Becoming Radical

In this episode of Becoming Radical, Michael Gaizutis sits down with Kurt Elster—host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast and one of the most trusted independent Shopify experts in the world. With over 500 episodes under his belt and a career working with some of the most successful Shopify brands, Kurt has built his reputation on cutting through the noise and focusing on what really drives growth. From navigation mistakes that kill conversions to the overlooked power of newsletters, Kurt lays out a no-fluff, fundamentals-first approach for entrepreneurs who want to thrive in e-commerce. He shares lessons from running his agency, building a leading Shopify podcast, and helping brands increase their average order value with small but radical tweaks. Together, Michael and Kurt explore what separates stores that scale from those that stall, the future of headless commerce and AI agents, and why storytelling and copywriting remain timeless drivers of trust and differentiation. If you’re building a brand in 2025—or wondering how to radically improve your Shopify store—this conversation is a masterclass you don’t want to miss.  Key Takeaways   The two fundamentals every e-commerce brand must master: a strong product and the discipline to stay focused. Most Shopify stores fail on the basics—like navigation and product pages—before chasing shiny tools and apps. Small tweaks, like adding a “best value” badge, can boost average order value by 10% without more traffic. Copywriting still outperforms design changes—focus on clarity, legibility, and customer-focused messaging. Balancing automation with personalization is essential—customers can smell generic AI content. Podcasting consistency built Kurt’s brand: 500+ weekly episodes over 10 years. The future of Shopify includes AI-driven catalog search, global cart, and cleaner product taxonomies. Bootstrap founders should start simple: build a newsletter to stay top of mind. In This Episode   [00:51] What separates successful Shopify stores from those that stall [04:10] Common mistakes brands make with navigation and product pages [08:39] The fundamentals of a high-converting product page in 2025 [12:15] Why copywriting changes beat design tweaks [15:42] How one small badge boosted AOV by 10% [19:11] Balancing automation, AI, and personalization [22:34] The art of storytelling in e-commerce [26:18] Kurt’s process for working with brands [30:45] The origins and growth of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast [34:09] Shopify apps Kurt swears by (and why less is more) [38:42] Headless commerce and the Shopify horizon [43:27] E-commerce in the next 3–5 years [47:11] How AI and Shopify’s catalog API will reshape shopping [52:03] What Kurt would do differently starting from scratch [55:14] His advice to bootstrap founders launching in 2025 [58:21] Where to find Kurt Elster online Our Guest Kurt Elster is a senior e-commerce strategist and host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. Recognized as one of the most trusted independent Shopify experts, Kurt has advised hundreds of brands and produced over 500 podcast episodes exploring the world of Shopify, conversion optimization, and digital entrepreneurship. Notable Quotes   [02:12] “Anyone can build a beautiful store. But if you don’t have focus and a good product, it won’t work.” — Kurt Elster [25:36] “Hold up a mirror for your customer—help them see themselves in your product.” — Kurt Elster [31:29] “The key to podcast success is consistency. We’ve published every Tuesday, unrelentingly, for 10 years.” — Kurt Elster [54:45] “Start a newsletter. Just being in someone’s inbox keeps you top of mind.” — Kurt Elster Resources and Links Kurt Elster Website The Unofficial Shopify Podcast LinkedIn Twitter/X Michael Gaizutis LinkedIn Website Becoming Radical  LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  Twitter