Firstleaf — Shopify Migration
End-to-end migration of the Firstleaf mobile app from a custom e-commerce platform to Shopify. Reduced load time by 90% and bundle size by 65%.
Overview
Firstleaf is a wine subscription service with a large mobile customer base. When I joined, the app was running on a custom e-commerce backend that had become a performance and maintenance bottleneck. The goal: migrate entirely to Shopify while keeping the customer experience seamless.
The Challenge
The existing codebase was tightly coupled to a legacy platform. Every order flow, subscription management screen, and checkout interaction had to be re-architected against Shopify’s APIs — without breaking production for existing subscribers.
What I Did
Led the full migration from architecture through delivery. Redesigned the data layer, rebuilt the checkout flow, and rewrote subscription management screens against Shopify’s Storefront API and Customer API. Collaborated closely with UX, design, and backend teams across the 6-month timeline.
Alongside the migration, I identified and resolved a series of performance issues: eliminated redundant renders, reduced unnecessary bundle dependencies, and optimized the image pipeline.
Results
- 90% reduction in app load time
- 65% reduction in bundle size
- Delivered on schedule across a 6-month initiative
- Zero production incidents during migration cutover