Shopify’s Sidekick, Shop Minis, Wrapping Up 2025, and a New Shopify App Growth Accelerator

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Hey there, Oyku here!

It’s been a while since the last issue. That’s why this one is a bit more packed than usual, with both reflections on what’s changing in the Shopify ecosystem and some exciting updates for app founders looking to accelerate growth in 2026. (Foreshadowing my accelerator program ↗)

In this issue, you’ll find:

Why Sidekick may quietly kill “vitamin” apps and what it means to build painkiller apps
What Shop Minis change about who you’re building for and why that matters
A simple team exercise to fix growth leaks before scaling in 2026
Details about the Shopify App Growth Accelerator, starting on January 26th

Let’s get to it.

Sidekick: How to become a painkiller app to stay competitive

I’ve been spending some time diving into Shopify’s Renaissance Edition, and one thing is very clear: One of the most interesting pieces for me, and for the community, is Sidekick.

I’m still testing it, but my early take is this:

Sidekick (and tools like it) will push the ecosystem closer to the death of “vitamin” apps.

If Sidekick becomes what Shopify intends it to be, a lot of surface-level problems will be solved natively. That means apps that exist as nice-to-haves, vitamins, not painkillers, will struggle even more.

The opportunities will live in places that are:

Not immediately visible, maybe not even clearly explained by merchants
Rooted deep in merchant workflows
Painful enough that merchants actively look for a solution

It’ll be a little cliché, but talking to the customers will be the only way forward. And from my experience, founders are so eager to get their ideas validated that they ask the wrong questions. So, they get biased answers in return.

Here are a couple of customer interview questions as food for thought:

Can you walk me through a specific time you experienced this problem? What did you do to solve it?
What was the moment you realized, “I can’t keep dealing with this this way”?
Can you walk me through how you searched for a solution, step by step?

Do you realize what I’m doing here? I’m diving into the moments when the pain is real, understanding the triggers deeper.

If I’d ask a question like, “do you think cart abandonment is an issue?”, this would not take me anywhere, which leads to false validation. I’m exaggerating here a little bit, but you get the point.

Ok, how about succeeding with Sidekick for your existing app?

One thing that surprised me while testing the Sidekick was that apps with only two reviews were appearing as the top apps in their category. 🤔 This got me thinking.

It’s still something that I’m exploring, but the basics still apply: an app listing with clear value points and easy-to-understand copy.

Yuvraj Kewate jotted down in detail how to optimize for Sidekick Discovery here, take a look.

How Sidekick Recommends Shopify Apps by Yuvraj

With the AI frenzy, I’ve been seeing that apps have been launching new features or have been transforming their companies. One of the best ways for Shopify apps will be to embrace it with Sidekick.

To figure out how to let merchants take action in your app with Sidekick, check the Shopify documentation.

Shop Minis: You’re Not Building for Merchants Anymore

Shop Minis have been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. But if you’re considering building one, there’s a crucial mindset shift to make: You’re no longer building for Shopify merchants. You’re building for their customers.

That changes everything, from UX to distribution to how you measure success.

I really liked the way this was framed in a recent post by Farid Movsumov from Craftshift:

Do I think Shop Minis will suddenly bring a flood of new customers?

Probably not. But I do think they’re a powerful way to:

Extend your visibility into another Shopify-owned surface
Strengthen your brand presence beyond the App Store
Experiment with new user journeys

Think of it as an extension, not a replacement.

Wrapping Up 2025: Fix the Leaks Before You Scale

It’s wild how fast this year has moved.

Depending on your app category, 2025 might have felt transformational or brutally competitive. Either way, this is a good moment to pause and audit your growth.

I’m a big believer in retrospectives and planning quarterly.

Here is a simple exercise to run with your team:

Get everyone in the same room or call
Let them write down what is on their mind under the buckets of Start, Stop, Continue
Group the similar topics, and discuss them together.

Turn your messy growth experiments into a predictive engine in 45 days

For those whose goals are to bring structure to their growth, I’m starting a new accelerator that is packed with practical ways to build and fix your foundation, improve your pipeline, and conversion funnel.

Watch the short video below or here to learn more about Shopify App Growth Accelerator: 👇

Starts on January 26th | Limited to 10 Apps

In the cohort, there will be weekly live learning and Q&A sessions where I’ll directly address your growth challenges, and have opportunities to get direct support from me and connect with like-minded Shopify app founders.

Join the waitlist now