Daniel Weinand is one of Canada’s most quietly influential founders — the Co-Founder and former Chief Design Officer & Chief Culture Officer of Shopify, the $100B+ commerce platform that reshaped how entrepreneurship works around the world.In this episode of The EXIT Podcast, Daniel reveals the real story behind Shopify’s creation — dropping out of university, moving countries, and building the earliest versions of the product out of coffee shops and 500 sq ft offices.Daniel opens up about designing Shopify’s culture from the ground up, navigating the pressures of hyper-growth, and why his identity after leaving the company sent him on a journey through filmmaking, VC investing, fatherhood, design, and even becoming a music producer and DJ.Timestamps0:00 – Introduction: Daniel Weinand0:01:01 – Origin Story: Dropping out & moving to CanadaDaniel recounts the phone call that changed everything0:03:25 – The first Shopify office0:04:35 – Founder dynamics & choosing Tobi as CEO0:07:01 – Becoming Chief Design Officer without a design degree0:08:46 – Scaling from 7 to 1,000+ employees0:10:09 – Being Chief Culture Officer0:14:50 – Going public: The real emotional impact of the IPO0:17:38 – The truth about design: Light, space, flow & how people work0:23:30 – Life after going publicHow brand visibility changed everything — from recruiting to M&A strategy.0:25:46 – The moment Daniel knew it was time to leave

0:30:46 – Reinvention: Building a media studio, meeting Mike Janke & starting new chapters0:34:41 – Angel investing: “It’s legalized gambling.”0:36:40 – Steve Aoki, biohacking & longevity investingWhy Aoki is one of the hardest-working people Daniel knows0:39:11 – Nutcase: The cashew chocolate milk disruptor

0:43:29 – Becoming a DJ & saying yes to fearFrom never touching CDJs to booking a major festival0:47:15 – Losing $800K on a crypto gaming startupA brutally honest breakdown of failure, timing, crypto volatility, and refunding the community.0:51:16 – Defense tech, critical infrastructure & government innovation0:55:07 – Bucket lists, Keanu Reeves & humilityThe simple things Daniel still wants out of life.0:56:23 – The life philosophy that changed everything0:58:20 – The IPO logo story you’ve never heard1:00:49 – Creativity, failure & reinventing yourself🎧 Subscribe to The EXIT Podcast — where top founders share the real stories of building, scaling, and discovering what life looks like after the exit.

Intro Song: Nutcase by Denial (aka Daniel Weinand)🔗 Follow the Guests & HostsTHE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.groupInstagram – http://www.instagram.com/theexit.group Daniel Weinand - https://www.instagram.com/isthisdenial/Adrian Salamunovic – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriansalamunovic/