The chief executive of Shopify Inc. is discouraging staff from taking on side gigs that divert their attention away from the company.
Tobi Lutke says in a memo circulated to staff that the Ottawa-based e-commerce company’s mission to build world-class software for millions of merchants requires their unshared attention.
He says he felt like he was on the Truman Show when he recently learned the company was handing out offer letters to prospective hires encouraging side gigs.
(Sponsored)
Invest with confidence: Hydro Ottawa funds technical studies for business retrofits
For Ottawa businesses, the opportunity to improve building performance has never been greater. Energy retrofits can cut emissions, strengthen operations, extend the life of assets, reduce operating costs, and position
Giving Guide 2025: Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation
As Ottawa’s only Community Cancer Hub, we are delivering Supportive Cancer Care through dynamic collaborations with over 70 diverse community partners.
He says staff should still feel free to run a Shopify store to learn about the company’s products, but if it grows, he wants them to hire help or become a full-time entrepreneur.
Lutke says occasional side hustles like teaching a weekend yoga class or coaching kids soccer once or twice a week aren’t the kind of activities he’s concerned about.
Lutke’s memo comes after the company laid off thousands of workers over the last two years, saying it had misjudged how lasting the growth of e-commerce would be following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent years, Shopify president Harley Finkelstein co-founded Firebelly Tea and co-hosts Jewish entrepreneurs podcast Big Shot with DavidsTea founder David Segal.
