{"id":19498,"date":"2019-08-07T07:12:38","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T11:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/?p=19498"},"modified":"2025-08-05T13:58:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T17:58:44","slug":"wait-spreadshop-is-a-tech-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/2019\/08\/07\/wait-spreadshop-is-a-tech-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Wait, Spreadshop is a tech company?"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Why didn’t you implement this feature sooner?” This is a question we often receive from you. Time for a few answers.<\/p>\n

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We want your Spreadshop to empower you to do your thing. Print-on-Demand allows you to create products from your ideas and earn money in the process. It may sound straightforward, but the features that make all this possible don\u2019t grow on trees.<\/p>\n

No, they grow from the seed of your ideas and feedback, are watered and tended and pruned in our Headquarters, and slowly come into being. When we release a new feature, that new bloom is the result of lots and lots of time and effort.<\/p>\n

To make this happen, we do a lot of work behind the scenes. Every day, over 60 teams of real humans are working to make sure that our website, Shop system, purchasing, shipping, customer service and the printing processes at our five production sites in Europe and the USA are all operating smoothly and securely. (Not to mention the people writing these articles, taking care of the other employees in HR, or marketing our services!) All that in twelve languages across 18 markets and worldwide. And the Shop system humming along in the background? It\u2019s not just a ready-made shop system where features or new functions can be added at our every whim. We are proud to write every line of code ourselves. What can we say, we like DIY.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t just create T-shirts, we also manage our IT. Spreadshirt is a tech company that develops everything itself: from the initial seed of an idea to the full bloom of a digital product. Sounds complicated? Well, sometimes it is.<\/p>\n

So why do we do it? Because of you!<\/p>\n

Empowerment<\/h2>\n

We\u2019re only successful when you and your Spreadshop are successful. There\u2019s a ripple effect at play: if we inspire you, you inspire other people with your products and trigger the \u201cgotta-have-it reflex.\u201d So it\u2019s in everyone\u2019s interest that we provide our Shop Owners the right tools and features to do what they do best. But how do we decide what the right features are in the first place? Does the houseplant illustrator need the same Shop functions as the merch shop of a Grindcore band that regularly tours the world? (Hint: No.)<\/p>\n

On top of that, every development we make has to measure up financially\u2014every feature must be profitable in some way. We are, after all, a business. It goes without saying that our developer resources are limited. Our developers have homes, hobbies and families, too.<\/p>\n

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So what has<\/em><\/strong> made the cut? In the past three years we have proudly developed four new comprehensive functions for the Partner Area alone (one of ten digital products at Spreadshirt). And you\u2019re the reason behind each of them!<\/p>\n

All of these improvements can be traced back to your suggestions and requests:<\/p>\n

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  1. Template function<\/li>\n
  2. Shop Homepage<\/li>\n
  3. Statistics page, esp. Bestseller<\/li>\n
  4. Shop Themes<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Simplicity<\/h2>\n

    Even the best product idea pretty useless if we don\u2019t take the market into consideration or if the usability isn\u2019t quite right. That\u2019s where a Product Owner or Project Manager comes in: someone who is responsible for each new feature. They nurture and check on the feature\u2019s long-term development. For every new release, we organize internal workshops, collect ideas, identify stumbling blocks and milestones along the way\u2014all parts of typical Project Management.<\/p>\n

    Along the way, we also:<\/p>\n