How about utilizing latest machine learning technology and improving latency as business scales while trying to include higher quality pics and videos? Providing a superior recommendations engine specific for your business and better ui/ux for your various customers so it doesn't suck like amazon's? How about growth hacks built into email customer retention funnels and understanding how data, marketing, and technology translates in real-time to improved metrics in various parts of the customer acquisition funnel? What about logistics and technologies built to bridge outside in in-house logistics (the other half of the business) and making sure it's integrated seamlessly and efficiently for that period (knowing that systems will be altered / upgraded every few years and processes have to be constantly fine-tuned at various points within the e-commerce company's life). What about dealing with robotics and algorithms on shipping and fulfillment that shaves off costs by the millions, fine tunes labor productivity, reduces injury rates, etc. that can make or break the business because margins are thin and building scalable tech solutions is a core value prop.
Wouldn't engineers be interested in doing all of these things or most SF techies just want to be building and deployment code?
Well for one I'm quite interested in logistics but I don't consider that a subset of the e-commerce business.
Recommendation engines are definitely interesting though.
I don't pretend to speak for every techie on HN but I think the qualifier for startup guys is whether there are going to be hard problems to solve as opposed to just doing routine stuff.
Wouldn't engineers be interested in doing all of these things or most SF techies just want to be building and deployment code?