Walk the Store

Review product flows together as an entire company to build shared language and standards

David Singleton
Building a culture of excellence | David Singleton (CTO of Stripe)

Walk the Store

"There's something that we do occasionally at Stripe called Walk the Store where we'll actually do that process of looking at the product together with the whole company." - David Singleton

What It Is

Walk the Store is a practice of reviewing critical product flows together as an entire company during all-hands meetings. Rather than just presenting metrics or announcements, the company literally walks through the product experience together, discussing how flows reflect company priorities and identifying areas for improvement.

The name evokes how a retail store owner would walk through their store to see what customers see - checking displays, noticing issues, and ensuring quality. Similarly, software companies can "walk the store" by going through their product together.

The practice helps build shared language, align on quality standards, and ensure everyone has the same understanding of what the product actually does and how it feels to use it.

How It Works

  1. Select critical product flows: Choose the most important user journeys to review - onboarding, checkout, key features, etc.

  2. Present during all-hands: Use company-wide meetings (Stripe uses "Friday Fireside") to walk through these flows together.

  3. Center on user experience: Keep a specific user persona at the core of the discussion, just like friction logging.

  4. Discuss priorities and shifts: Use the walkthrough to explain how the product reflects company priorities and changes you're trying to make.

  5. Build shared vocabulary: The process helps everyone develop common language for discussing product quality.

How to Apply It

Actionable steps for implementing Walk the Store:

  1. Identify your flagship flows - Choose 3-5 critical user journeys that represent your product's core value
  2. Schedule regular sessions - Do this occasionally (quarterly or after major releases) during existing all-hands meetings
  3. Have product leaders walk through live - Not slides about the product, but the actual product being used
  4. Invite questions and observations - Make it interactive, not just a demo
  5. Document and follow up - Capture issues identified and ensure they get addressed

When to Use It

  • After major product launches or redesigns
  • When onboarding new cohorts of employees who haven't used the product deeply
  • When product quality or cohesion needs attention across teams working in parallel
  • To reinforce operating principles and quality standards
  • When pivoting strategy and need shared understanding of current state

Source

  • Guest: David Singleton
  • Episode: "Building a culture of excellence | David Singleton (CTO of Stripe)"
  • Key Discussion: (00:39:10) - Description of Walk the Store practice at Stripe
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

  • Friction Logging - Individual practice of documenting UX issues
  • Dinosaur Brain Product Reviews - Team-based product review sessions
  • Show Don't Tell - Demonstrating work rather than just describing it
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