Speed is about creating the conditions to move fast without breaking things. 5 principles we use at Stripe to move quickly:

1) Relationships over process: Direct conversations beat long threads. A simple “here’s the goal, any red flags?” helps you get to yes/no faster.

2) Don’t “ask for forgiveness”: Speed doesn’t require going rogue. Directional approvals are easy to get when you show intent, scope, and safeguards. Move quickly and transparently, not stealthily.

3) Respect the guardrails: There are limits to fast. Plan for lead times and prototype off the critical path when you can.

4) Prototyping is not production: have separate tools, domains, and isolated infra to ship experiments fast and get user feedback quickly to gain confidence it’s worth the prod push.

5) Users drive everything: Our early users shape our experiments and we collaborate with them closely via shared Slack channels and regular Zooms. Users should be your closest partner in building products.


🖋 Miles Matthias