Software Engineering Interview Experience - San Francisco, California
Process
This was a very unconventional software engineering interview compared to other positions I've interviewed for. I consider myself a solid candidate and secured offers from Google, Uber, Bloomberg, LinkedIn, JPMorgan, BlackRock, and a few other small companies.
Stripe's process was totally different than the conventional teaser/problem-solving coding questions. They provided a very specific guide about what you would be tested on via email, and my suggestion is to READ IT. Their process is very different than usual.
The people were very nice, and you do get free office food, just like at other companies' onsite interviews. They also paid for all expenses, including flights, Uber, food, and hotel.
Questions
What is causing the bug in this program? (Java, over 30 classes and thousands of lines of code)
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 5 interview experiences for the Stripe Software Engineering role in San Francisco, California.
Success Rate
Stripe's interview process for their Software Engineering roles in San Francisco, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Stripe's Software Engineering interview process in San Francisco, California.
Stripe Work Experiences
- 4.0Good Pay, Tough BalanceSenior Software Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesJanuary 18, 2023Pros: Great compensation, interesting problems, and good leadership.Cons: Bad work-life balance, politics.
- 5.0A great place to workSoftware Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesNovember 9, 2025Pros: Great culture, great people, and fairly chill.Cons: Not enough drive, and unfortunately, a lot of big-company vibes around process and not getting stuff done.
- 5.0Smartest people I've ever worked withSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesMay 28, 2017Pros: - Team is incredible. The hiring bar is extremely high, so everyone I meet is extremely smart and driven. - Bold company vision and mission. Once you join and learn about the product roadmap, you realize it's much more than just a payments company. - Transparency culture. Everyone is open about the entire decision-making process and communicates successes and failures across the company, so we all have a realistic sense of how the company is performing. - Opportunity for impact is extremely high.Cons: The interview process, for software engineers at least, is quite different from most other similar companies, so we lose out on a lot of otherwise-great candidates that end up being unprepared.
Stripe Interview Questions
