Farid Movsumov on Building Shopify Apps, Solving Problems, and the Power of AI
Farid’s journey into the Shopify ecosystem wasn’t exactly linear, but that’s what makes it so interesting. Farid has navigated a unique path through the world of ecommerce. Today, he’s running his own company and building apps that solve real merchant problems, while also sharing his knowledge and tools with the wider community.
In this interview, we explore how it all started, what he’s learned, and where things are headed next.
Intro & Background
Can you tell us a bit about your background? What were you doing before you got into Shopify app development?
My name is Farid. I am originally from Azerbaijan and now live in the Netherlands. I studied Computer Engineering in Turkey, where my passion for web development first emerged. During my university years, I began building websites for small local businesses, which gave me hands-on experience with HTML/CSS and JavaScript (primarily jQuery). While web development captured my interest, I also developed a strong foundation in C# and Java, creating several desktop applications that helped solidify my programming skills.
What led you to the world of web development/ecommerce? Was it a gradual evolution or a sudden leap?
After graduation, I worked as a software engineer across various companies in Turkey, specializing in ecommerce projects. This experience proved invaluable when I later relocated to the Netherlands, where I continued to advance my career in the ecommerce sector. In 2024, I made the exciting decision to leave my full-time position and focus entirely on growing my own company, allowing me to fully apply my technical expertise and entrepreneurial vision.
Getting into Shopify & Apps
How did you first discover Shopify? What drew you to the platform?
My introduction to Shopify came through an unexpected path. While working at my first company, I joined a project aimed at developing a Shopify competitor from the ground up. This proved to be an invaluable learning experience as I immersed myself in Shopify’s ecosystem, studying their architecture and features to understand what made them successful. We were particularly impressed by their App Store model, and I was tasked with creating our platform’s first apps—essentially reverse-engineering how Shopify’s App Store functioned.
Through this process of competitive analysis, I ironically developed a deep appreciation for Shopify’s platform. The more I explored it, the more I recognized its elegance and potential, which eventually inspired me to build my own Shopify apps. My first significant app was Recomify, which remains active on the Shopify App Store today, though I later sold it.
What made you decide to build your first Shopify app? Was it a personal challenge, a business opportunity, or something else?
The decision to sell came from unexpected challenges—Shopify was only processing partner payouts through PayPal at that time, but PayPal suddenly became restricted in Turkey. I found myself in the frustrating position of covering server costs and providing customer support without receiving compensation. This experience ultimately influenced my decision to relocate to the Netherlands, seeking a more stable environment where I wouldn’t face such obstacles.
After settling in the Netherlands, I experimented with several SaaS projects as an indie hacker, but none achieved the traction I had hoped for. This journey of trial and error led me back to what I knew worked well and truly enjoyed—Shopify app development—allowing me to build on my previous expertise and passion.
Process & Philosophy
What’s your approach when designing a new app? Do you start with a visual idea, a user need, or something else?
My approach to app development is firmly rooted in solving real-world problems. Smart Image Upload, my most successful app, was born from a pain point I observed at my full-time job. Our company was hiring freelancers to match and upload product images—a process that was costly, time-consuming, and error-prone. After developing an internal solution that dramatically improved this workflow, I recognized its potential as a Shopify app that could help other ecommerce businesses facing similar challenges.
To validate my ideas, I take a data-driven approach by examining the App Store ecosystem. I look for existing apps with at least 15+ reviews that address a specific need but do so sub-optimally. This indicates both market demand and opportunity for improvement. While many recommend speaking directly with merchants to validate ideas, as an introvert, I’ve found analyzing App Store data more effective for initial validation. Once we’ve built a product, then I engage with users to understand their specific use cases and refine the solution further.
Do you have a specific type of merchant in mind when developing an app, or do you aim for versatility?
My target merchants vary by app. For Smart Image Upload, we primarily serve larger companies with extensive inventories and numerous product images. However, with Rubik Variant Images, we target merchants of all sizes since displaying relevant variant images is essential regardless of inventory size—it could be a store with just one product or thousands.
Is there a feature or detail in any of your apps that you’re particularly proud of? Something people might overlook but you feel makes a big difference?
I’m particularly proud of our use of feature flags. As we’ve added functionality, we’ve been careful not to overwhelm our interface. We selectively enable certain features only for customers who need them, keeping the experience clean and simple for everyone else. If at least 80% of users need a feature, we include it in the standard interface; otherwise, it remains hidden until we identify a customer who would benefit from it. This approach not only maintains a streamlined UX but also creates special moments when we enable specific features for customers, often resulting in positive reviews—a critical element in the Shopify app ecosystem.
CS ‑ Smart Bulk Image Upload
CS – Smart Bulk Image Upload app
Shopify & The Ecosystem
If you could change or improve one thing about the Shopify ecosystem, what would it be?
Shopify is a great company that actively listens to partner feedback and continuously improves its ecosystem. Recently, they addressed one of the biggest challenges app developers face—unfair or fake 1-star reviews. These reviews, often concerning aspects beyond our control like billing systems or API limitations, can significantly impact an app’s rating and visibility, especially for newer apps without many positive reviews. Shopify’s solution to weigh reviews from suspicious stores lower in the overall rating calculation was a smart and welcome change that many partners had been requesting for a long time. This demonstrates Shopify’s commitment to creating a fair environment where quality apps can succeed.
Is there something you’d love to see added to the Shopify App Store in the future, either technically or in terms of how they’re sold/discovered?
I believe the future of app discovery lies in Shopify’s AI-powered guided search feature. Currently, this functionality is somewhat hidden in the interface and underutilized. The standard search system relies on simple text matching, which doesn’t always connect merchants with the most relevant solutions for their specific needs. I’d like to see Shopify make their AI search the default discovery method, as it could better understand merchant intent and match them with the most appropriate apps, regardless of keyword optimization. This would benefit both merchants, who would find better solutions faster, and developers who create high-quality apps that might not rank well in the current keyword-based system.
Rubik Variant Images
The Future
Where do you see your app business going next? Are you planning more apps or exploring other things in the Shopify ecosystem?
Our main focus will remain on Shopify app development, and we’re already working on ideas for our next app based on frequent customer requests. I’m particularly excited about this upcoming project as it addresses a clear market need. Beyond product development, we’re also investing time in strengthening our marketing and distribution capabilities.
I’ve been focusing on consistent content creation across LinkedIn and YouTube, which is proving to be an effective strategy for expanding our reach. This balanced approach of building quality products while improving our marketing presence positions us well for sustainable growth in the Shopify ecosystem. In the future, I hope to share more data and insights about the effectiveness of this dual strategy.
What excites you the most about the future of ecommerce right now?
Artificial Intelligence is definitely the most exciting frontier in ecommerce right now. The pace of innovation in this field is remarkable—sometimes I find it challenging to keep up with all the exciting developments, particularly in areas like image generation and personalization. These technologies are creating unprecedented opportunities for merchants and developers alike.
We’re truly fortunate to be building businesses during this transformative period, with so many powerful tools becoming accessible to entrepreneurs of all sizes. The ability to leverage AI to solve complex problems that previously required significant resources is democratizing innovation in ways we’ve never seen before.
AI & Industry Trends
How do you see AI impacting app development in the next few years? Are you already using it in your workflow?
We are using AI extensively throughout our development process, and I’ve found it makes me a much more efficient and capable developer. When I started working on the Rubik Variant Images project, I had limited JavaScript experience, despite the project requiring advanced JavaScript implementations.
With AI assistance, I was able to overcome numerous technical challenges that would have been nearly impossible without solid JavaScript expertise. While some argue that AI dependence weakens development skills, my experience has been the opposite—it functions like a senior developer mentoring me through complex problems.
As I learn from these interactions, I gradually need less assistance and develop stronger independent skills. Rather than replacing learning, AI has accelerated my growth as a developer by allowing me to tackle projects beyond my initial skill level and learn through hands-on implementation.
Shopify recently announced an AI-powered prompt-based system that generates variations of the Dawn theme. What are your thoughts on this development?
I remember seeing Shopify’s AI theme generator first mentioned in your tweet, and it immediately sparked my excitement about the future possibilities for store customization. While I haven’t yet observed it being widely implemented on live stores, I anticipate we’ll see significant adoption within the next year.
The potential for merchants to rapidly generate unique storefronts aligned with their brand vision is tremendous. Looking further ahead, I can hardly imagine what will be possible in five years as these technologies mature and become more sophisticated!
Quick Takes
Apps you admire?
One of the apps I admire is Ablestar Bulk Product Editor. As a developer who built several apps in the bulk editing field, I know how challenging it is to make changes to large inventories efficiently—it requires a system that can scale exceptionally well. Daniel, the founder and developer of the app, handles these challenges like a pro.
Kaching Bundle app by Erikas is another great example I admire. Erikas shares everything transparently on social media and inspires me tremendously. Seeing how a small company can grow provides a wonderful model for our own company’s development trajectory.
Foxsell apps and team are another excellent example—they build amazing high-quality apps with a small team. Adi excels at marketing while Prakhar is a genius developer, creating an impressive combination of talents.
Favorite part of app development: Research, design, coding, testing, documentation, something else?
I particularly enjoy building the UX/UI of apps. Striving to design simple, intuitive user experiences is something I’m passionate about and an area where I believe I have particular skill. Working with Shopify Polaris is very satisfying, and following the Built for Shopify guidelines helps elevate the quality of our apps even further.
One piece of advice for someone thinking of submitting an app to the Shopify App Store?
Someone planning to build Shopify apps should prioritize understanding how the Shopify App Store ranking system works. Knowing how to position your app for top rankings with specific keywords and identifying which keywords to target is crucial.
Solving this marketing and distribution challenge is perhaps the most important aspect of success. To help with ranking, you can use the tool I built, Rankbase, which can assist with discovering new keywords and app listing optimization opportunities. Another valuable source of traffic for apps is the Shopify Community Forum—being active there is essential for visibility and establishing credibility.
