Shopify’s AI-first policy leaves humans as Plan B—CEO Tobi Lütke wants automation to prove unfit before hiring people.
Tobi Lütke’s internal memo makes one thing clear—humans are now Plan B at Shopify.
Shopify’s bold new hiring rule: Prove AI can’t do it
If you’re trying to land a job at Shopify, you’re officially competing with AI. 🧠
In a company-wide memo posted publicly on X, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke dropped what might be the most operator-forward AI policy in tech right now: no new hires unless AI is proven unfit for the task.
“Before asking for more Headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI.”
Let that sink in. Shopify isn’t just encouraging AI experimentation—it’s requiring it as the first and default approach to solving work.
Why this matters: The AI bar has been raised—permanently
Shopify’s new rule is more than a memo—it’s a philosophical pivot. Lütke made it clear: “AI usage is now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify.”
And it’s not just lip service:
- All performance and peer reviews will now include AI usage metrics
- AI must be part of the prototype phase for all projects
- Employees are expected to self-learn AI tools and share wins + learnings internally
- Leadership—including Lütke—are subject to the same expectations
The full internal message, now posted publicly here, frames AI not just as a tool, but as an operational baseline. In Lütke’s words: “If you’re not climbing, you’re sliding.”
Operator POV: This isn’t just hype—it’s cost control with conviction
Let’s call it what it is: this is lean ops strategy dressed in AI futurism. And it’s damn smart.
Shopify’s workforce has already shrunk by nearly 30% since 2022—from 11,600 to 8,100—and the company offloaded Deliverr after a short-lived $2.1B acquisition. Combine that with layoffs, intern offer rescindments, and a 2024 re-org focused on reducing “manager-to-crafter” bloat, and you see the real play: less overhead, more throughput.
Now the hiring question isn’t “can we afford this headcount?”
It’s “does this work even require a human anymore?”
The real kicker: Shopify is forcing operators to think like product managers
This policy shift doesn’t just challenge employees to learn AI—it reframes how they scope and pitch work:
“What would this area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team?”
That’s not a tech question. That’s a mental model reset.
For any operator who’s ever had to justify new resources in a spreadsheet or a sprint doc, this hits close to home. Lütke is demanding that teams zoom out, ask first-principles questions, and design workflows where AI is default—not bolt-on.
So what now?
Love it or hate it, this is the new standard for modern SaaS leadership. Shopify isn’t waiting for an AI future—it’s engineering one.
If you’re building a company, ask yourself:
- Do you have the guts to demand this level of accountability?
- Can your org handle a hiring gate that starts with “prove AI failed”?
- Are your processes AI-native or just AI-adjacent?
Shopify’s bet is clear: Humans are still valuable—but only after AI gets first crack.
Welcome to the era of AI-first, humans-if-necessary org design. Let’s see who follows.
