Tobi Lutke on Hiring

Co-founder & CEO at Shopify

15 insights8 categories

Co-founder of Shopify who grew it from a snowboard shop into a $100B+ commerce platform. Self-taught programmer who hires for trajectory over credentials and believes the best people are builders first.

“Hire for slope, not y-intercept. Someone's rate of learning matters way more than what they know today. Knowledge is cheap — the ability to acquire it fast is rare.”

Tobi Lutke taught himself to code, built an online snowboard shop, and turned the platform behind it into Shopify. That trajectory shaped how he thinks about hiring: what someone knows today matters far less than how fast they can learn.

"Hire for slope, not y-intercept. Someone's rate of learning matters way more than what they know today. Knowledge is cheap. The ability to acquire it fast is rare."

Shopify's interview process has two signature elements. The first is the "life story" interview, where candidates walk through their entire journey: where they grew up, what got them into their field, every job and why they left. It takes about an hour. Lutke believes it reveals patterns of curiosity and agency that structured behavioral questions miss entirely.

The second is a paid work trial. Instead of whiteboard algorithms, technical candidates get a small real-world project that looks like actual Shopify work. The company pays them for their time.

"I want to work with people who have built things. Not talked about building things, not managed people who built things. Actually built things themselves."

What Lutke looks for is evidence of acceleration. The ideal candidate has a clear arc where each role was harder than the last, each challenge bigger than they were ready for. Side projects and open source contributions aren't resume padding. They're proof that someone builds because they can't help it.

The red flags are just as clear. Candidates who've stayed comfortable for years without growth, or who describe their work in terms of Jira workflows instead of what they actually shipped, raise immediate concerns.

"When you give them the work trial project, watch how they ask questions. Great candidates ask about the user problem. Weaker candidates ask about the spec."

By betting on trajectory over credentials, Shopify has built teams of fast learners with unconventional backgrounds. That's exactly the kind of team you need when your startup becomes a platform powering millions of businesses.

Philosophy

Core beliefs about hiring and talent

Lutke's hiring philosophy starts with a single idea: hire for slope, not y-intercept. What someone knows today matters far less than how fast they learn. This principle has led Shopify to hire people with unconventional backgrounds who outpace credentialed candidates within months.

Hire for slope, not y-intercept. Someone's rate of learning matters way more than what they know today. Knowledge is cheap — the ability to acquire it fast is rare.

Tobi's most cited hiring principle. Shopify famously hires people with unconventional backgrounds who learn fast.

I want to work with people who have built things. Not talked about building things, not managed people who built things — actually built things themselves. Show me your side projects, your open source contributions, the thing you made on a weekend because you were curious.

Shopify's emphasis on craft and building is central to their culture.

Hiring Process

How they structure interviews and evaluations

Shopify's hiring process is built around two signature elements: the life story interview, where candidates walk through their entire career narrative, and paid work trials that replace whiteboard coding with real-world projects. Both are designed to reveal the person behind the resume.

We do a 'life story' interview. Tell me your whole story — where you grew up, what got you into this field, every job you've had and why you left. It takes about an hour but you learn more from this than any technical question.

The life story interview reveals patterns of curiosity, ambition, and self-awareness that structured questions miss.

For technical roles, we give people a small real-world project to work on — not a whiteboard problem, not an algorithm puzzle. Something that looks like actual work they'd do here. We pay them for their time.

Shopify uses paid work trials over traditional coding interviews.

Interview Questions

Questions they ask candidates

Lutke's interview questions probe for curiosity, independent thinking, and genuine reflection. He's less interested in what you've accomplished and more interested in whether you're the kind of person who can't stop learning and building.

What's something you taught yourself recently that has nothing to do with your job?

Tests for innate curiosity. The best Shopify hires are people who can't stop learning, even about things that don't 'matter.'

Tell me about something you built that you're really proud of — and then tell me what you'd do differently if you built it again today.

The second half is the important part. It reveals whether someone actually reflects and grows or just ships and moves on.

What's a strong opinion you hold about how software should be built that most people would disagree with?

Tests for independent thinking. People who only have consensus opinions tend to produce consensus work.

What They Look For

Traits and signals that excite them

The candidates who excite Lutke show a clear arc of acceleration. Each role harder than the last, each challenge bigger than they were ready for. Bonus points if they build things outside of work purely out of curiosity.

People who have a clear 'arc' — you can see them getting meaningfully better at each job. Each role was harder than the last, they took on things they weren't ready for, and they figured it out.

This is the 'slope' Tobi looks for — evidence of acceleration, not just experience.

Candidates who've built things outside of work — side projects, open source, even non-technical creative work. It signals they're driven by curiosity, not just a paycheck.

Dealbreakers

Warning signs that concern them

Comfort is the enemy at Shopify. Candidates who've stayed in safe roles for years without growth, or who describe their work in terms of process rather than output, raise immediate concerns.

If someone has been in a comfortable role for many years and can't articulate why, that's a flag. Growth requires discomfort. The best people seek out situations where they're in over their head.

People who describe their work entirely in terms of process and meetings rather than output. If you ask what they built and they tell you about the Jira workflow, something's off.

Signals to Watch

Subtle cues they pay attention to

In both the life story interview and work trials, Lutke watches for agency and craftsmanship. Did things happen to this person, or did they make things happen? Do they ask about the user problem, or about the spec?

In the life story interview, listen for how they explain their transitions. Did things happen to them, or did they make things happen? The language reveals whether someone has agency or is just along for the ride.

When you give them the work trial project, watch how they ask questions. Great candidates ask clarifying questions about the user problem. Weaker candidates ask about the spec and acceptance criteria.

Principles

Guiding rules they hire by

Lutke thinks beyond the role you're filling today. He hires for the person who will grow into three roles you'll need in two years. It's a bet on trajectory that has paid off as Shopify scaled.

Don't hire for the role you need filled today. Hire for the person who will grow into three roles you'll need in two years. This is especially true at a scaling company.

Interviewer Tips

Practical advice for running interviews

Shopify front-loads the work trial before culture interviews. If someone's craft isn't there, nothing else matters. No point wasting anyone's time finding that out last.

Do the work trial before the culture interviews, not after. If someone's craft isn't there, nothing else matters. Don't waste their time or yours with four rounds of behavioral interviews before you find out they can't do the work.

Frequently Asked: Tobi Lutke on Hiring

Interview questions Tobi Lutke is known for asking candidates.

What's something you taught yourself recently that has nothing to do with your job?+

Tests for innate curiosity. The best Shopify hires are people who can't stop learning, even about things that don't 'matter.'

Tell me about something you built that you're really proud of — and then tell me what you'd do differently if you built it again today.+

The second half is the important part. It reveals whether someone actually reflects and grows or just ships and moves on.

What's a strong opinion you hold about how software should be built that most people would disagree with?+

Tests for independent thinking. People who only have consensus opinions tend to produce consensus work.

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