Shiny Object Syndrome Starts With Too Many Ideas
For ecommerce founders and operators, the biggest threat to growth isn’t always competition. Sometimes it’s distraction.
Every week there’s a new platform, a new tool, a new marketing tactic promising to unlock the next stage of scale. AI features, new social channels, advanced website widgets, automation tools. They all look compelling, and they all come with the same promise: growth.
But chasing them all usually leads to the same outcome. You end up building ten things and mastering none of them. That’s shiny object syndrome.
In today’s playbook, we’re exploring how ecommerce operators avoid that trap. The lesson starts with Adam Jelic, Founder of MiGoals, who built one of Australia’s most recognisable goal-setting brands over the past 15 years. Adam’s philosophy is simple: the problem in ecommerce isn’t a lack of ideas, it’s deciding which ideas actually deserve your focus.
To unpack that idea, we’re pulling together lessons from George Hartley, Founder of Bluethumb, Australia’s largest online art marketplace, Keira Rumble, Founder of Krumbled Group and currently running three brands, and YC Eu, Head of E-Business at Nespresso.
Build a filter for ideas
Let’s start with Adam.
Adam describes shiny object syndrome as a constant stream of ideas competing for your attention. Founders see opportunities everywhere (new products, new channels, new partnerships) and without a way to prioritise them, the business becomes reactive. For Adam, the solution is building a filter. Writing down ideas and aligning them with a clear purpose forces founders to decide what actually deserves their focus. As he puts it, the ideas never stop coming, so the real skill is filtering through the noise and committing to the ones that matter most.
Kill the “cool” feature
George Hartley, Founder of Bluethumb, faced one of the most tempting shiny objects in ecommerce: new technology.
Augmented reality was gaining traction across online retail, so Bluethumb built a feature allowing customers to preview artwork on their walls using AR. It looked impressive and demonstrated technical innovation, but when the team analysed the data, almost no one was using it. Instead of holding onto the feature because of the time and money invested, George made the call to remove it entirely.
The lesson is simple: if a feature doesn’t drive behaviour (call it usage, conversion, or retention) it’s not innovation. It’s clutter.
Say no to channel FOMO
Keira Rumble, Founder of Krumbled Group, faced a different type of shiny object: marketing channel hype.
As TikTok exploded as a marketing platform, the pressure to invest in the channel was enormous. But running multiple brands meant Keira had limited time and attention. Instead of jumping into TikTok immediately, she chose to double down on Meta advertising, focusing on mastering the channel that was already delivering results. Her approach highlights an important discipline in ecommerce growth. Adding new channels too early often dilutes performance rather than increasing it. Real scale usually comes from dominating one channel before expanding into others.
Sweat the assets before buying more tech
The final lesson comes from YC Eu, Head of E-Business at Nespresso.
She noticed a common pattern in ecommerce teams: brands constantly buy new platforms or hire new agencies to solve isolated problems, while barely using the tools they already have. Businesses might adopt a platform for one feature while ignoring the many other capabilities it offers. Nespresso responded by shifting strategy entirely. Instead of chasing new technology, the team focused on “sweating the assets”: maximising the value of their existing platforms and pushing partners to deliver more from the tools already in place. In many cases, the problem isn’t a lack of technology. It’s a lack of utilisation.
Shiny object syndrome feels productive. You’re building, testing, exploring and experimenting. But often it’s just distraction in disguise.
Adam Jelic’s filter reminds founders to decide which ideas actually deserve attention. George Hartley shows that even impressive features should be removed if customers don’t use them. Keira Rumble demonstrates that resisting channel hype can lead to stronger growth. And YC Eu proves that many businesses don’t need more technology; they simply need to use what they already have.
In ecommerce, the brands that win aren’t always the ones doing the most. They’re the ones doing the right things repeatedly. Sometimes growth comes from adding something new. But just as often, it comes from removing what doesn’t matter and committing to what does.
In this Playbook:
- Why every founder needs a “filter” for new ideas
- When to kill a feature that looks innovative but delivers no value
- Why dominating one marketing channel beats spreading attention across many
- How to stop buying new software and start using the tools you already have
- Why shiny object syndrome is often a focus problem, not an innovation problem
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