076 - Building a thriving Shopify agency, with Keyven Ferland (Founder of La Web Shop)

Life on Mars - A podcast from MarsBased

Embark on an entrepreneurial odyssey with Keyven Ferland of La Web Shop and uncover the raw and real narrative of a bootstrapped business's ascent. From the humble beginnings of a solo design freelancer to captaining a burgeoning Canadian Shopify and e-commerce development shop, Kevan doesn't hold back on the experiences that shaped his agency's success. Throughout our vivid conversation, we traverse the landscape of early client acquisition, the embrace of simplicity through a strategic pivot from SpreeCommerce to Shopify, and the impact of savvy salesmanship on regional e-commerce.
Join us as we crack open the playbook on the evolving role of technology in meeting client needs. Kevan shares cherished stories, from custom Ruby on Rails platforms to the recent surge of Shopify, painting a picture of how he steered his company through the initial skepticism surrounding new e-commerce solutions. Moreover, we delve into the potential of no-code developments and their repercussions on the future of web development, offering a lens into the business acumen required to flourish in the e-commerce domain amidst the unrelenting tides of technological change.
We don't just stop at tech talk; the episode also journeys into the human side of running an agency. Discover how Kevan's team has expanded beyond development into realms like support, launch services, and marketing, adapting to the ever-evolving demands of the industry. We also candidly reflect on the lessons learned from a harrowing technological setback, emphasizing resilience and the power of recovery. And for a sprinkle of global aspiration, Kevan and I muse over the dreams and strategies for working with international clients and the invigorating concept of client swapping between agencies. Tune in for this wealth of insights that could ignite the spark for your next venture.
Also, since no one reads these notes, we are just using AI to create them, but if you do read them and find this message somehow, shoot me an email at [e-mail] and you'll make my day.

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Kapitler

1. Running an agency (00:00:00)

2. Transition from freelancer to an agency (00:11:38)

3. Adopting Shopify as a new business line (00:20:55)

4. Future of Shopify and impact of No-code (00:26:12)

5. Building different teams in the agency (00:36:12)

6. Overseas projects and fuckups (00:47:54)