Podcast
Decoding Commerce
Hosted by dear digital · EN
Welcome to "Decoding Commerce," where we dive into the heart of building brands in Europe.
Join us as we unravel the success stories behind today's most innovative businesses through exclusive interviews with founders and in-depth technology deep dives. Focusing on Shopify and Odoo, we explore the strategies and solutions driving the future of e-commerce and retail. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a tech enthusiast, or just curious about the commerce landscape, "Decoding Commerce" offers insights and inspiration to fuel your journey.
Tune in and discover what it takes to thrive in the dynamic world of European commerce.
➡️ Our website: deardigital.com
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
#60 Talk with CurveCatch│Building a personalised e-commerce experience at scale
Nov 1900:42:48Tap to summarizeIn this live episode, recorded at our collab event with Fashion Fever, our usual host John sits down with Kimia (CurveCatch) and get interviewed by Lien from Fashion Fever. Together, they explore what it really takes to scale a service-driven e-commerce brand.They dive into Curve Catch’s unique model: smart fit questionnaires, curated selections, data-driven sizing, and lingerie 'guides', and why the company aimed to be profitable from the very first order. Kimia shares key metrics they focus on, the role of technology and machine learning, and the challenges of expanding from Belgium into new markets.John breaks down how tools like Shopify and Odoo fit together, why staying close to standard software matters, and how AI and personalization are reshaping the future of e-commerce.A concise, insightful episode (in Dutch) for anyone building a brand that wants to scale without losing its personal touch.Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
Transcribe →#59 Deep dive with Vincent Buyssens│Beyond AI and chatbots: Designing for the Latent Space
Nov 501:02:53Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Sam, Michiel, and creative technologist Voidwalker, aka Vince Buyssens explore what comes after chatbots: truly generative UIs. They unpack how AI shifts us from commanding tools to navigating intelligence: moving through vectors, embeddings, and latent space to “sculpt” copy, design, and product experiences. The trio digs into the rare intersection of design and engineering, why text prompts limit creative work, and how interfaces should evolve toward semantic controls.You’ll hear how AI changes team roles (from writing code to writing specs and curating taste), the risks of over-personalization (and why surprise still matters), and a new model for brands: brand engines that encode tone, values, and style as reusable embeddings. They close with a look at ads and websites as living, intelligent units-assets that adapt themselves in real time to each user’s context.Perfect for product leaders, designers, and engineers rethinking UX in the AI era.Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
Transcribe →#58 Deep dive with Sam & Chris | Shopify or Odoo? Choosing the right stack for growth
Oct 600:48:26Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Sam and Chris, both Solution Architects at Dear Digital, tackle a question many growing businesses face: 'Should I choose Shopify, Odoo, or maybe both?' They compare the two platforms’ core philosophies. Shopify as a best-of-breed selling engine focused on speed, checkout, and multi-channel commerce, and Odoo as an all-in-one ERP powering inventory, purchasing, manufacturing, and more. Chris highlights Odoo’s strength in operations and native app integration, while Sam explains Shopify’s evolution into a robust storefront with strong analytics, order routing, and headless options like Hydrogen. Together, they dive into frontend flexibility, release cycles, and the 'two-speed system' approach of combining fast-moving sales tech with a stable ERP backbone. From checkout friction to change management, this episode is full of insights for teams deciding between best-of-suite, best-of-breed, or a hybrid setup that scales.Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
Transcribe →#57 Deep dive with Sam & Christ-Offert⏐ Why your Odoo Database is so slow and how to fix it
Jun 1900:39:53Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Sam sits down with Chris, Solution Architect at dear digital, to unravel one of the most common questions Odoo users face: “Why is my system running so slow?”Together, they explore the technical structure behind Odoo, breaking down how the Python server and PostgreSQL database work together, and why the database might not be the real culprit.Chris explains how poor custom logic, overloaded cron jobs, and under-provisioned servers often have a bigger impact on performance than the database itself. They also dive into how Odoo handles data with its ORM, why joins in reporting can slow things down, and what smart solutions, like background reports or better cron scheduling, can make a real difference.From system architecture to caching, this episode is packed with practical insights for businesses scaling on Odoo or simply looking to improve performance.Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
Transcribe →#56 Deep dive with Sam & Michiel⏐ 2025 Shopify Edition Dev Recap: Flexibility, AI, and the future of commerce
Jun 200:28:33Tap to summarizeIn this episode, our own Sam and Michiel recap their experience at the Shopify Edition Dev conference in Toronto. They highlight Shopify's significant investment in platform flexibility, introducing Horizon themes with enhanced design and customisation options designed to reduce the need for extensive custom development. The biggest change? The integration of AI, noticeably impacting the storefront with features like the AI builder for blocks that allows users to create custom sections using natural language prompts. They also touch on the future of commerce moving towards conversational interfaces powered by LLMs, with Shopify building core components and APIs to ensure products are accessible across various channels and introducing the Knowledge Base app to provide brand context for these interactions.Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
Transcribe →#55 Talk with Clio | Mastering B2B relationships in fashion retail
May 2000:44:04Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Decoding Commerce, we sit down with Pascale Staelens from Clio, a fashion veteran with almost 30 years in the industry. Pascale offers insights into the evolution of fashion retail, drawing on her experience with Belgian brands like American Outfitters, Scapa, and Belhose, before joining Clio, the affordable luxury bag brand founded in 2011. Clio (formerly Clio Goldbrenner) recently underwent a rebranding to make the brand more international.John and Pascale chat about Clio's multi-channel sales strategy and its large and loyal B2B network, explaining its crucial role in brand success and product understanding, and the importance of building personal partnerships with resellers. Pascale also discusses the essential role of the online store, but also highlights the continuing need for a physical presence, and how pop-up stores serve as a ideal mix of revenue, marketing, visibility, and credibility.Pascale is convinced that the future of fashion retail lies in embracing a mix of channels - B2B, online, and physical - to allow customers to see, feel, and experience the product. An enticing episode!Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
Transcribe →#54 Talk with AO76 | Beyond trends: how to run a sustainable Belgian fashion brand
Mar 27, 202500:56:22Tap to summarizeIn this episode featuring Gaspard Poelman from AO76 American Outfitters, Lien & John delve into the history and evolution of a family-founded Belgian fashion brand. Discover how Gaspard, the third-generation CEO, transitioned from a childhood involvement to leading the company with a focus on empathetic leadership and a strong team culture. We explore the brand's journey since its inception in 1976, and its later shift to the AO76 Kids Fashion label, and talk aout AO76's omni-channel retail strategy, balancing the importance of physical stores for customer experience and brand image with online expansion for international markets, while carefully navigating partnerships with B2B retailers and marketplaces. Join us as we uncover the story of AO76's growth and Gaspard's vision for maintaining a successful Belgian fashion brand.Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
Transcribe →#53 Deep Dive with Dimitri Devroe | Marketing strategies for D2C commerce businesses
Feb 18, 202500:41:42Tap to summarizeIn this podcast episode, we interview Dimitri Devroe, who is specialized in helping direct-to-consumer commerce brands scale with paid advertising and retention strategies. Together, they explore the challenges of rising acquisition costs and strategies to tackle them. Dimitri shares his insights on leveraging various marketing channels, the importance of creative content, and the necessity of a well-structured data setup. A must-listen for every D2C commerce brand looking to grow!Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
Transcribe →#52 Deep Dive with Firmhouse | Recurring online commerce
Jan 15, 202500:38:05Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we take a deep dive with Bob Jansen, co-founder of Firmhouse, a long-standing and valued partner of ours. Firmhouse helps businesses launch and grow subscription-based models with ease. Their platform simplifies testing ideas, launching quickly, and building steady recurring revenue.We explored the different types of subscription models and their benefits, the crucial role of customer experience in subscriptions, and how some of our mutual clients successfully structure their recurring business models.Enjoy! Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
Transcribe →#51 Talk with Loop Earplugs | From Belgian start-up to multi-million-dollar brand - Live session
Dec 4, 202401:00:41Tap to summarizeThis episode is the recording of the final European Commerce Summit 2024 session: A conversation between Dimitri O, founder of Loop Earplugs and John-Morgan Galeyn, founder of dear digital. Together they uncover the journey of Loop Earplugs. From tackling tinnitus to creating stylish, functional earplugs, Dimitri shares the journey of building a brand that redefined hearing protection.We dive into:The origins of Loop and its innovative design.Navigating challenges during rapid growth and scaling.Pivoting during COVID to discover new markets and use cases.How Loop’s marketing strategies, including Meta Ads, fueled exponential growth.Lessons on hiring, company culture, and leadership.Whether you’re an e-commerce founder, entrepreneur, or fan of innovative brands, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration.Visit us on:➡️ Our website: deardigital.com➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-digital-agency/➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deardigital.agency/
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