The deadline for submissions to the Shopify Fund passed at the stroke of midnight, and in the end, over 100 Shopify app proposals were received and two dozen developers threw their name in the hat to build an app from our App Wishlist. These are better numbers than we expected; thanks to everyone who applied!
And now, it’s our turn. We’ll be spending the next few weeks reviewing all these submissions, choosing the apps that we think will best serve Shopify shopowners and development teams whom we think will best be able to build apps from our Wishlist. If you submitted an app or offered your services to build something from the Wishlist, we might be contacting you shortly to ask for more details about your app submission or credentials.
Then, in January, we’ll start funding the first series of apps. If your app gets selected, or if you get selected to write an app from our Wishlist, here’s what happens:
- At the start of the project, we’ll pay you the first half of the funding, which I like to describe as being “like a literary advance, but nicer”. Keep reading to find out why.
- You work on your app. We’ll check in with you regularly during this time.
- When the app’s done, you’ll get the second half of the funding.
- Your app goes into the Shopify App Store. Shopowners will be able to purchase and install your app. For every sale of the app, the revenue share between you and Shopify will be 50/50; you receive 50% and we receive 50%.
- Until Shopify’s total of the 50% share equals the funding given to you, the 50/50 rev share will be in effect. You’ll still make money on each sale!
- Once Shopify’s 50% share is equal to the funding given to you, the revenue share changes to Shopify’s standard 80/20 ratio for sales in the Shopify App Store: you receive 80% and we receive 20%.
As I said earlier, the deadline for submissions to the Shopify Fund has come and gone, but as always, we like to leave the communications lines open. If you have any questions or comments about the Shopify Fund, feel free to use the form on the Shopify Fund page or drop us a line at fund@shopify.com.