# Why it might be hard
Trust in our platform is essential to building for the long term. It’s core to our relationship with entrepreneurs, and it’s fundamental to the success of our ecosystem.
From our earliest days, we’ve been deliberate in building a platform where merchants of all beliefs, backgrounds, and perspectives are included and have the opportunity to start and build a business. We do this because we believe that a world where entrepreneurship is easy and common is better than a world where it is not. By making our platform open to everyone, we accept that there will be a wide mix of merchants, some who we celebrate and amplify, and others we may personally disagree with, even passionately. The reality is that we exist within a world of varied perceptions and beliefs, and our collective Shopify view is one slice of that broader spectrum.
We have controls in place to make sure merchants on the platform adhere to the law and our Acceptable Use Policy, and we acknowledge the tension that exists between having an open platform with a mix of merchants, and being a company that proactively supports and endorses politically progressive beliefs and causes. It’s a complexity we’re prepared to hold in order to enable more of the good that we believe entrepreneurship and commerce ultimately bring.
🖱 Double Click
Stewardship of a platform means that we have to make room for differing opinions and stay objective when making decisions. With 99% of stores, this isn’t hard; however, some products and content come very close to the line and become lightning rods for discussion and debate. Those debates become more contentious when the environment is charged with strong opinions and deeply felt emotions.
While we have to make decisions objectively about who can use our platform, we can also be vocal in supporting specific causes and positions that align with what we value as a collective Shopify community. These beliefs and behaviors are reflected in our relationships with one another, in the high care we build into everything we ship, and in the environment we’re working to build together—an environment where everyone feels welcome.
Our ideological position is evident even as we create space for merchants and employees whose perspectives may be different from what Shopify promotes. For example, Shopify is pro-entrepreneurship (somewhat capitalist), pro-immigration (somewhat liberal), and pro-equality of opportunity (an enlightenment value that speaks to our desire to level the playing field so more entrepreneurs can reach for independence).
🔥 Holding the tension
Real talk: We won’t all agree on every decision or position. At the same time, we expect you to commit to Shopify’s mission. That includes being able to hold this tension and recognize the deliberate tradeoff we’re making to enable more opportunity, more access, and more self-determination, particularly for individuals and groups who’ve historically been shut out or shut down by prevailing economic systems.
As we grow into new markets, we’ll continue to promote the progress we wish to see in the world through the causes we support and the public positions we take. At the same time, we must maintain a trusted platform for all merchants and create a company where all employees feel welcome.
Like any great experiment, Shopify is a work in progress. We will continue to have open, real—sometimes raw—conversations about who we are, what we stand for, and the complexity that comes with this. Ultimately, it's a tradeoff we’re prepared to make in service of the greater good we believe we can do in the world.