--- title: Shopify Contest Yields Big Money and Bigger Ideas description: Back in June, ecommerce platform Shopify invited Web entrepreneurs to enter its $500,000 Build-A-Bu... image: https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shopify-logo-icon-2-1-1-1.png --- [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) [![Website Magazine Logo](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png?width=586&height=145&name=gradient-regular@3x-1.png "Website Magazine Logo")](http://Website%20Services,%20Inc.) - [About](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about) - [FAQs](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/faq) - [Advertise](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/advertise) - [Editorial Staff](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/editorial-publishing-staff) - [Resources](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com) - [Newsletter](https://www.websitemagazine.com/newsletter-sign-up) - More - [Contact Us](https://www.websitemagazine.com/contact) [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) Search - [Latest](https://www.websitemagazine.com) - [Design](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design) - [Development](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-development) - [SEO](https://www.websitemagazine.com/seo) - [Ecommerce](https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce) - [Content](https://www.websitemagazine.com/content) - [Marketing](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing) - [Advertising](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising) - [Email](https://www.websitemagazine.com/email) - [Infographics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/infographics) - [View All Topics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/channels) # Shopify Contest Yields Big Money and Bigger Ideas ![Linc Wonham](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Linc%20Wohnam.jpeg) [by Linc Wonham](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/author/linc-wonham) 29 Feb, 2012 - - - [mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/shopify-contest-yields-big-money-and-bigger-ideas](mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/shopify-contest-yields-big-money-and-bigger-ideas) - Link Copied! ![Shopify Contest Yields Big Money and Bigger Ideas](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shopify-logo-icon-2-1-1-1.png) ![](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shopify-mini-Jan-23-2023-12-18-58-1129-AM-1-1-1.gif?width=75&height=75&name=shopify-mini-Jan-23-2023-12-18-58-1129-AM-1-1-1.gif)**Back in June, ecommerce platform [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/) invited Web entrepreneurs to enter its $500,000 [Build-A-Business Competition](https://www.websitemagazine.com/blog/shopify-contest-calling-all-web-entrepreneurs). More than 3,000 entries were received and now, after eight months of competition, a winner has finally been announced.** [**Coffee Joulies**](https://www.joulies.com/) is a startup company that sells a new product by the same name. Joulies are polished stainless steel beans that regulate the temperature of coffee, and were developed by New Jersey mechanical engineers Dave Jackson and Dave Petrillo. The two Daves went on Kickstarter to crowdsource their funding with a goal of $9,500 and ended up raising $306,944 with 4,818 backers. Then they entered the Shopify competition and built their Web store on the platform, ultimately earning the $100,000 first-place prize. In all, $12 million in products were sold by competing startups during the eight-month period **(see the entire list of winners below)**. "I spent one evening building our online store on Shopify," says Petrillo. "We were accepting orders the next day and quickly sold out. Using Shopify for ecommerce eliminated most of the tedious parts associated with starting a business." "The only thing we had to focus on was our brand, our products and our customers - the way it should be, adds Jackson. "We know if we build our brand slowly and carefully, we can make Coffee Joulies a million dollar business by the end of the year." Along with Shopify's grand prize of $100,000 cash, Jackson and Petrillo also earn VIP trips to New York City and San Francisco to meet Web marketing gurus Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk and Timothy Ferriss to gain some high-end business advice to further grow their company. Shopify is also awarding a total of $150,000 cash and $60,000 in Google AdWords credits to the following industry and regional category winners: [**Tattly:**](https://tattly.com/) Tina Roth Eisenberg was frustrated that children's rub-on tattoos were often poorly designed. Tina (aka Swiss Miss), opened her own temporary tattoo online store featuring art by famous designers. [**Opena Case:**](https://www.openacase.com/) Rob Ward and Chris Peters solved a dilemma of epic proportions, having a cold beer but no way of opening it. What's the one thing you always have on you? Your phone. Solution: an iPhone bottle opener. [**FlockStocks:**](https://www.flockstocks.com/) Sophie Kovic was working at a local movie theatre until she read Tim Ferriss' book "The 4-Hour Workweek." She followed his step-by-step business plan and created a feather hair extension online store. Her feathers are selling all around the world. [**NeuYear:**](https://www.neuyear.net/) Jesse Phillips was disillusioned with his computer science degree and became determined to save himself from a life working in a cubicle. He semi-quit his day job and developed an artistic one-year calendar poster. [**MyFootyBoots:**](https://www.myfootyboots.com.au/) Brad Jorgensen was tired of overpriced soccer cleats in his native Australia. He found suppliers and opened an online store offering fair prices. [**Simply Hops:**](https://www.simplyhops.co.uk/) Small batch beer makers often have difficulty finding a variety of quality hops available for purchase in small quantities. Simply Hops was developed to cater to craft brewers that don't want to make expensive bulk purchases. [**Clearpath Robotics:**](https://store.clearpathrobotics.com/collections/turtlebot) Matthew Randall and four other mechanical engineers from the University of Waterloo created an open-source and fully customizable robot called TurtleBot. It's currently the most powerful and capable entry-level robot in the world. ![Linc Wonham](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Linc%20Wohnam.jpeg) [Linc Wonham](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/author/linc-wonham) I am a longtime content specialist with vast experience in ideating, creating and editing articles, infographics, books, ebooks, white papers, insights guides, corporate POVs, video scripts and more for omnichannel promotion and distribution on behalf of publishers, brands and creative agencies. My areas of expertise include financial services & fintech; retail & ecommerce; CPG marketing, sports, technology, lifestyle and more. - #### Popular Post ### [31 Back-to-School Keyword Targets ![31 Back-to-School Keyword Targets](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/schoolbus-1-1-1-1.jpg)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/31-back-to-school-keyword-targets) ### [GoDaddy Goes .XXX ![GoDaddy Goes .XXX](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-12-15-39-1451-AM-Apr-10-2023-01-36-09-0977-PM-3-1.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/godaddy-goes-xxx) ### [23 Cool Tech Facts ![23 Cool Tech Facts](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fact_100x100-2-1-1-1.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/23-cool-tech-facts) #### Subscribe to Our Newsletter! [![](https://a.impactradius-go.com/display-ad/13053-1438301)](https://semrush.sjv.io/c/3976891/1438301/13053)![](https://imp.pxf.io/i/3976891/1438301/13053) #### Latest in Marketing [![3 Tips to Make Your Website More User-Friendly in 2023](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-photo-2284350-1-1.jpg) 3 Tips to Make Your Website More User-Friendly in 2023](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/3-tips-to-make-your-website-more-user-friendly) [![Web.com Launches New Professional QuickStart Website Service](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-photo-4348404-1.jpg) Web.com Launches New Professional QuickStart Website Service](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/web-com-launches-new-professional-quickstart-website-service) [![6 Ways to Stretch Your Marketing Budget](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Feb-07-2023-03-32-33-0828-PM-Apr-25-2023-03-10-37-2214-AM-1.png) 6 Ways to Stretch Your Marketing Budget](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/6-ways-to-stretch-your-marketing-budget) [![5 Reasons Visitors Leave Your Website and Website Tracking Tools to Track Website Visitors](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/pexels-photo-1008155.jpg) 5 Reasons Visitors Leave Your Website and Website Tracking Tools to Track Website Visitors](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/5-reasons-visitors-leave-your-website) [![5 Lessons About Workplace Energy](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/distress-1-1-1-1.png) 5 Lessons About Workplace Energy](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/5-lessons-about-workplace-energy) [![Y Combinator Startups to #WebTechWatch](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/startup-funding-4-1-1-1.jpg) Y Combinator Startups to #WebTechWatch](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/y-combinator-startups-to-webtechwatch) [![gradient-regular@3x](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x.png?width=128&height=128&name=gradient-regular@3x.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/) 999 E Touhy Ave, Des Plaines, IL 60018   [info@websitemagazine.com](mailto:info@websitemagazine.com) [(888) 7WEBMAG](tel:18887932624) [(312) 313-6576](tel:13123136576) About - [Advertise](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/advertise) - [Editorial](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/editorial-publishing-staff) - [Contact Us](https://www.websitemagazine.com/contact) Resources Membership - Login - Subscribe Signup for our newsletter © 2026 Website Magazine. All Rights Reserved - [Privacy Policy](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/privacy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Linc Wonham", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/author/linc-wonham" }, "dateModified" : "2023-05-01T21:22:56.344Z", "datePublished" : "2012-02-29T06:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Shopify Contest Yields Big Money and Bigger Ideas", "image" : [ "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shopify-logo-icon-2-1-1-1.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/shopify-contest-yields-big-money-and-bigger-ideas", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png" }, "name" : "Website Services, Inc." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : [ { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Linc Wonham" } ], "headline" : "Shopify Contest Yields Big Money and Bigger Ideas", "publisher" : { "name" : "Website Magazine", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/" } } ```