James Johnson isn’t your typical tech exec. He’s part eCommerce nerd, part weekend cyclist, part dad-on-a-mission. He’s led digital at retailers like Michael Hill, survived a stint at Salesforce (which he jokingly asks us not to mention), and now steers the Shopify ship in ANZ as Director. He also once completed a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce. Yes, that was a thing, and yes, it was in 2001.In this week’s Checkout, we asked JJ six rapid-fire questions. In return, we got a love letter to Crumpler bags, AI code editors, and smelly caravans full of boys.
There are eCommerce operators. And then there’s James.
You read that right. JJ has a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce from 2001, when ordering something online felt more like a matter of faith. To celebrate, he made a promise: buy every single Christmas present online that year. No stores. No excuses. Just pure digital grit. “I just wanted to prove it could be done,” he says. The presents? Questionable. The principle? Solid.
Fast forward two decades and not much has changed. JJ’s still testing the limits of ecommerce, still going all-in on digital experiments, and still carrying half his life in a Crumpler bag that, true story, can fit a slab of beer. If you ever see a man strutting around Melbourne with a slab-of-beer-sized backpack, that’s probably JJ. He is, in fact, a certified Crumpler fan. “I’ve got at least a dozen,” he laughs. “And yes, one of them can fit a slab.”
Why Crumpler? Because they’re weird. And useful. And unapologetically Melbourne. Just like JJ’s favourite retailers, Crumpler doesn’t try to be everything to everyone, they know their lane and own it. “Their online experience is zany in the best way. Their store team nailed the vibe. That’s what great retail looks like.”
Bonus points: Crumpler runs on Shopify online and in-store. Naturally.
JJ’s worked across retail royalty (Michael Hill, Country Road), survived Salesforce, and landed at Shopify, where he’s now helping brands ditch the fluff, embrace AI, and build the kind of retail experiences that actually work: for teams and for customers.
From Cursor Hacks to Caravan Life: JJ’s Blueprint for Balance
James Johnson might spend his weekdays helping eCommerce brands automate workflows and decode AI, but on weekends, he’s juggling a different kind of chaos, like coding a calculator with his kids or navigating a caravan packed with three boys, one wife and enough Crumpler bags to start a side hustle.
During a recent six-month lap of Australia, JJ swapped spreadsheets for surf beaches and Slack notifications for roadside snacks. It wasn’t always pretty (“not everything’s an Instagram moment”, he admits) but it was intentional. And it gave him space to think differently about how work, life, and creativity can coexist.
That mindset shows up in his tech too. JJ’s not a developer, but tools like Cursor let him build real Shopify functions while teaching his kids that you don’t have to know everything to make something. Whether it’s parenting, eCommerce, or AI, his approach is the same: stay curious, stay scrappy, and make time for the stuff that actually matters.
JJ doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. What he does have is a ruthless curiosity and the willingness to test, learn and rework until it clicks. That’s why he pushes eCommerce teams to spend one full week doing everything with AI first. “It’ll be messy. But you’ll quickly figure out what’s broken, and where you’re wasting time.”
His advice is simple. Don’t get seduced by features. Focus on what makes a difference to your customers. Start small. Move fast. Share what’s working.
Guest Picks from James Johnson
A book: Nexus, by Yuval Harari
A Podcast: Lenny’s Podcast by Lenny Rachitsky
A Brand: you should know by now.
Want to hear more from JJ? Listen to the full Checkout episode here:
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