Software Engineer Prep for Stripe

Stripe's mid-level software engineer interview process is a rigorous, 4-6 week evaluation designed to assess technical depth, system design thinking, problem-solving under pressure, and cultural alignment. The process consists of a recruiter screening, a technical phone screen testing coding fundamentals and system design concepts, and an intensive 5-hour onsite loop with five distinct rounds evaluating coding proficiency, distributed systems design, debugging capability, behavioral attributes, and integration problem-solving. Stripe emphasizes clarity, rigor, and ownership throughout—interviewers evaluate not just what you know but how you communicate, structure your thinking, and collaborate under ambiguity. Mid-level candidates are expected to own medium-sized projects end-to-end, mentor junior engineers, make informed technical trade-offs, and demonstrate growing architectural maturity.