Episode 39 - Prakhar Shrivastava With FoxSell
Liquid Weekly Podcast: Shopify Developers Talking Shopify DevelopmentShow Notes
In this episode of the Liquid Weekly Podcast, hosts Karl Meisterheim and Taylor Page welcome Prakhar, co-founder of FoxSell, to discuss his journey into software development, the intricacies of Shopify's cart transformations, and the challenges of running a Shopify app.
They explore the benefits and use cases of cart transformations, the importance of understanding customer segments, and the complexities of app pricing and acquisition strategies. The conversation also touches on the non-technical aspects of app development and concludes with personal picks of the week.
*Takeaways* - Prakhar's journey into software development began with a conventional path in engineering. - Cart transformations allow for bundling products in a more user-friendly way. - Understanding customer segments is crucial for app development and marketing. - The App Store can be a tricky space for new apps due to competition and review dynamics. - Leveraging Shopify's infrastructure can enhance reliability and performance for app developers. - The importance of customer support in obtaining positive app reviews cannot be overstated. - App pricing strategies should be carefully considered to ensure market competitiveness. - The future of cart transformations looks promising with ongoing developments in Shopify functions. - Non-technical challenges in app development are just as important as technical ones. - Building for Shopify can provide significant advantages in the e-commerce space.
*Timestamps* 00:00 The Journey into App Development 06:15 Exploring Cart Transformations 14:26 Understanding Cart Transformation Mechanics 18:00 The Evolution of Bundling Technology 23:48 Innovative Use Cases for Cart Transform API 27:30 Challenges and Opportunities in Cart Transform 34:42 Navigating the App Development Landscape 50:14 Building Trust and Reliability in E-commerce 01:00:53 Enhancements in UI Extensions and Attributes API 01:02:29 Tech Picks of the Week: Hardware and Software 01:05:07 The Evolution of Apple's Touch Bar 01:06:56 Microphone Recommendations for Quality Sound 01:08:14 Building with Polaris: A Game Changer for Shopify Apps 01:10:16 The Importance of Pricing in App Development 01:12:25 Reflections on Development and Innovation 01:12:59 LW Podcast Outro.mp4
*Changelog* - Shopify.dev MCP Server - https://shopify.dev/changelog/mcp-server-for-the-shopify-dev-assistant - New webhook to track updates to checkout and accounts configuration - https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-webhook-to-track-updates-to-checkout-and-accounts-configuration - Liquid support for OKLCH colors - https://shopify.dev/changelog/liquid-support-for-oklch-colors - Developer Preview: Localhost-based development for shopify app dev - https://shopify.dev/changelog/developer-preview-localhost-based-development-for-shopify-app-dev - Checkout UI extensions: Attributes API now supports removing cart and checkout attributes - https://shopify.dev/changelog/checkout-ui-extensions-attributes-api-now-supports-removing-cart-and-checkout-attributes
*Resources* - FoxSell https://www.foxsell.app/ - Eytan Tweet about BFS changes based on feedback https://x.com/eytanseidman/status/1903110665360794091 - Mat De Sousa poll on Twitter https://x.com/DsMatie/status/1906318592712261895
*Find Prakhar Online* - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakhars96/ - X https://x.com/PrakharS96
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More from Liquid Weekly Podcast: Shopify Developers Talking Shopify Development
Taylor is in India for Shop Quest, so Karl flies solo with Charles Swayne, owner and app developer at JadePuma Apps and the person behind Datify. Charles is 21, learned Python in sixth grade, and now runs a multi-agent development workflow that researches, plans, audits the plan, executes, and tests itself before he ever looks at the code.
Georgi Petrov, CEO and co-founder of Uxify, joins Karl and Taylor to talk about the half of web performance nobody optimizes for: the shopper's device. After building SMS Bump (acquired by Yotpo), ConsentMo, and NitroPack (acquired by WP Engine), Georgi is now tackling device-specific friction, the laggy buttons, layout shifts, and interaction delays that vary wildly from one phone to the next. We get into how Uxify profiles a visitor's capability without touching your code, the specialized agents that fix problems on the fly, the ClickHouse-powered data layer behind it all, and how to think about performance heading into BFCM. Plus the Dev Changelog and Picks of the Week. Sponsor The Support Heroes: https://www.thesupportheroes.com/ Subscribe to Liquid Weekly Don't miss out on expert insights and tips. Subscribe to Liquid Weekly for more content like this: https://liquidweekly.com/ Find Georgi Online Uxify: https://uxify.com/integrations/shopify/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgipetrov/ Timestamps (00:00) Open (00:29) Intros (02:11) Meet Georgi Petrov of Uxify (02:54) Origin story: hardware hacking to his first software (06:03) Finding Shopify: SMS Bump, ConsentMo, and NitroPack (12:23) Making fast decisions and failing cheaply (15:32) Why Uxify: performance is half website, half device (20:11) How it works: profiling devices and adapting on the fly (26:17) Sitting alongside your theme without touching your code (28:26) Real user monitoring and specialized agents (37:47) The tech stack: ClickHouse and heavy browser testing (41:57) Shopify cart variations and a clever checkout fallback (46:24) Prepping for BFCM and who Uxify is for (51:14) Dev Changelog (58:22) Picks of the Week Dev Changelog [action required] Variants now support multiple barcodes: https://shopify.dev/changelog/product-variant-barcode-is-being-replaced-by-barcodes Create and delete dev stores in Shopify CLI: https://shopify.dev/changelog/create-and-delete-dev-stores-in-shopify-cli [action required] Discounts Allocator Function API developer preview has ended: https://shopify.dev/changelog/discounts-allocator-function-api-developer-preview-has-ended Delivery options in Shopify Functions input now expose their metafields: https://shopify.dev/changelog/delivery-options-in-shopify-functions-input-now-expose-their-metafields Prepare your app for the Shopify admin's new look: https://shopify.dev/changelog/prepare-your-app-for-the-shopify-admins-new-look [action required] Updates to Events payloads and subscription configuration: https://shopify.dev/changelog/updates-to-events-payloads-and-subscription-configuration New Pricing audit trail for contextual product variant prices: https://shopify.dev/changelog/pricing-audit-trail-for-contextual-product-variant-prices [breaking api change] [action required] Removed session.currentSession.staffMemberId from POS UI Extensions (2026-10): https://shopify.dev/changelog/removed-session-currentsession-staffmemberid-from-pos-ui-extensions-2026-10 Request a bundle size exception for existing UI extensions: https://shopify.dev/changelog/request-a-bundle-size-exception-for-existing-ui-extensions Picks of the Week Karl: Keto Oreo-style sandwich cookies (about 50 calories each), part of his ongoing tour through packaged keto snacks: https://www.choczero.com/products/keto-sandwich-cookies Georgi: Calisthenics between AI prompts. Knocking out push-ups and squats while waiting on an agent, which he says burns the time well and sharpens his focus when he comes back. Taylor: Ted Lasso, season 4 on Apple TV+. Still, in his words, one of the most wholesome shows around: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10986410/
Prakhar Shrivastava of FoxSell joins Karl and Taylor to talk about Shop Quest, the Shopify community event he and his team run in Bengaluru, and to prep Taylor for his first trip to India.
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