Shopify Hydrogen: Necessary But Not Sufficient
Reading the latest #Shopify Hydrogen updates.
I can't help but feel that Shopify is fighting 3 wars at the same time. 1 - Platform/render speed 2 - Customizabilty/composability 3 - Supply chain
In the past few years, while at least 3 dozen (or more) #headless startups have hammered home the message that it's difficult to meet Google's demanding speed standards without a more modern framework.
So Shopify seems to be on the path of addressing #1 with Hydrogen. The company's edge and render network Oxygen is still a glimmer and remains to be seen what it will offer relative to modern edge deployment platforms.
Unless Shopify expects everyone to build completely custom front-ends however, it needs a better solution for content management that works with the rest of its ecosystem, and allows support for emerging channels. So we have a promise for #2 but no clear plan for delivery other than a few tidbits.
To use Tobi's own words, Shopify over the next 5 years - without reinvention - could become at risk of being perceived as a "last generation" solution, similar to what Shopify did to many of Demandware's clients -- who were first convinced to go cloud-first by the company - and later migrated to Shopify Plus for cost of ownership reasons.
The key formula is to keep a low cost of ownership (missing component in a lot of headless) but keep speed and customizability/composability.
Finally, we come to supply chain. With the rise of same-day and same-hour delivery, Shopify is left wondering where it's place in the world is here. More first-product searches have moved to Amazon than anywhere else.
And Amazon has an ugly website (let's be honest) with a phenomenal supply chain. Feels like Shopify is missing a true Chief Supply Chain Officer to help its brands invest and compose solutions properly. Still far too focused on the front-end.
