Stripe CEO says he used to be a ‘misanthropic introvert’ and would still prefer to be a ‘cave dweller’ than work in the office

It’s getting harder to find a dissenting voice among a crowd of CEOs urging their employees to return to the office in a hybrid capacity or full-time. The boss of the $65 billion payments platform Stripe is one of those voices speaking to the struggles faced by “cave-dwelling introverts” like himself as return-to-office memos flood employees’ inboxes.

Speaking last week during a fireside chat at the Berkeley Haas School of Business, Collison said the remote versus in-person debate had turned overly religious and was really more dependent on the context of each company.

The 35-year-old was speaking from experience, describing the tradeoff he has faced between his personal preference for working from home and Stripe’s business requirements that necessitate his physical presence.

“There are some people who are really effective and really enjoy working in their cave. I think I would probably be one of those people, but sadly I’m not in a role where that makes sense,” Collison said.

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