What Shopify got wrong – and how we're unbundling it

[ovief72]

I’ve been obsessed with how traditional businesses in Africa and beyond are still stuck on Instagram, WhatsApp, and walk-ins — not because they don’t want to grow, but because today’s platforms don’t speak their language.

Platforms like Shopify, Wix, and Bubble are too horizontal. They require too much thinking, design, configuration. The next wave? Hyper-vertical platforms that "think" for the user.

Imagine:

A platform just for spare part dealers — with inventory categories built-in.

A platform just for mobile barbers — with preloaded service menus and booking calendars.

A platform just for tailors — with customer measurement tracking and fitting reminders.

That’s what we’re building: the unbundling of Shopify, into verticalized, plug-and-play platforms for real businesses around the world.

We’re starting in Africa — where this leap can have a generational impact.

I'd love feedback on:

Best vertical to start with

How to balance UX simplicity with extensibility

Building a scalable engine for multiple verticals

AMA — and brutally honest feedback welcome.