There’s a strange irony in writing this — using the same kind of AI tools that helped automate me right out of a job.
For years, I’ve lived and breathed digital architecture. From enterprise-level builds on Adobe Commerce Cloud to headless Shopify projects, I helped businesses of every size connect their systems and scale their stores. My days were spent integrating ERPs, OMS, WMS, and PIM platforms like Akeneo and Salsify, turning chaos into clean data and seamless experiences.
But lately, something shifted. The very automation I helped clients embrace started taking on a life of its own — replacing not just workflows, but workers.
The Slow Creep of “Efficiency”
When I started in this space, technology was a partner. It helped us work smarter — not smaller. But as AI advanced, it stopped being just a tool and became a decision-maker.
Suddenly, teams that once relied on analysts, architects, and QA specialists were running with skeleton crews. AI could generate content, write code snippets, generate SOWs, even map integrations. What used to take hours of collaboration now takes a few prompts.
And behind those “efficiency gains” came pink slips. Not just mine — but for many brilliant folks across agencies, marketing departments, and IT divisions.
I wasn’t “fired.” I was “restructured.” Optimized out of existence by a quarterly savings goal and a chatbot that doesn’t take PTO.
What We Lose When We Automate Everything
I get it — businesses need to evolve. I’ve helped dozens of companies modernize their operations. But I also know something that can’t be measured on a KPI dashboard:
Human creativity builds trust, and trust builds businesses.
A PIM can’t explain why a product’s story matters.
A chatbot can’t replace the quiet confidence of a project manager calming a panicked client.
An algorithm doesn’t understand why a family-owned shop selling cowboy hats deserves the same thoughtful attention as a Fortune 500 retailer.
When you erase the people behind the process, you lose the why — and that’s where real commerce lives.
The Unexpected Upside: Finding Purpose in Semi-Retirement
After losing my role, I’ll be honest — it stung. But with time (and a lot of reflection), I realized maybe this was the universe’s way of handing me a new kind of freedom.
I’ve entered what I call “semi-retirement” — not hanging up my boots, but choosing to use my experience on my terms. That freedom gave me purpose again. It pushed me to finally build what I’d been dreaming about for years: Denton BBQ LLC.
Denton BBQ started as an idea — a Texas-flavored agency helping small businesses get online faster with Shopify. Today, it’s my way of giving back: helping mom-and-pop shops, local makers, and small manufacturers harness the same digital tools once reserved for enterprise giants.
I may not be working 80-hour weeks anymore, but I’m finally building something that’s 100% mine — authentic, local, and human.
And honestly? That feels a whole lot better than any corporate promotion ever did.
Turning the Page
Now, I’m not fighting AI — I’m partnering with it.
AI can help a small business launch on Shopify faster. It can write the first draft of product copy. It can suggest SEO keywords or automate inventory syncing with QuickBooks. But it still takes a human hand to make it all feel real — to bring that Texas-sized heart into digital commerce.
So, while AI might have cost me a job, it gave me something more valuable: direction.
What’s Next for Folks Like Us
If you’ve been displaced by automation, don’t see it as an end. See it as a pivot point. Learn the tools, master the prompts, and blend your hard-earned experience with this new frontier.
Because even in a world run by algorithms, authenticity still wins.
And that’s something no machine can replicate.
Jeff H. Matulevich is an E-Commerce Solutions Architect and Founder of Denton BBQ LLC — helping small businesses build better, quicker, with heart, grit, and a bit of Texas smoke.
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