Liquid Weekly Podcast: Shopify Developers Talking Shopify Development

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/
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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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In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page sit down with Farid Mosumov, a Shopify app developer and one of the first to release a Shop Mini, to explore the new frontier of the Shop app ecosystem.

Farid shares his journey from building Shopify competitors in PHP to becoming a full-time Shopify app developer in the Netherlands. He pulls back the curtain on the "Shop Minis" early access program, explaining how developers can leverage this new surface to improve discoverability for merchants. He discusses the technical stack (Cloudflare Workers, OpenAI), the "hidden" nature of Minis currently, and why this is a massive opportunity for developers to rethink how they drive sales.

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

The leading outsourced customer support service for Shopify apps, helping developers focus on building while they handle the tickets.

Find Farid Masumov Online
Twitter (X): https://x.com/faridmovsumov
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faridmovsumov/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCLzQ6NcHTYxwRCZDHn1PbPA
Website: https://craftshift.com/
Shopify Apps: https://apps.shopify.com/partners/craftshift
Shop Mini App: https://shop.app/mini/find-your-colors
Rankbase.io: https://rankbase.io/

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Support Heroes Sponsor Ad
02:00 Welcome and Introduction of Farid Masumov
05:08 Farid’s Origin Story: From PHP to Shopify App Dev
11:40 The Tech Stack: Laravel, React, and AI Tools
15:00 Using AI for Coding vs. Marketing
20:45 Getting Started with Shop Minis (Thanks to Harshdeep!)
23:00 What are Shop Minis? Strategy and Discovery
26:30 Ideation: How to Build for the Shop App Consumer
31:50 The Early Access Experience & Working with Shopify Product Managers
37:00 The Importance of Standard Category Metafields
46:00 Infrastructure & Costs: Cloudflare Workers and OpenAI
53:25 Dev Changelog Highlights
55:50 Picks of the Week

Resources
Shop Minis announcement: https://www.shopify.com/blog/shop-minis-a-new-era-of-immersive-commerce
Shop Minis Documentation: https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/shop-minis
Dev Community Forums: https://community.shopify.dev/c/shop-minis/33
Harshdeep Post: https://x.com/kinngh/status/1981088833903972531?s=20

Dev Changelog
[Action Required] Customer marketing URL fields now require write access: https://shopify.dev/changelog/customer-marketing-url-fields-now-require-write-access
Discount functions API now supports rejecting discount codes: https://shopify.dev/changelog/discount-rejection-support-for-discount-functions
Venmo and PayPal are now treated as separate payment methods: https://shopify.dev/changelog/venmo-and-paypal-are-now-treated-as-separate-payment-methods

Picks of the Week
Karl: Russell Stover Sugar-Free Peppermint Patties – A keto-friendly indulgence for when you need a sweet treat.
Farid: Custom Data Declarations & Admin Intents – Using Metaobjects and Admin Intents to create fast, native-feeling editing experiences within embedded apps.
Taylor: Ninja Creami – An ice cream maker that lets you control ingredients (and mix-ins!) for high-quality frozen desserts at home.

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