In this episode of "How I Built This," Guy Raz interviews Patrick and John Collison, the brothers who founded Stripe, a $9 billion online payment processing company. They discuss their upbringing in rural Ireland, their early interest in coding, and their first successful business, Octomatic. The conversation delves into the challenges of online payments in 2009, the problem with PayPal, and how Stripe's simplicity and developer focus set it apart. They also discuss the initial skepticism from investors, their meeting with Peter Thiel, and how they partnered with banks and other financial institutions to navigate regulations. The brothers emphasize the importance of product experience, the challenges of scaling a startup, and the role of skill, hard work, and luck in their success. The episode concludes with a story about Robert Armstrong and his G Momma Cookies.
