For episode 30 (!!) of #SeeingAroundCorners, Peyman and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Zain Manji, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Lazer Technologies, a Toronto-based engineering and design agency specializing in Shopify. Zain shared invaluable insights into the future of commerce, emphasizing the unification of web, retail, and international experiences.
Lazer's unique approach, rooted in being "builders at heart" allows them to understand and address the pain points brands face. Having scaled their own multi-million dollar brand on Shopify, they bring a business-first perspective to their work with top brands like SKIMS, October's Very Own, Mattel, Inc., and AG1.
We also delved into the role of AI in commerce. Zain highlighted two key applications enhancing the customer journey through chatbots and discovery tools, and boosting internal business efficiency with engineering tools like Copilot and Sidekick. It's all about strategically applying AI to solve the biggest pain points.
This discussion is a must-watch for anyone looking to stay ahead in the dynamic world of e-commerce.
#Ecommerce#Shopify#AI#RetailTech#DigitalCommerce#FutureOfCommerce#Innovation#BrandBuilding#Engineering#Design#podcast
Zane's good to see you again. Thanks for having me, guys. Of course. Look, we thought we'd have you here. We met in Toronto last time. I thought you guys were doing some cool stuff with Laser. Do you mind giving a little bit of background in terms of what you do about the company and everything else? Yeah, for sure. So my name is Zane. I'm one of the cofounders at Laser. We're engineering and design agency primarily based out of Toronto, but we have presence across the US, Canada and the UK. We help a ton of brands. Large and small be successful on Shopify across the entire stack. Some of the brands we work with include SKIMS, October's very own Mattel Athletic Greens, and a wide variety of other ones too. And so we've been in the Shopify space for a very, very long time and just love being here and love building with you guys and that's fantastic and. I imagine, uh, and by the way, good to see you again. I imagine that working with all these brands, common question that you may get from them and, and, and thanks to the visibility that you have to, to all these businesses is what, what's the future of commerce, right? How do we protect our businesses from a technology standpoint towards what's coming out? What do you typically tell them? Yeah, for sure. I think one of the big topics here is the unification of commerce, not just across the web, but retail and in store. And then also internationally too, a lot of the brands we talked to and we work with always care about how do we be super successful online and where our visitors are shopping from. How do we also be successful in store and also provide the best experience to customers across all different channels and make sure they have the ability to discover great products, love our brand and be able to to shop with us and, and be successful with us as much as possible. So that's one of the main topics that usually comes up. Payment if I can do a quick follow up then see and it do you do you find Zane that selling a business on physical retail technology tends to be harder than talking to them about the online experience or not necessarily? I think sometimes it can be harder. I think there's much more requirements and logistics involved with retail operations versus online Line is very much solved for. It's very clear cut retail. A lot of businesses are different in terms of warehousing, how they actually manufacture their products, who they want to sell to in person, how do they target customers, the marketing behind it, even down to the nitty gritty details of the in store experience. And so a lot of complexities there, but it's all navigate. Then I'll pivot a little bit with my question. Focus on the partnership a little bit, right? You guys work with some cool brands and they're generally happy with you guys have been successful for the past almost decade, right? What's the story there? How are you guys managing to keep your customers happy, Design cool websites? How do you keep on working closely with Shopify? Give us some secrets. Yeah. So we've been in the Shopify space or commerce space since 2016. Prior to laser, we were building our own startup and working with founders in that zero to one really scrappy. See. So we've been builders at heart and we initially got into Shopify by actually building our own brand. One of my cofounders and his wife built, started building their own brand called Samara Bags, grew it to a few multi $1,000,000 up all on Shopify. And that gave us the insight of what it's like to be an actual merchant trying to build an online store and scale their ecommerce. Residence from there because we're engineers and technical people at heart we notice a bunch of gaps that we could help build for the Shopify platform via the App Store. We started building As for the shopping App Store and then we became really strong and competent with the developer ecosystem. And so now we had this insight and understanding of what it's like to be a merchant and how to actually build and be successful on the development side of things as a partner and so. All of this coupled with us starting laser kind of ended us. Working with really interesting brands that are trying to build really cool experiences on Shopify and we kind of just leaned into that and grew with you guys. I think one of the things that we do really well is we're builders at heart, so we kind of understand from the founder mentality. What are pain points that need to be solved for? How do we make sure businesses be successful? What is truly important? What is like fluff and and not important? How do we stay focused while also giving you guys feedback at shop fire around pain points that merchants are experiencing? I think all of this coupled together has fortunately helped us be successful and continue to be successful and we're trying to keep that method going. Yeah. I mean continuing to be successful that you just mentioned. This wouldn't be one of our episodes if we did not talk about AI, right? How are you thinking about it specifically and when you talk to your customers about AI and commerce and what they should or shouldn't be doing? Yeah. So we think about this in two ways. One way, which is what everyone is familiar with, is how can AI improve the customer experience that brands are offering to their customers, right? Those are things like conversational chat bots, removing the manual efforts around discovery on your website for finding products or answers to questions that users might have, all of those different things. So we really lean into that area of commerce with merchants. The other area we lean into is actually more on the engineering and behind the scenes side. How can AI make you as a business? More efficient across all different operations inside your business. The natural way is obviously the goto way that we always think about it. From an engineering side of things, we have tools like Copilot and Cursor and make development easier. You have things like Sidekick that help brands be more successful, much faster on Shopify and basically reduce toil across all different facets from brand. In the new commerce team, we look at it from both like a front end perspective and then a back end perspective and there's so many different areas that I can be helpful with. It's more about what is the biggest. Endpoint that brand is facing right And how can we apply AI to make that a little easier for them? Thanks to that say I've got a more questions, but trying to keep it specific. Really lovely having you. We'll talk later. Sound really good.
Thanks for having me on Peyman N. and Eduardo Frias! 🙏🏾
Truly honoured and love working alongside you both and the Shopify team ❤️
Tennis, you name time and place and let’s get it!
Lazer's very own, Zain Manji, chatting with Shopify field CTOs, Eduardo Frias and Peyman N., on the dynamic world of commerce 💚
From topics ranging from AI in commerce, the unification of commerce, how to be a great partner to the Shopify ecosystem and more - check out this great episode.
"Lazer's unique approach, rooted in being "builders at heart" allows them to understand and address the pain points brands face. Having scaled their own multi-million dollar brand on Shopify, they bring a business-first perspective to their work with top brands like SKIMS, October's Very Own, Mattel, Inc., and AG1."
CTO/CIO | Investor | Advisor | Commerce and AI @ Shopify
For episode 30 (!!) of #SeeingAroundCorners, Peyman and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Zain Manji, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Lazer Technologies, a Toronto-based engineering and design agency specializing in Shopify. Zain shared invaluable insights into the future of commerce, emphasizing the unification of web, retail, and international experiences.
Lazer's unique approach, rooted in being "builders at heart" allows them to understand and address the pain points brands face. Having scaled their own multi-million dollar brand on Shopify, they bring a business-first perspective to their work with top brands like SKIMS, October's Very Own, Mattel, Inc., and AG1.
We also delved into the role of AI in commerce. Zain highlighted two key applications enhancing the customer journey through chatbots and discovery tools, and boosting internal business efficiency with engineering tools like Copilot and Sidekick. It's all about strategically applying AI to solve the biggest pain points.
This discussion is a must-watch for anyone looking to stay ahead in the dynamic world of e-commerce.
#Ecommerce#Shopify#AI#RetailTech#DigitalCommerce#FutureOfCommerce#Innovation#BrandBuilding#Engineering#Design#podcast
AI is building Shopify stores in minutes.
But here's the million-dollar question:
What's your edge when everyone can launch instantly?
I've been diving deep into this new e-commerce landscape.
The answer?
Strategy. Storytelling. Traffic conversion.
These are the new differentiators.
#EcommerceInnovation#AIStrategy#DigitalMarketing#BusinessDifferentiation
🎧 New Podcast: How Innovative E-Commerce Agencies Use AI to Drive Measurable Growth
The fastest-growing agencies today aren’t just building stores : they’re building scalable, self-healing systems.
By using AI to automate QA, spot hidden issues, and streamline catalog workflows, they’re freeing time from low-value tasks to focus on what actually drives revenue: creativity, strategy, and customer experience.
In this episode, Say Yes Commerce - Shopify Agency and Zenyt share how leading e-commerce teams are using automation to ship faster, scale leaner, and deliver better results.
You’ll learn:
• How AI helps agencies catch costly errors before they hit conversion rates
• Which tools and workflows save 10+ hours of manual QA each week
• How lean teams manage 1,000+ SKUs without breaking their sites
• Real examples from London Victorian Rings and other brands scaling through smart collaboration
Featuring: Tom Knowles, Phil Clark, Adam Azoulay and Arthur Pentecoste
Tune in to learn how leading agencies are using AI to save time, boost conversions, and scale smarter, before the next big campaign: https://lnkd.in/eH_XP6jy
Learn more about Say Yes Commerce - Shopify Agency : https://sayyes.co/#ecommerce#ai#growth#retail#innovation#zenyt#sayyes#agency#automation
Boost cart size without extra ad spend
An outdoor gear store added AI product suggestions to Shopify and raised average cart value by 15% in six weeks.
The system studies what shoppers look at and buy, and shows add-on items at checkout.
One extra product per order can cover the cost of the software for the whole year.
Comment guide to learn AI.
#Shopify#EcommerceTips#AIMarketing#OnlineBusiness
Top 5 Metrics AppDNA Improves Automatically (Not Vanity Metrics)
Most analytics platforms focus on clicks, views and DAU-vanity metrics. We focus on the KPIs that directly determine the value of your business.
AppDNA AI is engineered to move the needle on these five metrics:
1. Trial-to-Paid Conversion Rate (CVR): Improved by optimizing paywall timing and copy.
2. D7 Retention Uplift: Improved by fixing onboarding leaks and accelerating the "Aha" moment.
3. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Efficiency: Reduced by ensuring less waste on acquired users who immediately churn.
4. Time to First Approved Change: Accelerated from weeks to days, compounding learning.
5. MRR from Optimization: Tracking only the revenue lift directly attributed to the AppDNA system.
Stop looking at dashboards that tell you what happened. Use a system that tells you what to fix.
🔥💭 95% of eCommerce brands think they’ve “nailed search.”
But most shoppers still leave without finding what they came for.
The truth?
🧠 Shoppers don’t think in keywords; They think in intent.
And old-school search engines can’t keep up.
That’s why I’m obsessed with what we’re building at Wizzy.
Wizzy understands like a human, reacts like a machine, and converts like a pro.
From “blue flowy summer dress under $100” to “rug for a 10x14 room,”
Wizzy gets it — instantly.
📊 And the impact?
⚡ 57% lift in search-led revenue
🔍 98% drop in zero-result queries
📱 34% higher mobile engagement
💡 Old search shows results.
Wizzy shows answers.
And that changes everything for brands (and shoppers).
#AI#eCommerce#WizzyAI#ProductDiscovery#CustomerExperience
AppLovin’s Q3 2025 results show how AI-driven ad tech is reshaping performance marketing economics. Revenue hit $1.4 billion (+68% YoY), while adjusted EBITDA surged 79% YoY to $1.16 billion — margins that many SaaS firms can only dream of.
💡 Here’s what stands out:
AI as an efficiency multiplier. The AXON 2.0 platform continues to lift advertiser ROAS and automate campaign decisioning at scale. This isn’t growth by volume — it’s growth by precision.
Profitability at hyperscale. With $836 million in net income, AppLovin converted nearly 60¢ of every revenue dollar into profit, an exceptional benchmark for ad tech.
Signal to the market. While peers navigate privacy shifts and platform volatility, AppLovin has become the model for “AI-as-media-infrastructure.”
Q4 guidance projects revenue above $1.57 billion, signaling continued advertiser confidence and AI’s expanding role in optimization pipelines.
AppLovin isn’t just scaling ad performance — it’s redefining what sustainable profitability looks like in the post-IDFA era.
#AdTech#Programmatic#AIinAdvertising#q3#AppLovin#earnings
Streamlining advertising production: Runway launches dedicated 'Apps for Advertising'.
A practical and potentially game-changing update for marketing and advertising teams. Runway has just introduced its "Apps for Advertising" collection.
These aren't just new features, but a growing library of pre-built, use-case-specific workflows designed to simplify common advertising production tasks. The goal is clear: get from idea to deliverable faster, with less cost and effort.
Key applications include:
Generating numerous product shots suitable for social media and e-commerce.
Creating mockups of designs in realistic, real-world placements.
The major benefit highlighted is accessibility. This collection is designed so teams can leverage Runway's powerful AI without needing expertise in complex prompting or advanced workflow building. It effectively lowers the barrier to entry for producing high-quality, AI-assisted advertising assets at scale.
This is a smart move towards making sophisticated AI tools more practical and results-oriented for the fast-paced advertising industry. Definitely worth exploring for teams looking to boost creative efficiency.
Learn more and get started at runwayml.com#Runway#RunwayApps#Advertising#MarketingTechnology#AI#GenerativeAI#CreativeWorkflow#MarTech
When it comes to site speed, even a one-second delay can decide whether a customer buys… or bounces.
In this video, 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗣𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲 (𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿, 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻'𝘀) joins Aniket Sharma (𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, 𝗡𝟳) to talk about how AI is reshaping site performance, moving from months of manual optimization to real-time, user-specific speed tuning.
Because when 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟬–𝟱𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲, performance isn’t just a tech metric, it’s a growth engine. 🚀
#ecommerce#onlineshopping#festive#businessgrowth#seo#ai#podcast#ceo#retail#retailtech#cx
Customer loss rarely stems from poor products. It usually happens because friction accumulates throughout the journey. Studies estimate that inefficient digital shopping experiences are responsible for twenty to thirty percent of annual revenue leakage in the retail sector.
Evidence from McKinsey highlights the impact of AI driven systems, showing that intelligent assistants can increase operational efficiency by more than thirty percent by transforming raw data into clearer decisions and faster paths to purchase.
Intelligence embedded behind the interface is what ultimately shapes the quality of the experience on the surface. SmartBuy applies this principle by learning from every interaction and adjusting recommendations in real time to reduce friction and accelerate discovery.
The outcome is measurable. Higher customer satisfaction, fewer drop offs, stronger retention and increased revenue as each interaction becomes more informed than the last.
When AI interprets intent accurately, the shopping experience evolves from a simple transaction into a personalized and intuitive journey.
How prepared is your business to adopt this level of intelligence?
#AIinEcommerce#SmartBuy#CustomerExperience#EcommerceGrowth#Personalization#DigitalTransformation#BusinessIntelligence#ArtisTech
Shopify•10K followers
5moZain, it was a pleasure to have you join us today! Next time, we have to talk tennis 😊