Alden Schatz

About

Hey - I'm Alden. I work with venture-backed startups at Stripe, helping ambitious companies scale. Before this, I co-founded Waddle and spent time mentoring early-stage founders.

I recently moved to San Francisco — a childhood dream. I'm drawn to the energy here: the innovation, the people, and the genuine excitement around building cool things. This site is a place to share what I'm working on, what I'm curious about, and what inspires me.

Questions I'm Asking Places to Visit Books to Read Writings Contact Experience

Questions I'm Asking

I'm constantly exploring systems where people, incentives, and ideas intersect. Here are some of the questions that guide my curiosity.

  • How are communities and networks built and sustained?
  • What drives the psychology of decision-making under uncertainty?
  • How do people choose to lead, and why do others follow?
  • How do cities foster innovation and creativity?
  • How will financial infrastructure evolve in the next decade?
  • What role will agentic commerce, stablecoins, and programmable money play in the economy?
  • How can startups serve as vehicles for innovation?
  • What are the underlying incentives and economics behind sports?
  • How do markets function as coordination mechanisms?
  • Why do power laws and asymmetric outcomes dominate systems?

Places I Want to Visit

I've been fortunate to visit 30 countries so far, and I make it a goal to explore at least 1-2 new countries each year.

  • Patagonia (Chile/Argentina)
  • Hong Kong
  • Nepal
  • Namibia
  • South Korea
  • Colombia
  • Portugal
  • And many many more

Books I Want to Read

  • The Beginning of Infinity - David Deutsch
  • Zero to One - Peter Thiel
  • Atomic Habits - James Clear
  • Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
  • On Writing - Stephen King
  • Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey
  • Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl
  • When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi
  • Rising Strong - Brené Brown
  • Relentless - Tim Grover
  • The Death and Life of Great American Cities - Jane Jacobs
  • High Growth Handbook - Elad Gil

Writings

Coming soon...

Experience

  • GTM Stripe - Venture Backed Startups (2023-Present) • 2024 President's Club Winner

    Waddle - Co-Founder (2020-2023) • Built a closed-loop network of student bank accounts • Named one of Oregon's 15 under 25 - Portland Business Journal

    Oregon Innovation Challenge - Founding Member (2022-2023) • Created university student incubator program with 200+ participating teams each year

Contact

I'd love to hear from you — whether it's about Stripe, startups, building things, or just life. Best way to reach me is via email or LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Email