Flying Solo Newsletter
To:peggy@sterlingcooper.com
From:hello@keirwhitaker.com
Subject:✈️ Flying Solo #03 — April 08, 2025

#03Subscribe

Hello!

Welcome to issue #03 of Flying Solo — my 100% tariff-free (too soon?) newsletter!

BTW I'm still looking for more soloists and founders to feature in my 9 Questions interview series. If you've got a story to share, just hit reply and let me know!

In Issue #03

  • A recent poll finds disquiet amongst app developers
  • A new UK tax for coffee shop workers
  • Craft+Work: London 2025
  • Three fresh links from the Vault

An Unhappy App Ecosystem

Shopify app developer Mat de Souza recently ran a LinkedIn poll about the Shopify Partner ecosystem. He got over 400 responses, and while I’m not going to share the full list, a few things really stood out to me.

Q: Do you trust Shopify not to compete directly with partners in the future?
A: 17.5% Yes / 82.5% No

Q: Should Shopify allow more transparency on app store ranking factors?
A: 83% Yes / 17% No

Q: Have recent changes in Shopify made it harder to grow as a partner?
A: 67% Yes / 33% No

Q: Do you believe Shopify gives unfair visibility to certain apps?
A: 84% Yes / 16% No

Q: Is Shopify moving away from being "partner-first"?
A: 72% Yes / 28% No

It all sounds a bit bleak, doesn't it? While these results highlight growing concerns among Shopify app developers, they also reinforce the importance of building a strong brand, strengthening customer relationships, and diversifying growth strategies beyond the app store.

Lately, I've been working with app-focused clients on precisely that, including:

  • Refreshing the design, copy, and style of their app store listing images
  • Creating a simple, segmented newsletter for current customers to highlight features they have (and those they don't)
  • Developing an event engagement strategy to maximise upcoming conferences and meetups

There's always room to adapt and thrive—sometimes, it just takes a shift in approach.

Perhaps I can help you? Hit reply, and let's find a time to chat.

A Creativity Tax?

Creative Boom recently posted a very interesting article about a UK town's new tax on creativity. The initiative known as Public Space Creative Usage Levy (PSCUL) is intended to "protect the ambience and availability of independent cafés for traditional customers", after a recent study found that nearly 40% of the town's seating in coffee shops was being "monopolised" by freelancers with laptops, sketchbooks, and "creative energy drinks in obscure packaging".

"We're not anti-creativity," said Councillor Sheila Booth, who spearheaded the campaign. "But we've reached a point where you can't order a tea without overhearing someone discussing their Substack newsletter or planning a risograph zine."

The new regulation defines a "creative activity" as any of the following:

  • Using Adobe software in public
  • Writing on a laptop while wearing noise-cancelling headphones
  • Sketching in an A3 pad with "excessive focus"
  • Saying the phrase "I've got a pitch at 3"
  • Occupying a table with a KeepCup, banana, and visible Moleskine for more than 90 minutes

It was after reading this that I began to wonder what was going on. After all, any self-respecting flat white drinker would use Figma, right? I then realised the date! You got me, Creative Boom!

April Fool's aside, I have seen more and more cafes outright banning laptops or only allowing their use in specific spaces.

I used to be a coffee shop worker, but over the last few years, I have found working on a laptop unproductive for anything more than email and occasional video calls.

What's your daily routine? Home worker, office, desk, café, co-work, or a combination?

Craft+Work: London 2025 — Save the Date!

Craft+Work is an event series I launched in June 2023 (photo from our inaugural event in London 2023) to bring soloists, founders, and leaders from the Shopify Partner ecosystem together.

The goal? To share real stories, honest reflections, and fresh perspectives in a small, analogue, conversation-focused setting. This isn't your typical conference — it's about the connections and insights that come from being in the room with like-minded people.

Over the past two years, Craig and I have hosted events in London (twice), New York City, and Toronto. For 2025, we're planning two events:

  • [CONFIRMED] London, UK — Friday, 26th September 2025
  • [TBC] Toronto, Canada — Mid October (hopefully)

I'm putting the finishing touches on the new pages, and if all goes well, the London event will be on sale in the next week or two. If you've attended before, watch for a special early notification email!

From the Vault

Each week, I share links to resources, articles, and tools in my bookmarks Vault. Here are three recent additions:

  • Mailboard — Another fantastic directory of inspiring email design and copy
  • Do-Its — Your new analogue task manager?
  • Utilio — A collection of privacy-focused productivity utilities

That's it for this week. If you got this far, thanks for reading.
Keir

PS: I hear there are only a few tickets left for Mantle's Techtonic event taking place before Shopify's Editions.dev. Tickets are still only $100! Bargain.

This is Flying Solo issue #03 by Keir Whitaker. Why not connect on LinkedIn and follow me on Bluesky? Subscribe for future updates.