Tobias Lütke has not joined FLAPSS and has not endorsed it. This page is a reference record assembled from published interviews and public remarks. Every answer below is a direct quotation with the source and date shown next to it.
Co-founder and chief executive of Shopify
Canada
Born in Koblenz, Germany, and trained as a computer programmer there before moving to Canada in 2002. Co-founded Shopify in 2006 after building the software for an online snowboard shop, and has led it as chief executive since.
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So, look, I read lots of books, lots of them, you know, especially when I went from programmer to a business, realizing I have to just learn business really quick. I got really dismayed with the quality of business books pretty quickly, because frankly, I think the business books are largely written by the people who have time, who are not the people who actually build companies, frankly.
Recorded David Senra, David Senra's podcast, 2026 source
So I really tried everything, including, you know, just how to build the team in such a way that I delegate everything, and I have my different business lines, and arrange things. This is sort of after the IPO, and I realized I have to be a very “serious” public company CEO. And so it almost killed the company, honestly.
Recorded David Senra, David Senra's podcast, 2026 source
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