Plus, Shopify's Acquisition of Vantage Discovery
Brandon Amoroso ?
Co-Founder @ SCALIS | Founder at Electriq (acquired) | 30u30 Miami | 2x Underwater Basket Weaving National Champion | 3x Men's Basketball League Runner-up | Largest Ferrari collection in the world (the hat, not the car)
The TL;DR:
Let’s Chat D2C: Shopify's Strategic Acquisition of Vantage Discovery Enhances AI Search Capabilities
Shopify's recent acquisition of Vantage Discovery, an AI-powered search startup founded by former Pinterest engineers Lance Riedel and Nigel Daley, marks a significant advancement in e-commerce search functionality. Vantage Discovery specializes in leveraging large language models (LLMs) to provide personalized and highly relevant search results for retailers, aiming to democratize advanced AI capabilities across businesses of all sizes.
This acquisition aligns with Shopify's aggressive AI strategy, reinforcing its commitment to enhancing the merchant and customer experience. By integrating Vantage Discovery’s technology, Shopify is positioning itself as a leader in AI-powered commerce, improving search accuracy, reducing friction in product discovery, and boosting conversions for brands. For DTC brands, this means smarter, more intuitive search experiences that surface the right products at the right time, increasing engagement and customer satisfaction.
What This Means for Shopify Long Term
This move signals that Shopify is building out a robust AI ecosystem, ensuring that merchants can compete with major marketplaces like Amazon in terms of search relevancy and personalization. As AI-driven search becomes the new standard, Shopify is future-proofing its platform by providing smarter merchandising tools that enhance the buyer journey. In the long term, this positions Shopify as not just an e-commerce platform but a fully integrated AI-powered commerce engine.
Future Acquisition Targets?
Given this trajectory, we can expect Shopify to continue acquiring AI startups focused on: ?? AI-driven personalization: Expect Shopify to target startups specializing in automated product recommendations and hyper-personalized shopping experiences. ?? Conversational AI: Shopify may look at chatbot and AI-driven customer support tools to further improve its Shopify Magic suite. ?? AI-powered supply chain & logistics: Future acquisitions could include startups that optimize inventory management and fulfillment through predictive AI.
This latest move makes it clear: Shopify isn’t just reacting to the AI revolution—it’s leading it. Merchants should start thinking about how to leverage AI within their own tech stacks to stay ahead of the curve. ??
Building in Public with SCALIS: Welcoming our new VP of Sales!
We’re beyond excited to welcome Evan Lichter as our VP of Sales, bringing a powerhouse track record in scaling HR-Tech and Fintech unicorns.
Evan has been at the forefront of game-changing growth, playing key roles in driving 300x revenue hypergrowth at DailyPay, leading to its unicorn status. He’s also helped shape and scale revenue engines at Even (acquired) and EarnIn, proving that HR can be a powerful distribution partner in fintech.
Starting his career in enterprise SaaS (RELX, Allianz), Evan mastered the art of methodical sales execution before diving into venture-backed startups—where he’s made a lasting impact ever since.
Beyond sales leadership, Evan is an AI enthusiast who recognized the transformative power of GenAI back in 2021. Now, he’s all in on leveraging cutting-edge AI to reshape the hiring landscape—which is exactly what drew him to Scalis.
?? His belief? Scalis' AI-native, system-level approach is the key to solving universal talent market challenges at scale. Having seen first-hand how common-sense, win-win solutions disrupt industries, he sees Scalis as the next breakout company in the space.
Welcome to the team, Evan—let’s build the future of hiring! ??????
What I’m Thinking About This Week: The Personal CRM Wake-up Call
I recently did something I should have done years ago—I built a spreadsheet of every single person I’ve spoken to all the way back to 2015. Essentially, I created my own personal CRM, a system to keep track of relationships that have slipped through the cracks.
Why? Because, like a lot of entrepreneurs, I get so buried in work that I lose touch with people—not because I don’t value them, but because I assume I’ll “get to it later.” Spoiler alert: I never get to it later.
But here’s the insight that hit me: the people who are hardest to stay in touch with are the ones you NEED to stay in touch with. The ones who are also drowning in their own ventures, scaling companies, building products, and driving impact. The ones who don’t text back for weeks because they’re just as deep in it as you are.
And these high-momentum people? They’re the ones worth investing in.
Because when you finally reconnect, it’s never just small talk. It’s insight, opportunities, ideas, and energy. They don’t just ask, “How have you been?”—they ask, “What are you building?”
So, I’m making it a habit. Once a week, I’m reaching out to a few people from my list. No agenda, no immediate need—just checking in. Because strong networks aren’t built when you need something; they’re built when you give a damn, consistently.
If you’re like me and let relationships slip in the chaos of work, maybe it’s time to build your own personal CRM. Your future self will thank you. ??
This Week’s The D2Z Podcast
#144 – Unlocking Snapchat’s Potential for Brands
?? Listen Now ??
In this episode of The D2Z Podcast, I sat down with Collin Harrington and Hope Georgiou, co-founders of HG Media, about their entrepreneurial journey and the unique challenges they faced in the digital marketing landscape. They discuss the importance of Snapchat as a marketing platform, the impact of the TikTok ban on brand strategies, and how brands can effectively engage with audiences on Snapchat. The conversation highlights the significance of community building, authenticity, and the evolving nature of social media marketing.
Here's What You'll Learn:
?Hope and Colin's journey led to the creation of HG Media.
?Snapchat's unique positioning offers opportunities in a saturated market.
?Educating brands about Snapchat is crucial for success.
?Younger entrepreneurs face challenges in building credibility.
?Communicating a vision is essential in marketing.
?Brands should not assume their target audience.
?Snapchat is effective for conversion-focused marketing.
?Non-consumer brands can leverage Snapchat for engagement.
?Smaller creators often have more engaged audiences.
?The future of Snapchat depends on knowledge and accessibility.
Upcoming Events
Heading to Vegas for the HR Transform conference!