[AI SPRINT] Shopify Just Went AI-Native—Are You Next?

This week, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke publicly shared a bold internal memo declaring that AI usage at Shopify is no longer optional—it’s expected, measured, and embedded into how the company works. He called it “reflexive” AI, meaning AI should be your instinctive first move when approaching a task. Not a fallback. Not a shortcut. The starting point. Every employee is expected to work this way—using AI fluently in their role, experimenting often, and thinking critically with the tools at hand.

If you haven’t seen the full memo yet, read it here. It’s a blueprint.

If you're still thinking about AI as a tool or feature your company should add, this is your wake-up call. The companies that win from here won’t be the ones adding AI. They’ll be the ones built on it.

That’s what I call an AI-native company.

What It Means to Be "AI-Native"

Let’s define it clearly.

AI-native companies operate with an AI-first mindset. They embed AI into how they think, operate, and learn—driving decisions, optimizing execution, and adapting continuously to outperform, innovate, and thrive in constant change.

That means AI isn’t a product, feature, or a department—it’s how the company works, competes, and scales.

In practice, AI-native companies:

• Use AI daily—by everyone, everywhere

• Start with AI—every task, every project, every time

• Redesign work—humans guide, AI executes across functions

• Organize for goals—skip org charts, build nimble teams

• Make AI-supported decisions—faster, smarter, more precise

• Build what AI unlocks—new products, new experiences

This isn’t just about doing work faster.

It’s about doing different work, and pulling ahead while others play catch-up.

AI isn’t an upgrade—it’s the new business model.

And I believe most companies have five years, at most, to make this shift.
After that, the gap will be too wide to close. The winners will have already pulled away, and everyone else will be fighting uphill.

Shopify Just Gave Us the Blueprint

While Microsoft and others have promoted the AI-native concept, they’ve mostly focused on startups who can afford to start with an AI-native approach. Shopify is the only established, large-scale company I’ve seen publicizing their adoption of this approach.

Tobi Lütke’s memo is the best view yet of what AI-native actually looks like in practice. He didn’t say AI was “strategic” or say it was part of a far-off future plan. He made it operational, redefining how Shopify gets work done.

The core concept he shared is reflexive AI usage. Every employee, from frontline to executive, is expected to reach for AI first. Before asking for help. Before opening a blank doc. Before requesting headcount. AI is the default starting point.

To back this up, Shopify embedded AI into its internal operating model:

• AI fluency is now part of performance reviews. Prompting, iterating, and co-development are expected and measured.

• Prototypes start with AI. Exploration and creation begin with models.

• New headcount must be justified against AI alternatives.

• Leaders lead by example. Lütke wrote his keynote with agents—and made that process public.

Shopify is not adopting AI.
They are AI-native.

And that’s the point. You won’t lose to AI.

You’ll lose to a company that figured out how to use AI better than you did.

AI SPRINT: Your Roadmap to Becoming AI-Native

If Shopify gave us the “what,” my AI SPRINT™ framework is the “how.” It’s not just this newsletter—it’s the system I use to help companies make the leap from uncertainty to action with AI.

Here’s how the six steps of the AI SPRINT framework help you become an AI-native company:

S: SPARK ACTION — Educate your leadership
AI-native starts at the top. Executives must get fluent—understanding models, use cases, risk, and opportunity—and learn how to organize transformation efforts.

P: POSITION COMPANY — Align strategy to AI leverage
Identify where AI strengthens your competitive position. Look for speed, margin, innovation, customer experience. Then orient the company to deliver on it.

R: RALLY EMPLOYEES — Set the norm for daily, safe AI use
Establish AI as a daily habit of all employees with clear expectations, initial training, and a culture of responsible experimentation.

I: INTEGRATE PROCESSES — Embed AI into core revenue functions
Sales, CS, marketing, product, R&D. These teams shouldn’t just use AI—they should be amplified by it. Dramatically.

N: ENABLE EMPLOYEES — Build lasting capabilities
Support daily use with ongoing training, evolving tools, and a culture that adapts as AI advances.

T: TRAILBLAZE — Build what wasn’t possible before
The endgame: new products, new services, and new capabilities unlocked only because you’re AI-native.

The Bottom Line

If you’re still asking whether AI fits into your business, you’re already behind.

AI-native companies:

• Operate faster

• Learn faster

• Invent faster

• Scale with fewer humans

• Build defensibility through leverage—not just labor

Shopify planted the flag. AI SPRINT gives you the roadmap to follow it—with clarity, speed, and results.

If you’re serious about becoming AI-native, let’s talk. I work directly with CEOs and leadership teams to make this transition real—through workshops, transformation sprints, and implementation support.

Reply to this email or book a strategy call.

And if this feels like a lot? It is. That’s why it’s called the AI SPRINT.
Break it down into monthly steps, and take it one sprint at a time.

Action Step: Review how your teams are currently using AI—not just tools, but daily workflows. Are people reaching for AI first, or still defaulting to old habits? If you’re leading AI efforts, align leadership on what “AI-native” means for your org, set expectations for daily usage, and ensure teams have both the tools and permission to act.

About Trent: Trent Gillespie is an AI Keynote Speaker, CEO of Stellis AI, former Amazon leader, and advisor on building AI-Native, AI-Enabled businesses. Book Trent to speak to your group or book a call to discuss using AI within your business.

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