Most business stories begin with a big 'AHA!' moment...

Hi. We’re Kyle and Andrew, the founders of Theory.

When people ask us why we started Theory, we usually mutter something about how our old jobs sucked and how boring it was working on software projects for multi-million-dollar corporations.

But, if we’re being honest, the story starts with a failed business and an overdue rent payment.

Like most people working for the Man, we always wanted to be our own bosses. So, we did what any typical Millennial professionals would do and started a direct-to-consumer brand as a side hustle. 

The concept was rad. 

The website was dope. 

But the product? Eh, it could've been better.

After 6 months as (*cough*) trail-blazing entrepreneurs who only sold 30 units, we needed to pay the bills – and fast. 

So, we fell back on what we knew best – web development – and started slinging websites for our buds and fellow side hustlers competing with big e-commerce players for some extra cash.

It was then that we started to notice a pattern: a lot of brands – specifically, small-to-medium-sized e-comm brands – were getting ripped off with web development. 

Bloated timelines. Budget blow-outs. Sub-par service. Zero support.

And frankly, it pissed us off.

Sick of seeing the little guy getting taken for a ride by agencies who didn’t know their backend from their rear end, we saw an opportunity to build no-fuss, no-BS innovative solutions for Shopify owners who don’t speak fluent web dev.

See, we had a theory. (Several, in fact.) 

Theory 1: Every e-comm business - regardless of its size - deserves a website to be proud of. We’re talkin’ about a slice of digital real estate that authentically reflects your brand and gets you pumped to be in business, even if you’re not hitting any Global 500 lists. (Actually, especially then.)

Theory 2: Building your business should be a labour of love, not a chore. Creating a website that allows you to grow and thrive online shouldn’t leave you chained to your computer. After all, time is money, and money buys freedom - which is why we all got into this gig, right? 

Theory 3: You are who you hang with, teamwork makes the dream work, and collaboration is critical to success. After all, two heads are better than one, and four are better than two - especially when finding new solutions to old challenges.

So, we quit our day jobs, gave the ol’ DTC the heave-ho, and set out to help savvy SMEs scale by building Shopify sites that are unstoppable (and super-shoppable). 

8 years later, we’re (still) doing exactly that – and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Unlike big, faceless agencies, we don’t try to do all the things - magical marketing, winging it with words, or making promises we can’t keep. 

No, we stay in our lane and do what we do best: creating UX-focused Shopify features and solutions that are simple, accessible, and a beauty to behold.  

After all our years in the game, we’ve learned that a brand is only as strong as the people championing it, which is why we choose to remain a tight-knit team of e-comm enthusiasts and web dev nerds focused on developing genuine relationships with our clients before developing anything else. 

 A people-first approach to web development that doesn’t break the budget. 

Transparent advice and customer service that goes above and beyond. 

Or, to put it simply: Damn good websites that make bank without any of the bullshit.

And while we’re lucky to work with some of the brightest players in the e-commerce game, we never take our eyes off our long-term vision: 

To make our mark on the online world while keeping our feet planted firmly in the real world by cultivating a company culture where a good day’s work is the benchmark of success, small and mid-sized brands (like us) come out on top and working to live - not living to work - is the gold standard.

Well, that’s the Theory, anyway.

Kyle & Andrew