Can I code Shopify?

COPYThe core storefront is genuinely buildable — here's the specific build, not just the shape of one: 1. A product catalog: name, description, images, and variants (size/color as a simple combination table, each with its own price and stock count) — standard e-commerce CRUD. 2. A cart stored in the session or a cookie-free server-side token, and Stripe Checkout for payment — one integration, not a payment form you build. 3. An orders table updated via Stripe's webhook, and an admin page listing orders with a button to mark each as shipped. 4. Flat-rate shipping only to start — a single fixed price per order, or per weight bracket if you want one more level of realism. That's a real, working small store, achievable in a weekend. Out of scope: sales-tax calculation across states and countries (a genuinely deep compliance problem most builds underestimate — use a tax API like TaxJar rather than attempting your own rules engine), inventory sync across multiple sales channels, and their app ecosystem, which represents years of accumulated product investment.