02 — Leadership
Plenty of brands reach a point where eCommerce is a serious part of the business but nobody senior owns it end to end. It is split between a marketing lead, an operations lead, a founder and two agencies — all of whom are doing their jobs correctly and none of whom is responsible for the whole.
Adding another full-time executive isn't always the right answer. Gapstow can step into that gap at the level of seniority the role actually needs.
The role
This is an active role. We establish priorities, guide internal teams, manage outside partners, evaluate technology, identify growth opportunities and make sure the important work keeps moving when the week gets busy.
Because we are also practitioners, we can go as deep as the problem requires — including into the store itself — rather than escalating everything back to the team we're supposed to be supporting.
Business goals
Fractional eCommerce leadership
Priorities set, decisions made, work followed through.
A good fractional leader should make your internal team more effective — not more dependent.
What we take on
Set and defend priorities
A clear order of work, and the discipline to protect it from whatever arrived this morning.
Guide the internal team
Direction, review and mentorship for the people already doing the work.
Manage agencies and vendors
Scopes, quality, cost and accountability — reviewed by someone who knows what the work should take.
Evaluate technology honestly
Including the apps, tools and contracts that are quietly no longer earning their place.
Typical responsibilities
Proof
ROAM Adventure Co. · Wulf's Fish
Two of our longest partnerships — approximately six years and five years — ran across advisory, migrations, site building, store management and custom development. That is what fractional ownership looks like when it works: the same senior people staying accountable across everything the store needed.
MìLà · Shopify Platform Advisor
For more than two years Gapstow has advised MìLà as its Shopify Platform Advisor — ongoing senior input across strategy, Shopify Plus, platform optimization, application implementation, analytics and high-stakes promotional periods. The team owns the business; we own the platform judgment.
We'll be direct about whether a fractional role is the right shape for your business.
