Product Intelligence Layer
One source of truth in Shopify metafields and metaobjects. Every downstream system (PDP, feed, schema, search, subscription, loyalty) reads from it. No drift between channels.
Shopify technical lead · The whole stack
Shopify technical lead across the whole stack.
For DTC brands doing $1M to $20M.
Brands hire an agency or specialist for each layer: SEO, GEO, theme, apps, data, edge. Each one optimizes their piece. Nobody connects the layers. I do.
- The whole Shopify stack, one technical lead
- SEO and GEO as one practice
- Senior architect
Q3 2026. 1 audit slot open.
Q4 2026. 2 fractional engagements opening.
Before you reach out
Not an SEO audit factory. Not for brands under $1M, or operators who still treat AI discoverability as a marketing project instead of infrastructure.
Where I lead
Across the whole Shopify stack, not just one layer.
SEO and GEO as one practice
Traditional SEO and Generative Engine Optimization aren’t separate disciplines. Keyword work, structured data, llms.txt, ai.txt, AI policy contracts, and full JSON-LD coverage, all treated as one connected practice instead of two specialist silos.
Theme, apps, performance, and edge
The visible storefront and everything sitting under it. Theme architecture, app stack audit and cleanup, Core Web Vitals tuned at the storefront and the edge. The store stops fighting itself on promo days and launch windows.
About Jan
Seven years on Shopify. Mostly the parts you can’t see from the outside.
I’ve been building on Shopify since 2019. In that time I’ve advised and shipped on brands generating around $70 million in combined annual Shopify revenue.
Most of that work isn’t visible from the outside. It’s the product data layer. The schema layer. The AI policy files. The feed logic that makes sure the same product looks the same on your storefront, in Google Merchant Center, and to an AI shopping agent. The edge code that keeps the storefront fast when an app stack starts fighting itself.
If a Shopify problem looks like marketing on the surface but feels like architecture underneath, that’s usually my work.
Most brands hire an agency for SEO, a different one for GEO, a theme developer for the theme, an ops person for apps, a data engineer for the data layer. Each one optimizes their piece. Nobody connects the layers. I work across the whole stack as the technical lead so the layers reinforce each other instead of drifting apart.
- 7 years building on Shopify, since 2019
- $70M combined annual Shopify revenue advised
- Based in British Columbia. Primarily West Coast US hours. Worldwide engagements case by case
- Direct response. No agency layer between you and the work
Outcomes
What changes when the infrastructure is right.
Two dashboards from a recent Shopify Plus engagement, Q4 2025. Brand redacted on this page, available as a named reference on a call.
01 / Revenue
$1.4M across a Shopify Plus organization in ninety days. Up 30% on the prior period. Heavy Black Friday and Cyber Monday week, then sustained lift through December.
02 / Conversion funnel
Every step of the funnel moved after the Product Intelligence Layer and on-site search rebuild. Sessions up 16%. Added to cart up 41%. Reached checkout up 47%. Completed orders up 39%.
What was shipped in that engagement: Product Intelligence Layer in Shopify metafields and metaobjects. Structured data across Product, Offer, FAQPage, and BreadcrumbList. AI policy contract (llms.txt, ai.txt, robots.txt allow list). Feed logic pulling from the canonical source. On-site search rebuild. Core Web Vitals tuning at the storefront and the edge.
How working together looks
Short calls. Fixed scope. Code shipped to production.
01
Intro call
Thirty minutes. We talk about your store, your stack, and what isn’t working. Free. If it’s not a fit I’ll say so on the call and point you at someone better suited.
02
Fixed scope audit
Two to four weeks. I find what’s actually broken, prioritized by revenue impact. You get findings plus the code or config to fix it.
03
Ship the fixes
Either I do the work, or your team does it with me reviewing. Either way it ends up in production. Not in a slide deck.
04
Optional ongoing
Some brands keep me on as fractional tech lead. Most don’t need to. The goal is infrastructure that doesn’t need babysitting.
Engagement models
Pricing up front. Scope locked before the work starts.
No hourly billing. No mystery monthly retainers. You know the cost and the deliverable before we begin.
01 / Audit
Fixed scope audit
From $7,500
Two to four weeks. Performance, product data, AI readiness, app stack, or migration readiness. Findings ship with the code or config to remediate.
02 / Build
Build or project work
From $25,000
Theme architecture, headless, Shopify Functions, checkout extensions, custom apps, migrations. Typical range $25K to $80K depending on scope.
03 / Fractional
Fractional tech lead
From $8,500 / month
One to two days a week as your acting Director of Ecommerce Technology. Roadmap, hiring, vendor calls, code review, the decisions nobody else on the team can make.
04 / Counsel
Strategic counsel session
$750
One ninety minute working session for a specific decision. Platform choice, vendor selection, architecture review, AI readiness diagnosis. You leave with a written recommendation.
Insights
From the field.
Hiring a Shopify developer in 2026: theme dev, engineer, or architect?
“Shopify developer” is three completely different jobs under one title. A free three-question diagnostic to figure out which tier you actually need, what each costs, and the most common hiring mistake at each tier.
Read article →Generative Engine Optimization for Shopify: the five-layer stack.
GEO is the work that decides whether ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode confidently recommend your store. It is not a tactic, it is a five-layer stack. Definitions, what each layer does for AI surfaces, and a free five-question diagnostic.
Read article →FAQ
What people ask before they reach out.
Do you work with brands under $5M?
Yes, especially in the $1M to $5M zone. That growth window is one of my specialties. Brands that hit product market fit and are now fighting their own stack on the way to $5M usually have concrete infrastructure bottlenecks that pay off fast when fixed.
Sub-$1M is usually too early. At that stage the problem is usually demand, not architecture, and a good contractor or agency is a better fit than senior infrastructure work.
Do you replace our agency, or work alongside?
Either works. I sit at the architecture layer, above whatever execution partner you have. If the agency is the bottleneck, that’s part of the engagement diagnosis. If they’re solid, the work runs in parallel and the agency executes the remediation.
How long does an audit take?
Two to four weeks. Storefront performance audits land closer to two. Full product data and AI readiness audits closer to four. Pricing is fixed up front before the work starts. Audits begin at $7,500.
Can I see references?
Yes. Mount-it is my current named reference. Happy to set up a fifteen minute call with them once we’ve agreed scope on your end. Other engagements are under NDA so I don’t post them publicly.
What if my problem doesn’t sound like architecture?
Send it anyway. About half my inbound starts with “this might not be your thing” and ends with shipped work. I’ll tell you fast if it isn’t a fit and refer you to someone who handles it.
What timezone do you work in?
Based in British Columbia, Canada. Primarily West Coast US hours. EU and worldwide engagements taken case by case when the architecture fits the work and the scheduling works for both sides.
What does an engagement cost?
Audits start at $7,500. Build and project work starts at $25,000 (typical range $25K to $80K). Fractional tech lead engagements start at $8,500 per month for one to two days a week. Strategic counsel sessions are $750 for a ninety minute working session. No hourly billing, no mystery retainers.
Contact
Tell me what isn’t working.
Include your store URL, what kind of help you need, and what’s broken. I read every message and reply with a clear next step. If it’s not a fit I’ll tell you fast and point you at someone who handles it.
Direct reply, usually within two business days. Based in British Columbia.