No New Hires Unless AI Can’t Do the Job, Says Shopify CEO

Shopify’s Tobi Lütke just made it official: no new hires unless you can prove the role can’t be done by AI. On paper, it’s efficient. In practice? It looks a lot like a clever, politically correct hiring freeze. Layoffs by omission. The message to Wall Street? “We’re responsible.” The message to employees? “You’re replaceable.”

But look deeper and you’ll see something smarter. This isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about forcing a new kind of rigor. Vague job titles are about to get steamrolled. Middle managers? Better show your value. People are being pushed to level up, or get out.

I don’t hate it. In fact, I think it’s a preview of what more CEOs will do when boards start breathing down their necks and AI becomes the convenient scapegoat. If you’re not directly building or selling, you better be deeply strategic—or deeply vulnerable.

📝Advice: 

If you’re hiring in the next 12 months, poach from Shopify. Those folks are going to be battle-tested in AI co-working. They’ll speak automation fluently, think like operators, and know how to prove value fast. That’s exactly who you want on your side.

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