success story
How Shopify scaled peer-to-peer learning and belonging with PlusPlus
400%
Increase in employees joining communities and resource groups
800%
Increase in event registrations and participation
100%
Feedback captured on every learning event
As Shopify experienced rapid growth and transitioned to a fully distributed workforce, the Learning team faced a dual challenge: maintaining a strong culture of belonging while introducing a new concept of peer-to-peer learning at scale. Haidee Thanda, Learning Platform Architect, and Andrew Barrett, Learning Platform Lead, were tasked with introducing not just a new tool, but a new cultural approach to learning — one that empowered employees to share knowledge organically while remaining scalable and sustainable.
By partnering with PlusPlus, Shopify created a centralized, employee-driven learning ecosystem that enabled community-led events, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, and data-informed program growth — all without distracting engineers from building Shopify’s core product.
What were the key challenges?
Before PlusPlus, knowledge sharing at Shopify happened organically through lunch-and-learns, Slack conversations, and ad-hoc sessions — but there was no formal structure to support or scale these efforts. Internal experiments, including custom-built tools created during hackathons, showed promise but lacked long-term ownership and sustainability.
At the same time, the shift to remote work made it harder to foster connection and belonging through traditional in-person events. Employees struggled to discover learning opportunities, participation was inconsistent, and there was no reliable way to understand which topics resonated most across teams. Introducing peer-to-peer learning required not only the right technology, but organizational buy-in and a thoughtful rollout strategy.
What approach worked?
Shopify’s Learning team followed a deliberate, three-step approach to introducing PlusPlus and peer-to-peer learning across the organization.
First, they found the right tool. Rather than building and maintaining internal learning software, Haidee and Andrew selected PlusPlus — a platform designed specifically for peer-driven learning with a product-level user experience that met Shopify’s standards. This allowed the team to focus on adoption and culture, not infrastructure.
Second, they followed demand. Instead of mandating adoption, Shopify partnered closely with early adopters who were eager to share knowledge. These employees became internal ambassadors, uncovering diverse use cases — from mentorship programs to team-specific learning initiatives — and organically driving demand across departments.
Finally, they lowered the barriers to sharing knowledge. PlusPlus formalized what was already happening organically by making it easier for employees to create, discover, and participate in learning experiences. With facilitation support, centralized discovery, and built-in feedback, Shopify enabled employees to share their “tribal knowledge” — insights rooted in real context, roles, and experience — at scale.
“Building learning technology products is not our forte. If there’s a key need, there’s likely a tool out there that can meet that need. By partnering closely with PlusPlus, we were able to focus on our core product while still shaping a learning experience that met our engineers’ real needs.”
Andrew Barrett, Learning Platform Lead, Shopify
Driving adoption through early wins
Choosing a purpose-built platform
PlusPlus provided Shopify with a sustainable, product-grade learning platform, eliminating the need to build and maintain internal tools while still allowing close collaboration and feedback with the vendor.
Early adopter-led rollout
By working closely with enthusiastic early adopters, Shopify created high-touch, high-quality learning experiences that demonstrated value before expanding more broadly.
Internal ambassadors
Early adopters became champions of peer-to-peer learning, helping normalize the concept and drive organic demand across teams and initiatives.
Lowering barriers to peer-to-peer learning
Employee-driven event creation
Employees were empowered to propose and host learning experiences, reducing friction and expanding the diversity of topics and perspectives.
Centralized discovery
PlusPlus created a single, intuitive hub where employees could easily find, join, and share learning opportunities across the company.
Continuous feedback and iteration
Built-in surveys captured feedback on every event, allowing the Learning team to refine programming and identify emerging areas of interest across departments.
What were the results?
Scaled learning, stronger belonging, and data-driven growth
“We’re not pushing PlusPlus on teams. We’re being pulled in. Early adopters get excited, other teams see what’s possible, and demand starts to spread organically across the company.”
Andrew Barrett, Learning Platform Lead, Shopify
Explosive community growth
Participation in employee communities and resource groups increased by 400%, strengthening connection across a distributed workforce.
Dramatically higher engagement
Event registrations and participation increased by 800%, driven by improved discovery and employee ownership.
Data-informed learning strategy
Shopify captured feedback on 100% of events, unlocking insights into employee interests, demand patterns, and high-impact topics.
Platform efficiency and insight
Unified learning ecosystem
All learning events and community activities were centralized in one system, improving visibility and participation.
Feedback loops at scale
Real-time feedback informed continuous improvement of learning programs.
Reduced operational overhead
Automation enabled the Learning team to support growing demand without increasing headcount.
Building a culture of shared knowledge
Peer-driven expertise
Employees shared contextual, role-specific knowledge rooted in real Shopify experience.
Stronger sense of belonging
Virtual events and community programs fostered inclusion and connection across global teams.
Sustainable learning culture
Peer-to-peer learning became an accepted and scalable part of Shopify’s organizational culture.
Scaling peer-to-peer learning the human way
Shopify’s partnership with PlusPlus demonstrates that scaling learning isn’t just about technology — it’s about culture. By choosing the right platform, following employee demand, and lowering the barriers to knowledge sharing, Shopify successfully introduced peer-to-peer learning as a core organizational practice. The result is a more connected, empowered workforce where learning grows organically, data informs decisions, and employees learn best from each other.