eCommerce Fastlane: Shopify Growth Strategies—Where AI Efficiency Meets Human Connection

My guest on today’s episode is Derric Haynie, the founder of EcommerceTech, where he works to connect Shopify merchants with the right tech tools and partners to grow their stores. We talk about necessary ecommerce tech stacks, the process to vet software vendors, and how to successfully roll out new tools for your Shopify brand.What You Will Learn Today…Expectations and considerations when implementing a new tech tool for your Shopify business.How to save countless hours in boring demos and confusing trials.Links And Resources Mentioned In This EpisodeEcommerceTechFree ConsultationOperational Excellence Before Black FridayFenix CommerceDelm.ioCarroSegmentsGorgiasThank You For ListeningI really appreciate you choosing to listen to the show and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.I would also be so grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in iTunes. They’re extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and I read each and every one personally!New Strategies Each Week To Help You Build And Scale Lifetime Customer Loyalty. SUBSCRIBE HERE!Being an entrepreneur is a life of learning. All it would take is a new idea, strategy, Shopify app, or marketing platform to be the next thing you need to drive more revenue and lifetime loyalty for your Shopify store. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify. Don’t miss a single episode!Episode SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Carro, an incredibly powerful Shopify App.Carro is a Shopify app that discovers all the influencers, press, and media that already love your brand. Whether they’re your brand’s customers, email subscribers, or fans, Carro will reveal all the influential people with a connection to your brand.If an influencer with a million followers bought from your brand, would you know about it? Discover all of your influencers for free with Carro, available in the Shopify App Store! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes

My guest on today’s episode is Derric Haynie, the founder of EcommerceTech, where he works to connect Shopify merchants with the right tech tools and partners to grow their stores. We talk about necessary ecommerce tech stacks, the process to vet software vendors, and how to successfully roll out new tools for your Shopify brand.

What You Will Learn Today…

  • Expectations and considerations when implementing a new tech tool for your Shopify business.
  • How to save countless hours in boring demos and confusing trials.

Links And Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Thank You For Listening

I really appreciate you choosing to listen to the show and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

I would also be so grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in iTunes. They’re extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and I read each and every one personally!

New Strategies Each Week To Help You Build And Scale Lifetime Customer Loyalty. SUBSCRIBE HERE!

Being an entrepreneur is a life of learning. All it would take is a new idea, strategy, Shopify app, or marketing platform to be the next thing you need to drive more revenue and lifetime loyalty for your Shopify store. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunesStitcher, or Spotify. Don’t miss a single episode!

Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Carro, an incredibly powerful Shopify App.

Carro is a Shopify app that discovers all the influencers, press, and media that already love your brand. Whether they’re your brand’s customers, email subscribers, or fans, Carro will reveal all the influential people with a connection to your brand.

If an influencer with a million followers bought from your brand, would you know about it? Discover all of your influencers for free with Carro, available in the Shopify App Store!



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is eCommerce Fastlane: Shopify Growth Strategies—Where AI Efficiency Meets Human Connection?

Running a Shopify store? You already know success isn't about finding the right app—it's about knowing which strategies actually work at your specific stage of growth.

I'm Steve Hutt, and I've lived every level of the ecommerce journey—from eBay Power Seller shipping products myself to Shopify Merchant Success Manager helping 100+ brands from startup to enterprise scale, including working with the teams at Tentree, Dr. Squatch, Bulletproof Coffee, Salt & Straw Ice Cream, MUD/WTR, Bokksu, and many more.

Here's what makes this podcast different: I've been on both sides of the table.

6+ years working inside Shopify gave me access to what's coming before most merchants know it exists. Building and scaling my own businesses taught me what actually works when your money and reputation are on the line. That combination—insider access plus real operator experience—gives you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

Since 2016, eCommerce Fastlane has delivered over 420 episodes and more than 2 million downloads to ambitious Shopify founders and marketers. Every week, I sit down with operators, developers, and experts who share what's actually moving the needle right now—not theory, but patterns I've seen work consistently across dozens of brands at multiple stages.

Whether you're launching your first store or scaling past seven figures, every episode gives you stage-aware strategies you can implement this week. We cover Shopify apps and best practices, digital marketing and retention tactics, AI and automation tools, as well as operations and logistics that reduce overwhelm while building lasting customer loyalty.

You'll discover how to leverage emerging tech without losing what makes your brand unique, and you'll hear real founder stories—including lessons from my own journey and insights from 400+ industry leaders who've been exactly where you are.

This isn't content for content's sake. It's the insight you'd get sitting at a mastermind table with someone who's succeeded at every level, helped hundreds of others do the same, and has the pattern recognition to show you what actually works at your current stage.

Ready to grow smarter, not just faster? Join 30,000+ merchants in the eCommerce Fastlane community through our podcast, newsletter, blog, and forthcoming book "Thriving with Shopify."

Steve Hutt
DTC Founder | Podcast Host

Find Us Online
Website: eCommerceFastlane.com
Newsletter: FastlaneInsider.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shutt
X: x.com/stevenhutt
Instagram: instagram.com/ecommercefastlane
Email: steve@ecommercefastlane.com