Building Successful Shopify Apps: Interview With Mat De Sousa

Matt De Sousa is a Shopify app founder, best known for his app WideBundle.
(Increasing average order value through product bundles and upsells)

Alongside running his app business, Matt is also very active in the Shopify community.
He creates educational content, speaks at events, and hosts his own Event: The Wide Event.
(In-person Shopify event in Paris, that bring together merchants, developers, agencies, and partners.
Last year I had the pleasure to speak as well)

Our Interview with Matt De Sousa

Over the past few years, we’ve interviewed Matt multiple times about his journey, his app business, and the changes he’s seen in the Shopify space.

In this latest interview, we talked about where his business is today, why he no longer shares revenue numbers publicly, and how his focus has shifted beyond just app growth.

Why Matt Started Hosting In-Person Shopify Events

Matt’s very first events go back to 2018, when he organized small, in-person Shopify meetups in Paris. These early events were French-only and focused mainly on Shopify merchants.

At the time, the Shopify ecosystem was much simpler. There were fewer agencies, fewer developers, and less of a structured partner network. The main goal of these events was straightforward:

• Bring Shopify merchants together
• Build a local community
• Create stronger relationships with existing users

Most attendees were already using Matt’s app or were familiar with it, but the events were not designed as sales events. They were about community and connection.These merchant-focused events ran roughly once per year until they were stopped due to COVID.

From Merchant Events to a Full Ecosystem Event

A few years later, Matt decided to restart in-person events—but with a very different approach. By that time, his content and audience had expanded far beyond merchants. He was now speaking to:

• Developers
• Agencies
• Shopify partners
• App founders
• Merchants

He redesigned the event entirely:

• The event switched from French to English
• It was no longer just a merchant event
• It became a partner and ecosystem-focused event

The goal was to bring the entire Shopify ecosystem into one room.

He wanted developers, agencies, merchants, and partners all in the same place, talking to each other.

This decision was also possible because of the network he had built over the years through content, partnerships, and product work.

The Real Benefits of Hosting Shopify Ecosystem Events

Wide Events have grown step by step over the years. Earlier events were held in French in Paris and mostly attracted local merchants and existing WideBundle users, with up to 180 attendees. Today, the events are in English and bring together an international audience. Growth has been steady and consistent.

• 100 attendees 3 years ago
• 150 attendees 2 years ago
• 200 attendees last year

Hosting an event for about 200 people costs around €24,000. This includes the venue, staff, lights, food, and photos or videos. Most of the cost is covered by a few selected sponsors, so sponsors can talk properly with attendees instead of competing for attention. 

Wide Events are not hosted to earn profit but the main goal is long-term value—building relationships, strong partnerships, and creating a memorable experience that people talk about even years later.

Visibility and Trust Across the Ecosystem

Many merchants attending the event have never used WideBundle and may not even know about it before the event. Seeing the event, the speakers, and the work behind it creates a strong first impression. 

This doesn’t lead to instant conversions—and that’s not the goal.Instead, the event builds: Trust Credibility Long-term awareness When people see the quality of the event and the community around it, it naturally strengthens Matt’s reputation in the ecosystem. Over time, that trust carries over to the products he builds.

Building Partnerships Through Real-Life Interaction

Partnerships are easier to create in person than through cold emails or online introductions. Meeting face to face helps build trust faster and creates more natural conversations.

By hosting events and inviting well-known speakers, Matt attracts partners who are not yet part of his network.Some partners are easier to reach through events than other channels.Many partnerships start directly from conversations at the event.

‍Agency Partnerships 

Agencies are key partners because they manage large, high-quality stores.One agency partnership can bring the app to many stores at once. For example, one agency might manage 20 high-quality Shopify stores. A single partnership can therefore lead to meaningful, long-term usage.

To reach agencies, Matt takes a very direct approach.When hosting an event in a city like Paris, he personally invites local Shopify agencies—even if they don’t know him yet. Agencies are invited for free, which lowers the barrier to attendance.

Seeing the event and meeting in person leads to natural conversations.This approach has created strong agency partnerships.

Creating Value for Everyone Attending

The events are not designed only around Matt or his products.

Every year, the speaker lineup is intentionally diverse:App founders, Developers, Agencies.

At least one large merchant sharing a real business case
This ensures that everyone attending gets value, regardless of their role in the ecosystem.

• Merchants learn from other merchants.
• Developers learn from product builders.
• Agencies connect with tools and partners.

The event becomes valuable not because of one speaker, but because of the mix.

Authority, Social Proof, and Long-Term Impact

Events help build long-term authority and credibility.

Photos, videos, stage clips, and recordings act as strong social proof. Seeing a founder on stage in front of a large audience builds credibility in a way that online content alone cannot.

This authority supports current products as well as future products and launches.

Why his app revenue is no longer public

In the past, Matt was very open about sharing revenue numbers. While this inspired many people, it also attracted an audience interested only in money, not the Shopify ecosystem or real value.

Over time, this reduced engagement on more educational posts. To fix this, he stopped sharing large revenue numbers and shifted his focus to helping Shopify app founders with practical, meaningful content. This change helped attract the right audience and rebuild genuine engagement.

Matt’s View on AI

AI should solve real problems and bring real value to users. If an app does not need AI, he sees no reason to force it in.

That said, AI already plays an important role behind the scenes. Matt and his team use AI tools in their daily work, especially for development and internal processes. It helps them move faster and work more efficiently, even if it is not always visible to users.

Being able to share large amounts of context and get working code back has changed how he approaches problem-solving. While AI is not perfect and still needs human review and adjustments, its speed and capability already make it a valuable part of the workflow.

New Apps, New Opportunities in the Shopify Ecosystem

Starting a Shopify app is still very possible, even for new founders. Shopify continues to grow fast, and the number of merchants is increasing faster than the number of apps. As long as more merchants join the platform, new problems appear—and that creates space for new apps.

Another key reason is Shopify’s constant product updates. New features, APIs, and extensions regularly open fresh opportunities. Large apps often struggle to change direction quickly because they already have users, roadmaps, and technical limits. New apps, however, can move fast and build directly on top of these new features.

Shopify also supports new apps more than many people realize. The App Store does not only reward old apps with thousands of reviews. Apps that show early growth and positive signals can rank well, even with fewer reviews. This makes it easier for new apps to get visibility.

Merchant needs also keep changing. New trends, new tools, and new business challenges mean merchants are always looking for better solutions. As long as problems exist, there will be demand for new apps. Complete saturation is unlikely.

Matt has seen this firsthand. Even recently, new apps have launched, grown quickly, and been sold for significant amounts. The opportunity is still there—not for copycat apps, but for focused products that solve real problems.

How to Grow a New App From Scratch

The Shopify App Store can be a strong growth channel, but it should not be the only strategy. Its importance depends on pricing and audience. Lower-priced apps targeting small and mid-sized merchants often perform well in the App Store. Higher-priced apps usually need other channels like content, partnerships, agencies, and direct outreach.

One common mistake is expecting installs to come automatically after launch. New apps start with no trust, no reviews, and no visibility. Growth usually begins outside the App Store.

Matt recommends starting manually—talking to merchants one by one, attending events, working with agencies, and building alongside real users. Early users give feedback, shape the product, and help generate the first reviews. Over time, this creates momentum.

Growth often starts small and builds over time. A common approach is to offer a free plan alongside a paid one, which helps attract early installs and generate reviews. In the beginning, growth requires manual effort—much like starting a fire. Early growth requires small, consistent efforts that gradually compound into real traction.

Shopify also actively promotes new apps in the App Store. Even with only a few reviews, a well-designed app can rank on the first page, as Shopify values growth momentum and engagement over how long an app has been in the ecosystem. This creates a level playing field for newcomers to stand out and grow quickly.

Watch the Full Interview

If you want more details about how Shopify apps are managed and grown, you can check the full interview.