Product Lessons from a $3B Bootstrapped eCom Platform | Trevin Chow, CPO (Big Cartel)
Trevin Chow, CPO, discusses Big Cartel’s approach to building simple yet powerful products, balancing innovation with a 20+ year legacy, and using AI to improve decision-making.
TL;DR
In this episode of LaunchPod, we’re joined by Trevin Chow, CPO at Big Cartel, an eCommerce platform for independent creators that has facilitated over $3B in sales without any venture funding. Trevin shares how his team builds “magically simple” software by curating choices, eliminating unnecessary complexity, and respecting Big Cartel’s 20-year legacy while innovating for the future.
1. Balance innovation with legacy (7:21)
After nearly two decades in business, Big Cartel’s biggest challenge is keeping pace with changing customer expectations while honoring the brand’s maker-focused DNA.
“What was magical before isn’t magical anymore. Table stakes change, customer expectations change, and our job is to close that gap while staying true to what makes us different.”
What product leaders can do: Revisit what “magic” means for your product today. Evolve customer experiences without compromising the original principles that built loyalty.
2. Design for delight, not just functionality (10:00)
Trevin defines great product experiences through delights: the accumulation of small, thoughtful details that prevent friction and build trust. He shared an example of a recent flight he took, where the airline proactively informed him that there would be no wifi onboard:
“They texted me three hours before and said, ‘Hey, by the way, wifi is unavailable on your flight.’ I’m literally reading this message and I’m like, oh, shoot. And it says, ‘Just a reminder to download any material or entertainment you want beforehand.’ And I’m like, God, this is such a great message. Because if they didn’t send that, what would happen? I show up, I’m disappointed. […] But they turned a really painful situation into something that was much less painful. […] So that was like, I think something quite interesting — and I would, in that situation, actually consider myself delighted.”
What product leaders can do: Sweat the small details. Think beyond hero features and focus on eliminating the dozens of little frustrations that erode delight over time.
3. Make bold tradeoffs for simplicity (12:28)
Big Cartel’s product philosophy emphasizes knowing when not to build something. For instance, their abandoned cart recovery feature is a single checkbox, not a complex rule engine, and their “pause subscription” option prioritizes customer trust over short-term revenue.
“There’s a power in letting go of features that aren’t worthwhile and actually take away from the seller’s experience. It’s a tricky tradeoff, but our success shows we’ve been more right than wrong over time.”
What product leaders can do: Treat omission as an act of design. Don’t fear removing options if it simplifies your product and strengthens user confidence.
4. Use AI to build better, not just faster (21:09)
At Big Cartel, Trevin uses AI to compress the distance between idea and execution, helping product and design teams iterate faster without losing intentionality. The goal isn’t to ship more features, but to refine the ones that matter.
“The AI we use today is the worst AI we’re ever going to use. The difference isn’t just AI — it’s the pace of change and how we adapt to it.”
What product leaders can do: Redefine what “fast” means for your team. Use AI to shorten feedback loops, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and make every iteration sharper, not just quicker.
Chapters
00:00: Intro
03:22: The product journey that led Trevin to Big Cartel
05:55: Big Cartel’s 20+ year legacy and how they look at innovation
12:28: Why simplicity can trump complexity in software
13:26: Products and features that delight ft. an example from Alaska Airlines
18:03: Why Big Cartel launched a “pause subscription” button, and the value it drove
21:09: What makes features appear “magical” in today’s product landscape
23:06: The overlap between product management and product design
23:40: Trevin’s guide to hiring for curiosity and grit
33:17: Conclusion
Links
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