In this conversation, Karl Meisterheim, Taylor Page, and Kurt Elster discuss the challenges and strategies of collaboration in the Shopify development space, particularly focusing on working with clients and other developers. Kurt shares his entrepreneurial journey, the origins of EtherCycle, and the importance of effective communication and documentation in development teams. The discussion also touches on the significance of partnerships, risk-taking in entrepreneurship, and the necessity of adhering to best practices in Shopify development. Kurt also discusses the importance of streamlined communication in client relationships, the challenges of managing multiple points of contact, and the difficult but sometimes necessary decision to fire clients. They explore the criteria for determining when a client relationship is no longer beneficial and share personal experiences with client management. The discussion also touches on the selection of themes for development projects, recent updates in Shopify, and personal projects. *Timestamps* 00:00 Introduction 00:20 Kurt Elster's Origin Story 03:22 The Evolution of EtherCycle 06:26 Partnership Dynamics in Business 09:12 Client Collaboration Challenges 12:14 Effective Communication Strategies 14:58 Project Management Tools and Techniques 17:59 Documentation Best Practices 21:00 Navigating Existing Codebases 23:58 Screencasts and Client Education 26:54 Team Collaboration and Role Clarity 32:16 Navigating Tooling and Build Processes 34:26 Dealing with Client Communication Challenges 41:40 The Art of Firing Clients 47:42 Funny Client Stories and Experiences 50:40 Theme Selection and Development Strategies 54:28 Shopify Updates and Change Log 57:56 Personal Updates and Picks of the Week *Connect with Kurt Elster:* Follow Kurt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kurtinc Listen to *The Unofficial Shopify Podcast*: https://link.chtbl.com/tusp Join Kurt’s newsletter: https://kurtelster.com/ Check Kurt’s agency work at Ethercycle: https://ethercycle.com/work/ Subscribe to Kurt’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ethercycle *Resources* Clickup: https://clickup.com/ Shopify Theme Store: https://themes.shopify.com/Alan Weiss (author): https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alan-Weiss/author/B000AQ0PNG *Dev Changelog* https://shopify.dev/changelog Shopify CLI is now easier to install and faster for Liquid theme development: https://shopify.dev/changelog/shopify-cli-is-now-easier-to-install-and-faster-for-liquid-theme-development New Full-Funnel Theme Install Parameters and Now Firing E-Commerce Events on the Theme Listing Page: https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-full-funnel-theme-install-parameters-and-now-firing-e-commerce-events-on-the-theme-listing-page New Full-Funnel App Install Parameters and Now Firing E-Commerce Events on the App Listing Page: https://shopify.dev/changelog/new-full-funnel-app-install-parameters-and-now-firing-e-commerce-events-on-the-app-listing-page Post-purchase offers limit is increased: https://shopify.dev/changelog/post-purchase-offers-limit-is-increased Product Feed webhooks now support per-market inventory: https://shopify.dev/changelog/product-feed-webhooks-now-support-per-market-inventory *Picks of the Week* Karl: https://www.udio.com/ Kurt: https://www.do3d.com/, https://us.store.bambulab.com/products/p1s Taylor: https://tally.so/ *Signup for Liquid Weekly* Don't miss out on expert insights and tips—subscribe to Liquid Weekly for more content like this. https://liquidweekly.com/