Headless Commerce
Monolithic e-commerce platforms are safe, but they're also cages. You get the features they give you, the performance they allow, and the frontend they dictate.
Headless commerce breaks those chains. It decouples the frontend (the "head") from the backend business logic.
Why I Like It
I want the freedom to build a frontend that feels instant. I want to use Next.js for the experience, Framer Motion for the feel, and Tailwind for the style. But I don't want to build a cart system, inventory management, or payment gateway from scratch. That's suicide.
The Stack
My go-to stack for modern e-commerce:
- Shopify (Backend): They handle the hard stuff. Inventory, PCI compliance, taxes, checkout.
- Next.js (Frontend): Server-side rendering, image optimization, edge caching.
- Sanity (CMS): For rich storytelling that product descriptions can't handle.
It's more work to set up than a basic theme, but the control you get is absolute. You're building a software product, not just a store.