In this edition of 9 questions for…, we head north to Leeds to chat with Jordan Finneran, a founder building Shopify apps focused on making inventory and retail operations simpler for merchants.
Founder.
Shopify apps focused around inventory and retail operations.
I’d worked with a merchant who didn’t have a technical team and experienced what it was like for them trying to get set up with a warehouse and navigate the whole range of options available. It was quite daunting and required a lot of technical knowledge.
Jordan (far right) at Craft & Work: LDN 2025
Then, during my time at Gymshark, I saw the struggles people were having with Stocky, along with all the different systems, apps and processes involved in setting up a retail store.
I thought there could be a simpler way to do it — making these processes easier and removing some of the technical waffle.
Managing the increasing number of things that need to be done as a solo founder.
Support, code, marketing — the list goes on.
We’ve seen a lot of growth over the last two years, particularly with Stocky shutting down and merchants looking for alternative solutions.
I like to think I’m good at understanding the problems merchants are having and converting those into code.
I’m not as good at sharing the story behind the apps and what I’m working on. I’m trying to get better at it, but it’s very easy to fall back into the old habit of putting code first.
Very likely, a lot.
With the speed and impact of AI, alongside the changes Shopify is making, I think the only certainty is that things will be different.
What that will actually look like is much harder to say, given the speed at which everything is moving and changing at the moment.
Making all the decisions always sounded great, but it can actually be quite lonely at times.
You have to decide everything without having someone else in the business going through it all with you.
Leeds, Yorkshire, UK. I really love Yorkshire people. They tell you how it is — no messing around.
There’s also a huge amount of history around here, from York to Scarborough, to the bridge around the corner where the first moving film was shot, to the lake in the park where torpedoes were invented. There’s a lot to be proud of.
When it comes to places and communities that make working life a little better, Jordan recommends Fearns and Department in Leeds — two great spots for working, meeting people and spending time in the city.
He’s also a big fan of ShopDev Alliance, which has been “an amazing group for support and advice” and a place to get properly nerdy about all things Shopify.
Editor’s note: Jordan modestly neglected to mention Shopify Partners North, the free Leeds meetup he helps run for Shopify developers, agencies and anyone interested in Shopify apps, themes and more.
