Liquid Weekly Podcast: Shopify Developers Talking Shopify Development

In this episode, Sammy Isaiah, co-founder of Discount Kit, shares insights into Shopify app development, the evolution of Shopify POS, and the innovative Discount Kit Live platform.
Discover how these tools are transforming e-commerce experiences for developers and merchants alike.

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For more information about the sponsor of this episode, Support Heroes, check out: http://thesupportheroes.com

Timestamps
00:00 Discount Kit Live: Enhancing User Experience
06:29 The Role of Agencies and Developers in Shopify
09:37 Technical Insights on Discount Management
12:15 Future Prospects and Community Engagement
15:25 Building the Foundation for User Experience
18:36 Innovations in Cart Functionality
21:52 Data Management Challenges
22:58 Exploring Shopify Functions
27:52 Transitioning to Point of Sale (POS) Development
45:15 The Birth of Pause Cues
47:33 Exploring the Functionality of Pause Cues
50:26 The Impact of POS on Merchants
52:25 The Developer Experience with Shopify POS
56:24 Updates and Changes in Discount Kit
59:25 Changelog Highlights and Community Feedback
01:04:17 Picks of the Week and Closing Thoughts

Find Sammy Online
Twitter - https://x.com/sammyIsseyegh
LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/sammyIsseyegh
Shopify App Store - https://apps.shopify.com/discount-kit

Dev Changelog
- Legacy customer accounts are now deprecated - https://shopify.dev/changelog/legacy-customer-accounts-are-deprecated
- New APIs to read and write shipping options in delivery profile - https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-apis-to-read-and-write-shipping-options-in-delivery-profile
- Manage dev previews on your dev store without leaving admin - https://shopify.dev/changelog/manage-dev-previews-on-your-dev-store-without-leaving-admin
- JSON metafield values limited to 128KB - https://shopify.dev/changelog/reduced-metafield-value-sizes
- Shopify Dev Forums discussion: https://community.shopify.dev/t/metafield-values-limited-to-16kb/29775/39
- Bare query strings no longer bust the cache for assets - https://shopify.dev/changelog/bare-query-strings-no-longer-bust-the-cache-for-assets
- Enhanced discounts support in the Shopify Functions Cart - https://shopify.dev/changelog/enhanced-discounts-support-in-the-shopify-functions-cart
- New analyticsQueryable capability for Metafield Definitions - https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-analyticsqueryable-capability-for-metafield-definitions

Picks of the Week
Taylor - Resend https://resend.com/
Karl - Ghostty - https://ghostty.org/
Sammy - Greptile - https://www.greptile.com/

Resources
Shopify Developer Documentation -https://shopify.dev/
Discount Kit App - https://apps.shopify.com/discount-kit
Shopify POS Development Resources - https://shopify.dev/docs/pos
Shopify Functions GitHub Repository - https://github.com/Shopify/shopify-function-template
Shopify WebAssembly API - https://shopify.dev/api/wasm
Reptile AI Code Review Tool - https://reptile.ai/
Ghosty Terminal Emulator - https://ghosty.app/

Key Topics
Shopify app development evolution
Introduction of Discount Kit Live platform
Shopify POS advancements and developer tools
Impact of Shopify updates on merchants and developersStrategies for building scalable Shopify apps

SEO KeywordsShopify, Shopify POS, Discount Kit, Shopify apps, e-commerce, app development, Shopify functions, POS development, discount management, Shopify updates

In this episode, Karl and Taylor sit down with Scott Austin, owner of the San Diego-based Shopify agency Jade Puma. Scott shares his journey from previous career at Microsoft to building an agency that thrives on efficiency, radical honesty, and zero red tape.
We dig into Scott's unique agency model. He strictly bills hourly in arrears, refuses to do fixed-bid contracts or scopes of work, and only works directly with decision-makers. Scott also breaks down his content marketing strategy via his own show, the Shopify Solutions Podcast, and explains how he standardizes client builds using custom apps and themes.
Episode Highlights
The "Leaf in a Stream" Philosophy: Scott discusses his self-awareness as a business owner and why avoiding bureaucracy makes him highly effective.
Hourly Billing & No Contracts: Scott completely abandoned fixed-price projects and scopes of work to eliminate scope creep. He notes that this decision doubled his revenue.
Standardizing Processes: Standardizing on specific themes and building custom internal apps saves hours of development time per store.
The Truth About AI: Scott views artificial intelligence as a powerful daily tool. However, he emphasizes that it currently possesses "zero intelligence" and is not a threat to his job.
Find Scott Online
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://jadepuma.com
Podcast: https://www.shopifysolutionspodcast.com
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
03:50 - Scott's Origin Story: From Microsoft to Shopify
11:50 - Defining Freelance vs. Agency
16:50 - Why Small Agencies and Direct Decision-Makers Win
22:00 - Content Marketing & The Shopify Solutions Podcast
30:00 - Scott's Perspective on AI and the Future of Tech
35:35 - Agency Best Practices & Tool Standardization
42:40 - Pricing Strategy: Hourly Billing in Arrears
50:15 - Dev Changelog Highlights
54:15 - Picks of the Week
Dev Changelog
[action required] Reduced metafield value sizes - https://shopify.dev/changelog/reduced-metafield-value-sizes
Use the Admin API and bulk operations in Shopify CLI - https://shopify.dev/changelog/use-the-admin-api-and-bulk-operations-in-shopify-cli
Improved app logs and monitoring - https://shopify.dev/changelog/improved-app-logs-and-monitoring
Shopify-account web component for storefronts - https://shopify.dev/changelog/shopify-account-web-component-for-storefronts
Webhook subscriptions now support a name field for identification - https://shopify.dev/changelog/webhook-subscriptions-now-support-a-name-field-for-identification
Picks of the Week
Karl: The sci-fi movie "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1341338/
Scott: Metaobject Pages, a feature from 2023 that simplifies dynamic page building and content sorting - https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/custom-data/metaobjects/connecting-to-your-online-store/webpages
Taylor: Cloudflare Workers, which are proving highly effective for small projects and AI integrations - https://workers.cloudflare.com/
Stay Connected
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In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page talk with Shopify partner Brendan Quigley (founder of Three Acres) about building a sustainable solo business. Brendan shares his path into Shopify development, lessons from freelancing, and practical financial strategies—including YNAB and Profit First—to create more control and stability.

They also discuss moving from one-off projects to retainer/membership models for predictable income, strengthening long-term client relationships, setting clear expectations, scaling thoughtfully, and managing time well. The episode wraps with Brendan’s perspective on selling expertise, improving productivity, and protecting work-life balance.

*Support Heroes*For more information about the sponsor of this episode, Support Heroes, check out: http://thesupportheroes.com/?utm_source=liquid_weekly&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sponsorships

Timestamps
00:00 Exploring Money and Business
02:21 Brendan's Journey into Shopify Development
04:37 The Journey of Freelancing
06:40 Building a Business in E-commerce
09:09 The Power of Automation and Scripting
15:23 Understanding Finances as a Solopreneur
27:12 Implementing Profit First for Business Success
29:44 Membership Models and Client Relationships
36:05 Understanding Project Tiers and Workflows
38:47 The Importance of Time Management in Client Projects
39:48 Building Relationships with Clients
43:35 Scaling Your Business Effectively
47:22 Utilization Rates and Work-Life Balance
52:51 Transitioning to the Changelog and New Developments
01:07:06 LW podcast intro video.mp4

Dev Changelog
All changelog updates are posts on the forum - https://community.shopify.dev/c/changelog/28 

Shop Minis January 2026 update - https://shopify.dev/changelog/shop-minis-january-2026-update 

Automatically copy cart metafields to orders at checkout completion - https://shopify.dev/changelog/automatically-copy-cart-metafields-to-orders-at-checkout-completion 

New: Persist cart metafields to orders with `cartToOrderCopyable` - https://community.shopify.dev/t/new-persist-cart-metafields-to-orders-with-carttoordercopyable/29264 

Increasing the app block limit to 30 for theme app extensions - https://shopify.dev/changelog/increasing-the-app-block-limit-to-30-for-theme-app-extensions 

Picks of the Week
Karl - Quest Protein Chips
Taylor - Waste King L-8000 1HP Garbage disposal affiliate link https://amzn.to/45OnoIK
Brendan - YNAB - https://www.ynab.com and Raspberry Pi + Pihole - http://pishop.us/ or https://pishop.ca/ AND https://pi-hole.net/

SEO Keywords
Liquid Weekly Podcast, Shopify, Brendan Quigley, finances, budgeting, solopreneur, Profit First, YNAB, development, entrepreneurship, business model, membership, client relationships, pricing, freelancing, productivity, time management, scaling, services, deliverables

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In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page recap Taylor's trip to New York City for the exclusive Shopify Winter Editions meetup. They break down the "Agentic Commerce" hype, the realities of the new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), and why the best way to optimize for AI is actually just using Standard Category Metafields.
The episode features on-the-ground interviews with key Shopify staff members, including Liam Griffin, Darius (Senior Product Lead, Dev Platform), and Eitan (Shopify Flow team), offering deep dives into the new developer tools, Shop Minis, and the future of Shopify Flow.
Interviews & Highlights
Liam Griffin: Discusses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for developers, using AI for mundane tasks like REST-to-GraphQL migration, and the "Pokemon generation" explosion of Shop Minis (including a virtual sommelier!).
Darius: Breaks down the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), how the Catalog API works with agents, and why "Agentic Engine Optimization" isn't about hacks—it's about clean data and taxonomy.
Eitan: Covers the "Flow 3.0" feel with new Sidekick-generated workflows, the highly anticipated testing layer, and moving toward declarative UIs.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction, Stickers, and Winter Storm Stories
06:40 Taylor’s NYC Editions Trip Recap
20:45 Key Takeaways: Agentic Commerce & UCP Realities
31:00 Live Demo: Shopify Flow Sidekick Generation & Testing Layer
38:30 Developer Tip: Running Queries from Dev Docs in GraphiQL
43:00 Interview: Liam Griffin (Dev MCP, Shop Minis, Dev Forums)
55:20 Interview: Darius (Universal Commerce Protocol, Metaobject Limits, Catalog API)
01:07:50 Interview: Eitan (Shopify Flow Updates)
01:20:30 Dev Changelog Highlights
01:25:00 Picks of the Week
Dev Changelog
New article list input settings for themes: Link
Migrate metafields with Shopify App Import custom data definitions: Link
[Action Required] Shop Minis development now requires partner account permissions: Link
[Action Required] Standardization of asset_url version params: Link
Shopify App extensions now support Admin and Theme App Extensions: Link
[Action Required] Ensuring POS UI extension stability by hardening callback handling: Link
Picks of the Week
Karl: MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge – An interactive live-action game that turns the water park lodge into a questing adventure.
Taylor: DJI Mic 3 – Wireless microphones that offer professional audio quality and ease of use for field recordings and interviews.
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In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page welcome Simon Barnes, the Head of Developer Relations at Mantle.

The conversation kicks off with Simon's journey into Shopify development. He shares his early experiences with web development, the evolution of his career, and how he transitioned from agency work to his current role at Mantle. The discussion highlights the importance of community and collaboration in the developer ecosystem, particularly in the context of building Shopify apps and the unique features of Mantle's platform.

The trio discusses the potential for app developers to leverage Mantle's tools to enhance their applications and improve user experience. They also touch on the upcoming Seismic Volume 3 release, which promises exciting new features for developers. The episode wraps up with personal picks of the week, showcasing a mix of technology, nostalgia, and travel recommendations.

Support Heroes
For more information about the sponsor of this episode, Support Heroes, check out: http://thesupportheroes.com/?utm_source=liquid_weekly&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sponsorships

Find Simon Barnes Online
X - https://x.com/sb18281
LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/in/simonbarnesnz

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Setup
01:03 Welcoming Simon Barnes
04:57 Simon’s Origin Story in Development
07:56 Transition to Shopify and App Development
08:36 The Evolution of Mantle and Its Offerings
14:26 Developer Relations and Community Engagement
19:56 Exciting Developments in Mantle's Ecosystem
26:27 The Future of Elements and Developer Opportunities
33:07 Building for the Mantle Ecosystem
39:51 Navigating App Development with Mantle
45:52 Building on Existing Features
48:20 Upcoming Events and Community Engagement
49:44 Insights from the Change Log
56:22 Picks of the Week

Resources
Mantle Seismic Volume 3 - https://rebrand.ly/seismic-3
Mantle Elements - https://coreapi.heymantle.dev/reference/getting-access
Mantle on X - https://x.com/heymantle
Mantle Discord - https://discord.gg/BBWjX3UDcH

Dev Changelog
* Subscription billing attempts throttling - https://shopify.dev/changelog/subscription-billing-attempts-throttling
* Introducing the orders/link_requested webhook topic - https://shopify.dev/changelog/introducing-the-orderslinkrequested-webhook-topic
* [action required] Deprecation of Shop.billingAddress in favor of Shop.shopAddress - https://shopify.dev/changelog/deprecation-of-shop-billingaddress-in-favor-of-shop-shopaddress
* [action required] Removing permitsSkuSharing field from fulfillment service - https://shopify.dev/changelog/removing-permitsskusharing-field-from-fulfillment-service
* Conversion tracking fields added to MarketingEngagementCreate - https://shopify.dev/changelog/conversion-tracking-fields-added-to-marketing-engagement-create
* (Simon) Better way to match Shopify Payments payouts with bank deposits - https://changelog.shopify.com/posts/better-way-to-match-shopify-payments-payouts-with-bank-deposits

Picks of the Week
Karl - Omarchy / https://omarchy.org

Simon Barnes - Niche instagram accounts:
@idontgiveaseat
@vhsdates
@totally80sroom
@depthsofwikipedia

Taylor - Big Stone Gap - town with a cool sidewalk…

SEO Keywords
Liquid Weekly Podcast, Shopify development, Mantle, Simon Barnes, developer relations, app development, revenue operations, Seismic Volume 3, elements feature, web development

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