Just got a message from Stripe – the payments app – telling me they are putting my company’s profile public.
“In February, your Stripe profile will be discoverable by other businesses in the Stripe Dashboard. In the future, your Stripe profile will also be public on the wider web.”
So, what does this mean for us? I asked Gemini about it. The answer I got was mostly based on Stripe’s own published materials, not empirical evidence.
The theory is clear though: a discoverable Stripe profile can increase trust through association, improve visibility with partners and investors, smooth the customer payment experience, and marginally strengthen your digital footprint via Stripe’s ecosystem.
The takeaway for me wasn’t the feature itself, but the reminder to ask better questions: What is proven? What is assumed? And where does vendor narrative end and measurable impact begin?
In Fintech (and business generally), knowing what to question is often more valuable than knowing what’s new.
The response is clearly based on Stripe’s public postings/website. Not critical thinking, so I asked it how it got this and got this back: “My previous response was based on a combination of Stripe’s published data, case studies, and industry-standard ecommerce research. While Stripe rarely releases “raw” data across its entire merchant base (due to privacy), they do publish specific performance metrics from controlled experiments and aggregate studies.”
So, I asked a different question. “Give me empirical evidence of the value of letting my Stripe profile go public.”
Industry Insights (Standard “Best Practices”)
Some benefits are “empirical” in the broader sense of ecommerce UX research, which Stripe incorporates into their product design:
- Reduction of “Friendly Fraud”: It is a well-documented industry fact (not unique to Stripe) that clear, branded descriptors on a bank statement (which a discoverable Stripe profile ensures) significantly reduce “I don’t recognize this charge” disputes.
- SEO Value: The benefit of a backlink from a high-authority domain like stripe.com is a standard principle of Search Engine Optimization, though Stripe itself does not typically market “SEO” as a primary reason to use their services.
So, when platforms tell you what is “good” for you, they are rarely lying. But they are rarely neutral either.
Online answers, product updates, and AI-generated explanations are often based on published narratives, positioning documents, and best-case assumptions. They explain what should happen, not always what actually does.
This is why critical thinking still matters.
Good decisions come from asking where the information comes from, who benefits from the change, what is proven versus what is implied, and what risks are not being mentioned. Without that lens, it is easy to mistake marketing logic for business reality.
Tools, platforms, and AI are powerful accelerators. But should never replace judgement. They surface information. They do not weigh consequences.
In business, the real advantage does not come from following every new recommendation. It comes from knowing when to pause, challenge the answer, and decide whether it truly serves your objectives.
Ask better questions. Then decide.
Business Advisor | Champion of Strategic Growth & Sustainable Innovation
Lone Andersen is a dynamic business leader, serial investor, and startup founder with a global track record of driving growth and sustainability. From advising governments on waste management in Singapore, Rwanda, and Bangladesh to scaling B2B and B2C ventures across Asia, Europe, and Australia, Lone’s expertise spans industries and borders. Known for her sharp strategic insight, she empowers founders, investors, and startups to establish and expand in Thailand and ASEAN. With a passion for sustainable business practices, Lone is the trusted partner for those aiming to scale smart, grow sustainably, and lead with impact.
