Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XXSr4Po30oY

Paid ads are busted. SEO is back but weirder. Gen Z isn’t using Google. What now?
VC Smriti Jayaraman pulls back the curtain on the Shopify brands building futuristic funnels today. We’re talking AI quizzes, voice search, digital oracles, and tech that reads your face to guess your shirt size. It’s strange. It’s smart. And it works.

• Why AI search is reshaping ecommerce—and how to rank in it
• How Shopify brands are using gamified funnels to capture attention
• What to know about AI influencers, personalized merchandising, and site search
• Why your brand needs to think like a membership club, not a subscription box
• Real tech examples from Corazon Capital’s portfolio

• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Viralsweep – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways

• Smriti Jayaraman
• BoldVoice
• iAsk.ai
• Laws of Motion
• Perplexity
• Corazon Capital

• Want me to grow your Shopify store? Apply here
• See what we’ve done for other merchants: View portfolio
• Get my free newsletter for Shopify insights: Join here

🎧 The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster. Subscribe for weekly interviews with Shopify entrepreneurs and experts.

Her fans call her "The Queen of Air Fryers." She gave away recipes. Her fans demanded a cookbook. One $15 PDF later, Cathy Yoder had a 5-figure launch weekend—and she hasn't looked back. With over 700K subscribers, Cathy built a content-powered Shopify business that turns viewers into superfans (and customers).

In this episode, Cathy breaks down:

• How to use YouTube as your #1 lead-gen channel
• Building products based on comment section gold
• What flopped, what worked, and why done > perfect
• Integrating YouTube with Shopify for seamless sales

If you're a creator, a merchant, or both—this is the funnel playbook you've been waiting for.

Sponsors:

• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Boost AI Search & Filter – AI-powered search that converts

Work with Kurt:

• Grow your Shopify store with me → ethercycle.com/apply
• See how we help stores grow → ethercycle.com/work
• Get my Shopify newsletter → kurtelster.com

Pit Viper isn’t for everyone. And that might be the secret to its success.

It starts with a guy on a ski trip. His sunglasses break. So, naturally, he walks into a military surplus store, finds an old pair of ballistic glasses from the early 90s, and thinks, these are perfect.

Fast forward a few years, and those surplus shades—once traded for beers and ski lifts—have turned into Pit Viper, a brand worth millions.

But here’s the question: how do you build a business that doesn’t just sell sunglasses, but sells attitude? A brand that’s loud, weird, and completely unignorable?

Today on the show: Chris Garcin, CEO of Pit Viper, explains how they took what should have been a joke and turned it into a cult phenomenon.

Links & Resources
🔗 Shop Pit Viper: www.pitviper.com
🎧 More stories like this: The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Work With Kurt
🚀 Want to grow your Shopify store? We help brands like yours increase conversions, improve UX, and drive more sales.
📩 Let’s talk: ethercycle.com/apply
🛠️ See how I’ve helped other brands: ethercycle.com/work
💡 Join my newsletter for no-BS ecommerce insights: kurtelster.com

Connect with Kurt:

• 💬 Twitter: @kurtinc
• 📩 Newsletter: kurtelster.com

Sponsors:

• 📈 Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• 🔥 Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• 📬 Viralsweep – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways.

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review on iTunes—it helps more Shopify merchants find the show!