um, and if you look across, we have millions of stores on Shopify, but you look at some of our stores that are homegrown success stories. Um Gymshark which started in a dorm room in London which is now massive or Alo Yoga or On Running or I mean even frankly Mattel built in the 40s or Birkenstocks buil”

“I think actually it's way better for if you are building something today in the commerce space, I think it's far better than it was even 10 years ago. I think 10 years ago... if I were to embark on this particular task, I would have gone to Google and typed in screenless phone for kids. Most certainly would have been taken to Best Buy or some big retailer... instead, I went to... muse or clot... but I just said, Hey,”

“I think that is timeless. I think that is nothing to do with any new technology. I think that it's nothing to do with any particular era of technology companies. I think the same thing was through 100 years ago, 50 years ago, 30 years ago, 20, and even five years ago as it is today, which is ultimately what we're looking for at a company like Shopify, someone that is resourceful. And resourceful doesn't just mean the”

“I connect best with first-generation entrepreneurs. And there's not that there's anything wrong if you've inherited your family business or you're a third-generation, you know, entrepreneur and and it was your parents, your grandparents. I just I connect better with people that are have a certain I don't know grit in them. Um My dad's an immigrant, he was a refugee. I grew up very humble beginnings. Never had much fa”

“In Canada, e-commerce as a percentage of total retail is 15%. In the US, it's floating around 18 to 20%. The UK excluding China is the highest at 25%. I mean, we are still in like we're not even in the early innings of e-commerce. We are still at the hotel getting dressed for the game. So, I'm incredibly bullish on it.”

“I think it's important that we talk about these things. And I think it's important that we all realize that this is not anxiety, that this is evidence, that the golden age of Canadian Jewry is over. And what comes next is up to us. I mean, Jews are 1% of Canada's population, and we are the most targeted group in the country. There has been a 327% increase in hate crimes in 10 years. That is not a mood. That isn't a v”

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