Harley Finkelstein

And so eventually I had some really good discussions with Toby and with her board and just with the people around me. And it became clear that this other thing, that is where I think I can add more value. I can learn more. I can create more impact. And I'm just really going to enjoy it. Like that is my craft. And today, I'm the president of Shopify. Our COO, Kaz, is an exceptional COO.

And so eventually I had some really good discussions with Toby and with her board and just with the people around me. And it became clear that this other thing, that is where I think I can add more value. I can learn more. I can create more impact. And I'm just really going to enjoy it. Like that is my craft. And today, I'm the president of Shopify. Our COO, Kaz, is an exceptional COO.

He's amazing at what he does. He loves operational efficiency. He loves tweaking all those dials, getting a little bit more here and monitoring. He's just, he's so good at it. And it reminds you that the thing that you may not enjoy in your life, in your job, in your career, that is someone else's dream job. And the job I have right now is my dream job.

He's amazing at what he does. He loves operational efficiency. He loves tweaking all those dials, getting a little bit more here and monitoring. He's just, he's so good at it. And it reminds you that the thing that you may not enjoy in your life, in your job, in your career, that is someone else's dream job. And the job I have right now is my dream job.

It's the reason why I can spend my life doing it because it's high impact for the company. I feel like I'm learning a ton every single day. I get a lot of satisfaction from the work. I work 70 or 80 hours a week every week. I'm okay with that. In fact, I love it. I'm really enjoying it.

It's the reason why I can spend my life doing it because it's high impact for the company. I feel like I'm learning a ton every single day. I get a lot of satisfaction from the work. I work 70 or 80 hours a week every week. I'm okay with that. In fact, I love it. I'm really enjoying it.

So I think some of it, when you sort of think about the role that you're in right now, you have to ask yourself, are you doing this because you feel like you're gonna let somebody else down if you didn't do it? Is it ego? Is it that you just don't wanna admit that this is not right for you? But this idea of doing more of what you love I think is an amazing thing.

So I think some of it, when you sort of think about the role that you're in right now, you have to ask yourself, are you doing this because you feel like you're gonna let somebody else down if you didn't do it? Is it ego? Is it that you just don't wanna admit that this is not right for you? But this idea of doing more of what you love I think is an amazing thing.

And we have this concept at Shopify, which is really cool. It's called Tours of Duty. And a Tour of Duty is three years. It's really wonderful because it means that every three years, you get an opportunity to reassess and address how is it going? How is it going? And you can have these conversations. For everyone that I work with, I know what their Tours of Duty end dates are.

And we have this concept at Shopify, which is really cool. It's called Tours of Duty. And a Tour of Duty is three years. It's really wonderful because it means that every three years, you get an opportunity to reassess and address how is it going? How is it going? And you can have these conversations. For everyone that I work with, I know what their Tours of Duty end dates are.

And we can have a conversation leading up to it as saying, how was that tour? Does it make sense to do another tour like this? Or does it actually make more sense for you to do a different tour? How can you be most valuable to Shopify? How can Shopify be most valuable to what you want? And sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes those things really line up.

And we can have a conversation leading up to it as saying, how was that tour? Does it make sense to do another tour like this? Or does it actually make more sense for you to do a different tour? How can you be most valuable to Shopify? How can Shopify be most valuable to what you want? And sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes those things really line up.

And rather than being a jack of all trades, being very good at a lot of things, what if you went deep? So rather than being horizontal shaped, what if you actually are vertical and you go really deep into one thing? Is that going to be better for your employer, your company? Is it better for your life?

And rather than being a jack of all trades, being very good at a lot of things, what if you went deep? So rather than being horizontal shaped, what if you actually are vertical and you go really deep into one thing? Is that going to be better for your employer, your company? Is it better for your life?

And every now and then, my feeling is it often is, but it's very difficult to have those conversations. Now, let me preface all this by saying it has to be at the right time. In the middle of the global pandemic,

And every now and then, my feeling is it often is, but it's very difficult to have those conversations. Now, let me preface all this by saying it has to be at the right time. In the middle of the global pandemic,

when things were going crazy and all these offline businesses were moving online and the market was in turmoil and people losing their jobs, that is the wrong time to be talking about, do I have the right rules? That is wartime. That is all about focusing on getting shit done.

when things were going crazy and all these offline businesses were moving online and the market was in turmoil and people losing their jobs, that is the wrong time to be talking about, do I have the right rules? That is wartime. That is all about focusing on getting shit done.

But there are moments, because every company has ebbs and flows, there are moments where you're in a particular period, you're like, all right, I'm getting the hang of this. Maybe it's the right time for me to figure out whether or not for the next tour of duty, I should try something different.

But there are moments, because every company has ebbs and flows, there are moments where you're in a particular period, you're like, all right, I'm getting the hang of this. Maybe it's the right time for me to figure out whether or not for the next tour of duty, I should try something different.