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Besides working there? Yes. If you're a qualified investor you could theoretically buy on the secondary markets, but not in practice. I've read that Stripe (

Besides working there? Yes. If you're a qualified investor you could theoretically buy on the secondary markets, but not in practice. I've read that Stripe (like many startups) has reserved right of first refusal as part of their option grants - that is, they can veto sales of their shares. It's probably going to be very difficult or impossible to buy them.

taurath 5y ago
It’s a brilliant(ly jerkish) strategy to make them a darling of the market by being the thing that most can’t buy and an exclusive club for the ones that can. WLB there is atrocious I’ve heard as well. The founders will be extremely rich and they’ll probably start their own space programs. Making already rich people happy is the way to wealth in this country. Hope they are kind enough to throw some table scraps to those who live down below the Ring.
- tptacek 5y ago
  Part of the definition of a private company is control over who your stakeholders are. That's what the "public" in "public company" refers to.
- plywoodtrees 5y ago
  I'm at Stripe and my WLB is fine fwiw. It's busy, but my managers and team do not encourage overwork. It's 5pm Friday here and I'm about to shut down my work laptop until 8am Monday.
  - paraph1n 5y ago
    I feel like that's not great WLB by today's standards. 8-5 is 9 hours a day (instead of 8), and on a Friday no less, when many folks at other companies easily clock out by 3 to begin their weekend early.
ensignavenger 5y ago
Having right of first refusal doesn't mean they can veto a sale- it means they can buy the shares at the offered price instead. Either way the seller gets to sell their shares. It makes it difficult to attract buyers though- why go through all the due diligence when Stripe could just exercise their right to buy the shares instead of you at the same price you would have paid? Still, different from being able to veto the sale and block it entirely.
- pianoben 5y ago
  From the buyer's perspective, it's as good as a veto.

taurath 5y ago

It’s a brilliant(ly jerkish) strategy to make them a darling of the market by being the thing that most can’t buy and an exclusive club for the ones that can. WLB there is atrocious I’ve heard as well. The founders will be extremely rich and they’ll probably start their own space programs. Making already rich people happy is the way to wealth in this country. Hope they are kind enough to throw some table scraps to those who live down below the Ring.

tptacek 5y ago
Part of the definition of a private company is control over who your stakeholders are. That's what the "public" in "public company" refers to.
plywoodtrees 5y ago
I'm at Stripe and my WLB is fine fwiw. It's busy, but my managers and team do not encourage overwork. It's 5pm Friday here and I'm about to shut down my work laptop until 8am Monday.
- paraph1n 5y ago
  I feel like that's not great WLB by today's standards. 8-5 is 9 hours a day (instead of 8), and on a Friday no less, when many folks at other companies easily clock out by 3 to begin their weekend early.

ensignavenger 5y ago

Having right of first refusal doesn't mean they can veto a sale- it means they can buy the shares at the offered price instead. Either way the seller gets to sell their shares. It makes it difficult to attract buyers though- why go through all the due diligence when Stripe could just exercise their right to buy the shares instead of you at the same price you would have paid? Still, different from being able to veto the sale and block it entirely.

pianoben 5y ago
From the buyer's perspective, it's as good as a veto.