BUILDERS Podcast: How Amaze Used Acquisitions to Accelerate Distribution Rather Than Build From Scratch | Aaron Day

Date: March 30, 2026
Host: Brett (Front Lines Media)
Guest: Aaron Day (CEO, Amaze)

Episode Overview

This episode of the BUILDERS podcast features Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze, discussing how the company leveraged strategic acquisitions to accelerate its distribution and scale in the social commerce space. Aaron shares his journey from initially aiming to build a traditional SaaS company to acquiring complementary businesses, drawing on his pivotal experiences at Canva to inform Amaze’s go-to-market strategy. The conversation delves into the evolving creator economy, the integration of Amaze’s portfolio brands, the importance of making selling seamless, and the company’s long-term vision.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction: What is Amaze? ([00:56])

• Amaze Holding is a parent company comprised of four main businesses:
  • Amaze Commerce: Social commerce platform enabling anyone to easily sell products through platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and Discord – “…you just have to have a community in social media…” [00:59, Aaron]
  • TheFoodChannel.com: A food content platform (‘YouTube for food’).
  • Fresh Fine Wine: A wine business inherited during Amaze’s public listing process; not a core focus.
• Portfolio structure came as a surprise, shifting from a planned SaaS-only approach to a holding company with multiple brands through acquisitions:
  “I did not think that at all. I thought that we would be a traditional SaaS software company…” [02:11, Aaron]

2. The Power of Acquisitions Over Building From Scratch ([02:38])

• First Acquisition: Outfits, a London-based company, which saved time by providing necessary catalog integrations with checkout partners like Bolt.
• Major Acquisition: Teespring (now Spring): “…we approached the founders and the CEO of Teespring because I thought there would be a really nice opportunity for us to bring our engine into the ecosystem…” [03:14, Aaron]
  • The timing was right; many companies with significant distribution (post-COVID) needed new models and were acquisition targets.
  • Fixing legacy tech post-acquisition was substantial but ultimately accelerated scale and reach.

3. Lessons Learned from Canva and Go-to-Market Integrations ([05:00])

• At Canva, Aaron helped drive mass exposure through powerful integrations (e.g., embedding Canva in FedEx, Office Depot, Staples, as well as social platforms): “So Canva picked up, you know, millions and millions and millions of users through these integrations… Canva got it through partnerships that paid them.” [05:13, Aaron]
• These strategic partnerships yielded brand exposure and user growth at a fraction of traditional marketing costs, albeit with temporary risks of brand dilution.
• Once brand awareness reached critical mass, Canva dialed back on heavy integrations.

4. Marketing & Brand Unification Strategy ([08:35])

• Challenge: Multiple acquired brands required different marketing approaches initially.
• Solution: Unified branding under "Amaze Commerce"—all acquisitions will become features or products within one umbrella: “…we are now consolidating the brand of the business into one unified brand. And those acquisitions will become products or features…” [09:32, Aaron]
• Benefits: Simplifies SEO, paid media, and partnerships, increasing marketing efficiency, and enhancing overall reach.

5. Understanding the Explosive Growth in the Creator Economy ([11:00])

• Key Growth Driver: The surge in creators and the rise of affiliate marketing have expanded Amaze’s user base organically—over 14 million users and adding 3,000–4,000 new stores daily, mostly without paid marketing.
• Every small business, entrepreneur, non-profit, and professional is becoming a "creator":
  “…every entrepreneur, every nonprofit, you name it… has learned that creating content about what you’re passionate about can monetize…” [12:37, Aaron]
• The shift from ‘vanity creators’ to instructional and community-based content is what’s fueling current growth.

6. Affiliate Acceleration and “Selling Made Simple” ([14:14])

• Amaze was the first in beta to integrate with TikTok Shop in North America, thanks to board member Sandy Hawkins.
• Insight: TikTok’s algorithm accelerates affiliates—after one creator promotes a product, it can quickly scale to many sellers, maximizing product reach.
• The Big Opportunity: Brands must operate as media companies to leverage these affiliate accelerators and community-building opportunities. “I believe in that more than anything today, because you hear creators talk about how important their community is…but platforms understand that the affiliate model is where the revenue is going to come from.” [14:53, Aaron]

7. Who Is a ‘Creator’? ([16:13])

• The term "creator" is broad and expanding: “…waitresses are creators, doctors are creators, you know, dentists are creators. I mean, it’s coming from every angle…” [16:13, Aaron]
• Not everyone who uploads content is a true creator. The distinction is achieving audience engagement and monetization: “…the magic of what I call creator is someone who actually finds the right formula and gets people to want to watch their content and builds that content community…” [16:53, Aaron]

8. Vision for the Future: "Make Selling Easier Than Buying" ([17:22])

• 3–10 Year Vision: One unified Amaze platform, enabling anyone to sell anything from anywhere with “stupid simple” tools.
• Dream scenario: See a product in the real world, instantly sell it to your audience with a click—“I have this vision that anyone should be able to sell anything anywhere with simple tools that connect.” [17:25, Aaron]
• Amaze aims to disrupt affiliate marketing by empowering sellers to command higher commissions and direct sales, compared to traditional models like Amazon.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the early decision to acquire, not build:

  “We had some initial success in the beginning and lots of opportunities fell on our plate and a few of these things were just too good to pass up…”
  — Aaron Day [02:18]

• On mass user acquisition via integrations (Canva lesson):

  “Canva picked up, you know, millions and millions and millions of users through these integrations…Canva got it through partnerships that paid them.”
  — Aaron Day [05:13]

• On the new unified Amaze brand:

  “…all those things that we acquired or partnered with as brands, they will become features of Amaze Commerce.”
  — Aaron Day [09:48]

• On the creator economy’s evolution:

  “There was this concept of what I'll call a vanity creator that was predominant…and people didn't take it serious. But what's happened…is every small business, every entrepreneur…has learned that creating content about what you're passionate about can monetize.”
  — Aaron Day [12:37]

• On affiliate acceleration:

  “If I create something on TikTok shop…and I start selling it, not only do I accelerate the algorithm, but I accelerate the affiliate. And that means more and more people can sell the product…You go from one to a hundred very, very fast…”
  — Aaron Day [14:14]

• On Amaze’s big-picture vision:

  “I want to make selling easier than buying. And I have this vision that anyone should be able to sell anything anywhere with simple tools that connect.”
  — Aaron Day [17:25]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:56 – Aaron introduces Amaze’s business and portfolio
• 02:38 – Why and how Amaze started acquiring companies
• 03:14 – The story behind acquiring Teespring
• 05:00 – Lessons from growth and integrations at Canva
• 08:35 – Marketing complexities and brand consolidation
• 11:00 – What's driving Amaze’s organic user growth
• 12:37 – From vanity creators to broad-based creator economy
• 14:14 – TikTok Shop integration and the affiliate model shift
• 16:13 – The definition and breadth of 'creator'
• 17:22 – Aaron’s long-term vision for seamless selling

Episode Tone and Flow

The episode is conversational, insightful, and candid, with Aaron Day offering both tactical and philosophical perspectives on growth, technology, and the future of commerce. Brett, the host, prompts Aaron to connect practical strategies from his past at Canva with the bold ambitions he has for Amaze’s platform. The discussion is fast-paced, authentic, and tailored to tech founders and marketers keen on distribution, creator monetization, and platform innovation.

Where to Learn More

• Corporate website: Amaze Co
• Ticker: AMZ (NYSE)