DanielTems - Compatibility

CompatibilityWorking at Stripe is not for everyone

Not everyone finds success at Stripe. Those who do tend to share a few things in common.

The right people don’t always think they’re right

Successful Stripes are rigorous thinkers who appreciate that things worth doing are rarely simple. We want people who are not afraid to be wrong, who can enthusiastically back proposals they initially opposed, and who know how to support decisions with numbers and narrative. We operate in situations of substantial uncertainty and cannot afford either timidity or recklessness.

The global financial system can seem like a mystifying domain. It isn’t. It’s made of people and computers, like many other systems you’ve worked on. Most Stripes don’t come from finance, and they’ve thrived by bringing fresh perspectives. We want generalists who can parachute anywhere into our operations, learn a new field quickly, and execute competently beyond their formal remit.

We know that we can’t be successful without nurturing the careers of both generalists and experts. People who thrive in high-conflict work environments often do not enjoy the experience here. We try to embrace kindness while still encouraging Stripes to take measured risks and act boldly, even in the absence of consensus.

Who is Stripe for?

Ambitious builders

We’re building solutions without clear precedent, solving problems with far-reaching consequences. The people here find that energizing, preferring the joy of discovery to the comfort of certainty.

Adaptable problem solvers

AI is changing how the global economy works, how our customers work, and how Stripes work. The people who thrive here adapt quickly and treat obstacles as opportunities.

Rigorous thinkers

We argue from first principles, question assumptions, and don’t stop at good enough. At Stripe, craft isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the standard.

The most successful Stripes are the people who have the intellectual horsepower, the curiosity to learn a very complicated business, and the humility to get up every day and realize there’s a huge amount of things they don’t know.

Conor McNamaraHead of EMEA

What all Stripes have in common

We’re dedicated to our work and optimistic about the world. We believe entrepreneurship and free markets do good, and building what supports them matters. If that’s you, read on.

Motivated by our mission

Stripe is on a mission to grow the GDP of the internet.

Ask Yourself:

- Do I see free markets and entrepreneurship as powerful forces for advancing progress?
- Does enabling entrepreneurship and helping to unlock the internet economy’s full potential seem like a compelling use of my time and talents?

Embody our operating principles

“Users first” is a cornerstone principle. Our users trust us to provide an essential service, and it’s a heavy responsibility that we take very seriously.

Ask Yourself:

- Am I motivated to move mountains to protect and support businesses that depend on Stripe?
- Am I driven to overcome obstacles and take on big things to drive progress, or do I feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale and breadth of sometimes nebulous opportunities?

Energized by change

The pace of change at Stripe and in the broader economy is accelerating. You’ll work outside your domain, take on problems that didn’t exist a year ago, and be expected to adapt as quickly as the world does.

Ask Yourself:

- Do I see a fast-moving environment as an opportunity rather than an obstacle?
- Am I comfortable taking on problems outside my domain or experience?

Collaborative, multidisciplinary work

Building programmable financial infrastructure from first principles is inherently complex. It means that everything we create requires deep, collaborative, multidisciplinary work: technically, organizationally, and geographically.

Ask Yourself:

- Am I excited by navigating complexity at scale?

How we operate

You’ll bring high standards to everything you do and find others who do the same.

Users first

We serve millions of businesses and a meaningful fraction of global GDP. We have a weighty responsibility to those businesses and to society. We work backwards from our users’ needs, indexing especially on feedback from the most innovative. Everyone at Stripe talks to users.

Create with craft and beauty

With careful thought, anything can be made surprisingly great. Across every part of Stripe, we are committed to doing so. Well-crafted work indicates care for the user, and beautiful work indicates care for the world.

Move with urgency and focus

We move with speed on what matters most and take the time to invest in what will make us faster tomorrow. Whereas many companies get slower until they’re eventually mired in mediocrity, we aspire to become the world’s fastest company.

Collaborate egolessly

We work as one team: no fiefdoms, no hoarding information, no “not my problem.” We question assumptions, debate energetically, and abandon ideas when better ones emerge. We’re generous with credit and stingy with blame. We learn from mistakes together.

Stay curious

Stripe is an applied exercise in learning about how businesses tick and how the world works. Since the details and possibilities are infinite, we are always seeking to learn. We’re energized by the unfamiliar, preferring the joy of discovery to the comfort of certainty.

Obsess over talent

It’s every Stripe’s responsibility to help hire the best and to push for excellence everywhere. Managers must relentlessly uphold our high talent bar, lead their teams with clarity and context, foster development, and ultimately support Stripes in accomplishing the best work of their careers.

Our culture

Like all great workplaces, Stripe has its own working culture, with norms that can surprise, delight, and occasionally perplex.

Friday Fireside

Friday Fireside is a weekly Stripe-wide forum hosted by Patrick and John. We hear from a Stripe user and get their unvarnished feedback, invite Stripes to chat about (or demo!) their recent work, and welcome external experts to discuss timely and relevant topics.

Convergence

Every December, Stripes come together for Convergence—a full-day event and Stripe tradition dating back to 2014. It’s a chance to reflect on the past year, hear about our priorities for the next year, learn from each other, and poke fun at ourselves.

How we show up in the world

- Cheeky Pint

Ideas meet the pub hang. In this podcast series, John Collison sits down with founders, builders, and leaders to discuss their craft over a pint.

Watch Cheeky Pint

- Stripe Press

Stripe Press publishes books about ideas for economic, technological, and scientific progress. We print works we think can be broadly useful.

Find Stripe Press titles

- Works in Progress

Stripe’s online and print magazine focuses on scientific, technological and economic advancement.

Read about Works in Progress

- Frontier

Launched in 2022, Frontier is Stripe’s advance market commitment to buy an initial $1.8B of permanent carbon removal by 2040.

Learn about Frontier

- Intercept

A new initiative focused on dramatically reducing the burden of respiratory viruses.

Learn about Intercept

Frequently asked questions

What is it actually like to work at Stripe day to day?

Fast-paced, intellectually demanding, and creative. The volume is high, and the problems are high stakes. But you won’t be doing it alone—we work with egoless collaboration. Most Stripes will tell you the caliber of their teammates is one of the things they value most, and that it raises their own standard of work.

How does Stripe invest in your growth?

Through the work itself, mostly. Stripe gives people stretch projects early, which means you’re solving problems that are hard and consequential to the business. Beyond that, we offer mentorship, direct feedback, and an annual education stipend for courses, conferences, and resources