Communicating to the Developer Community

• Stripe runs a developer program called 'Stripe Partner Program.' It also has a developer portal with information on how to get started, guides, support, API status, etc. The brand connects with its developers via its newsroom, blog, social media platforms, YouTube tutorials, @Stripestatus on Twitter, Stripe on Github, developer digest (newsletter), and #stripe on Freenode.
• Its newsroom and blog feature most of the company's information, including posts from its developer community. The blog is updated regularly and shares general content information; however, with a more focused approach on payments, billing information, etc. Stripe also publishes a developer's newsletter, dubbed 'developers digest.' Interested developers can sign up for it on the developer's page.
• On social channels, Stripe connects with most of its customers and the developer community via two Twitter handles, i.e., @stripe, with 139.9K followers is where brand shares general company information and @stripestatus, with 9,763 followers — for sharing updates on the status of Stripe products and services. Stripe developers YouTube tutorials feature beginner to advanced tutorials on developing software, codes, etc.
• Stripe on Github: A link to the Stripe profile on Github can be accessed here. On Github, the company has seven members, 144 repositories, and numerous posts that attract hundreds of contributors. The brand also speaks to developers via the #stripe on Freenode, an IRC network for discussing peer-directed projects.
• Stripe developers also come together via hackathons. For instance, in October 2019, the brand alongside CardFlight held a Stripe full-day Mobile Payments Hackathon. Further, Stripe maintains a steadily-growing list of webinars and on-demand webinar discussions on a wide range of subjects, including payments, regulations, etc.

Core Value Propositions (CVP)

•  Accessibility, convenience, and price are the three primary value propositions Stripe offers its consumer and merchant business segments.
• According to Stripe, its services are widely accessible — numerous websites allow users to accept and manage payments with Stripe. Besides, the platform supports more than 100 currencies and other payment alternatives, Alipay, Amex, Android Pay, Apple Pay, Bitcoin, and Express Checkout.
• Stripe charges users a flat rate for all their transactions as long as the accounts do not exceed $1 million in volume per annum -the fixed rate is 2.9% plus a $0.30. Importantly, Stripe does not charge add-on fees for events American Express card usage, cross-border payments, failed transactions, recurring payments, refunds, etc. The flat rate feature helps customers to save lots of money, unlike its competitor -PayPal that charges most of these fees.
• The third core value proposition by Stripe is convenience. The site has a broad array of features and solutions that make it highly convenient to use; for instance, it supports setting up merchant accounts fast, its APIs integrate quickly unlike competing APIs, and so on.

Key Messages to Developers and Fintechs

• Stripe's key messaging to its audience that primarily consists of developers is "to increase the GDP of the internet." The company's focus is building the online economic infrastructure (software) that all businesses can rely on to accept & make payments and manage their businesses online.
• The company also encourages developers that its partner programs are designed to help them "build new experiences, launch faster, and reach more customers."
• Importantly, in its developer's documentation page, Stripe urges them to "explore its guides and examples to integrate Stripe, with a more payment-focused messaging that says, "Build a web or mobile integration to accept payments online or in person."
• Overall, Stripes messaging to developers and fintech is centered around the theme of expanding the online GDP by facilitating e-commerce payments through simplifying transactions processing and making it easier to build a web or mobile integration to accept and make payments online, or in-person.

Developer Portal Strategy or Separate Arms/Programs

• Stripe has separate developer programs, including a partner program, in which its partners develop technology and software that brings more businesses online.
• It also runs a platform partner program whereby businesses partner with Stripe and allows users of their platform to transact using Stripe.
•  Extension partners, another program Stripe runs, aims at reaching the millions of businesses and individuals using Stripe by developing new tools and extensions.
• Additional partner program types on the platform include plugin partners, service partners, and incubators & accelerators.

Business Lines

• Stripe runs a multi-sided business model focusing on two critical and interdependent customer segments that drive its operations — the consumer segment and the merchant segment. The two segments are further broken down into online and in-person retailers, subscription businesses, and software platforms & marketplaces.
• Stripe serves online and in-person retailers with a suite of fully integrated payments APIs to support online payments. For the subscription businesses, it offers — Stripe Billing, which it claims to be the fastest way for a business to bill clients with subscriptions or invoices.
• For the software platforms & marketplaces segment, Stripe provides them with Connect, a "set of programmable APIs and tools" that these businesses can use to facilitate payments on their marketplaces or software platforms.

Evidence of Naming Conventions

• A detailed review of the Stripe website, including x-ray searches for naming conventions like digital consumer or software developer, returned negative results.
• Equally, for the case of software developer, it turns out that Stripe.com uses it rarely; however, the term, software engineer, is more prevalent throughout Stripe.com.