I have the opposite experience: reference calls are done BEFORE giving an offer, so you don't have to undo the offer or put yourself in an awkward situation lik

I have the opposite experience: reference calls are done BEFORE giving an offer, so you don't have to undo the offer or put yourself in an awkward situation like stripe has done. Yes, you should be careful about which references you use, and if you're going to use current colleagues/managers, to let them know you're searching ahead of time (normally you should ask before selecting someone anyhow--so it shouldn't be a surprise).