“Interviewing is a skill separate from being a good developer”, says Horia Coman, Stripe’s Stripe’s Director of Engineering and Site Leader at their new engineering hub in Bucharest, Romania.

Horia shared with us what non-coding and coding skills engineers should work on if they want to successfully interview at Stripe. He also shares career advice for engineers at big product companies such as Stripe. Spoiler: the secret is in being aligned with the success of the product.

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How to Prepare for an Interview at Stripe

According to Horia, one of the biggest hurdles engineers face when applying to Stripe is the interview process itself, which requires a specific set of skills beyond just coding. “Interviewing is a skill separate from being a good developer,” he explains. In many regions, particularly in Eastern Europe, engineers may not be accustomed to the rigorous problem-solving focus of interviews at companies like Stripe. “You have to practice this skill if you want to be good at it.”

Stripe’s interviews test not only your ability to code but also your understanding of system design and your problem-solving approach. Horia advises candidates to focus on honing their algorithmic coding skills and be prepared to work in realistic coding environments:

Our interviews are not puzzle-like, but they do test if you can code, debug, and integrate systems. The key is not just technical expertise but how well you handle problem-solving under pressure. Debugging, in particular, can be a stumbling block for many, as most engineers coming out of university don’t have much experience debugging real codebases.

Product-Minded Engineers Need To Be 100% Aligned With Their Product

For those looking to make a lasting impression at global technology companies like Stripe, Horia emphasizes the importance of being “product-minded.” In other words, engineers need to think beyond the technical aspects and focus on the broader success of the product they’re working on. “Being a product engineer means internalizing the mission of making the product successful,” Coman said. This involves not only building the product but also engaging with customers, understanding the business goals, and continuously improving the product based on user feedback.

This approach contrasts with the mindset many engineers adopt in service-based or outsourcing companies that have been common in Romania and Eastern Europe, where the focus is often on delivering to client specifications rather than driving the success of a product:

In a product company, 100% of the time you need to be aligned with the success of the product. This shift in perspective can make a significant difference in an engineer’s career. Once you work like that, there’s no going back.

First-Class Stripe Engineers, Regardless of Location

Stripe’s hiring process is known for being thorough and challenging, but it’s designed to ensure that candidates are the right fit for its product-driven culture. Horia highlighted that Stripe is committed to maintaining high standards for all of its hires, regardless of location. “We didn’t want to say, ‘Hey, these people are different,’ or treat them as second-class engineers. We’re operating at the same level.“

Stripe’s recruitment process typically includes a mix of coding interviews, system design assessments, and integration tasks. For entry-level candidates, the focus is on coding and problem-solving. “You have to be good at turning a problem statement into code,” Horia said, stressing the importance of algorithmic thinking over “puzzle-like” problem-solving. For more experienced candidates, the interview process goes deeper into system design, with an emphasis on how they’ve architected systems and solved complex problems in real-world environments.

Mid-level and senior engineers, in particular, are expected to articulate their design decisions clearly. “Sometimes the most experienced candidates rely too much on intuition and struggle to explain their thinking process,” Horia pointed out. At Stripe, it’s not enough to just know the right answer; engineers need to be able to explain their approach and reasoning.

Eastern European Talent Is Great – And The Cost Isn’t Low Anymore

We spoke to Horia during the largest startup conference in Eastern Europe – How to Web in Bucharest and he admits that adapting to the local recruitment culture was one of the challenges when starting and growing Stripe’s Bucharest office.

Unlike in the U.S. or Western Europe, where engineers actively seek out opportunities, in Romania, companies often have to chase top talent. “Here, you have to go after candidates, convince them to join, and even prepare them for the interviews,” Horia explained. This required Stripe to adapt its approach, working with local recruiters who understood the nuances of the Romanian tech scene.

Despite these challenges, Stripe has maintained its high hiring standards across all its offices. Horia made it clear that Stripe’s Romanian office is not a low-cost alternative. “Eastern Europe is not a low-cost location with so-so talent. The talent is great, and the cost isn’t low anymore.” As Stripe continues to grow its Bucharest team, the company is focused on building an engineering hub that meets the same rigorous standards as its U.S. counterparts.

Career Advice for Engineers: Take Ownership Of Your Work

For those looking to advance their careers, Horia offers some valuable advice: take ownership of your work and invest in your long-term development. He believes that engineers who can align themselves with the success of the products they’re building will find greater fulfillment and career opportunities. “The ideal is that you’re building something you believe in, that you feel you are the owner of, and that you have a big hand in directing for success.”

He also encourages engineers to broaden their skills and not become too narrowly focused on one technology or framework. “You have to either go broad and develop a big toolbox or go really deep and become an expert in a particular technology,” Horia advises. He warns against becoming too specialized without mastering a broader set of skills or achieving expert-level depth. “If you just have this surface understanding, it’s limiting to call yourself an expert.”

Stripe’s Commitment To Giving Back To The Ecosystem

Horia joined Stripe partly because of its strong commitment to university recruitment and training new generations of engineers. Stripe is not just looking for experienced talent—it’s also focused on developing young engineers through internships and graduate programs. “We wanted to build a correct office from the start, with a mix of senior, junior, and mid-level engineers,” he explained.

Stripe’s training programs are designed to offer new engineers valuable learning opportunities, working alongside senior engineers and contributing to real projects. “You get this intergenerational experience of training new generations, and we learn a lot from them as well,” Horia said. Stripe plans to grow its university recruitment efforts, hoping to hire more young talent each year and help shape the local tech ecosystem in Romania.

Engineering Careers Are Long, So Let’s Make The Most Of Them

For engineers looking to join a company like Stripe, the key takeaway from Horia’s interview is clear: take charge of your career and continuously strive to improve your skills:

Our careers are long, and we spend a lot of time on them, so we need to make the most of them!

This means not only preparing for interviews and improving technical skills but also adopting a product-focused mindset that prioritizes long-term success.

For those interested in applying, Horia encourages candidates to explore opportunities on Stripe’s job portal or connect with him directly on LinkedIn. “We’re growing fast, and we’re always looking for great talent to join the team,” he said.

Horia notes they plan to grow the Bucharest office to 70 people by the end of the year, with plans to expand beyond 100 in 2025. Long-term, he mentions the goal is to have hundreds of engineers at the Bucharest office within three to four years.

In essence, if you want to secure a role at Stripe—or any top tech company—it’s not just about your coding skills. It’s about your ability to think strategically, own the success of the product, and continuously adapt to new challenges in a fast-paced, ever-evolving industry. Especially in Eastern Europe, which is moving from being a low-cost engineering hub to a home of product-minded engineers like the ones at Stripe.

The post How to get hired at Stripe as a (Product) Engineer appeared first on ShiftMag.