Invite Your Customer In: Stripe’s Secret to Staying Connected
I was diving into an intriguing article on Business Insider by Effie Webb about Stripe CEO Patrick Collison's approach to customer feedback, and it got me thinking about how essential—and yet overlooked—this kind of connection truly is.
Every two weeks, Stripe invites a customer into its leadership meetings. Imagine sitting among 40 top managers, sharing your candid, unfiltered feedback about your experience directly with decision-makers. Sounds bold, right?
As someone who spends a lot of time exploring the nexus between customer and employee experience, I couldn’t agree more. There's magic in direct, face-to-face interactions that surveys and digital analytics just can’t replicate. These authentic conversations unlock insights that traditional methods often miss—insights that fuel genuine innovation and keep companies aligned with customer realities.
But this approach isn’t without challenges. The bigger the company, the easier it becomes to drift from the voice of the everyday user. Stripe, valued at a staggering $91.5 billion, has faced criticism for potentially losing touch with its smaller clients. Investors have voiced concerns publicly, highlighting how essential it is for companies to stay rooted in the customer experience—even as they scale to serve enterprise giants.
So, why does Stripe’s strategy matter? Because no matter how sophisticated your feedback loops are, nothing replaces the power of bringing a customer directly into the room. Stripe’s method isn’t just feedback—it’s an empathy accelerator.
Whether your company serves a hundred customers or millions, this is a valuable reminder: Real growth doesn’t come from isolating leaders behind layers of dashboards and reports. It comes from conversations. It comes from vulnerability and genuine openness. Most importantly, it comes from never losing sight of who you’re serving.
Think about your own organization. When was the last time your team listened directly—not through surveys, not through feedback forms—but face-to-face to the people who matter most?
Maybe it’s time you open the door and welcome your customers in.
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Mahalo,
Tiffani
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This is what customer obsession looks like, not just listening, but making space at the table. Stripe’s approach strips away the illusion of proximity that dashboards and NPS scores often create. Real proximity is uncomfortable, direct, and transformative. More brands need to trade their “insights” for actual conversations.
Love this idea! The closer you get to your customers, the better you can understand their needs and challenges. Open, direct feedback is invaluable for innovation and growth. It’s all about real connection, not just numbers.
As we arm up with Gen Ai Tech, the fundamentals become more meaningful to customers. RFeal people talking and interested in real people. Fantastic point Tiffani Bova
A timely reminder that customer proximity is about dialogue.
Spot on! When "The Voice of the Customer" takes on a very real and tangible methodology ... amazing things can happen.