We've technically speaking got a lot of US startups on Atlas, but we're happy to have more. Today's announcement also includes a number of other improvements we've made the last few months.<p>I'm happy to answer questions if anyone has them.
Silicon Valley bank is frankly awful. I used them for three years but just recently switched over to Capital One Spark Business Checking[1] and love it. Spark is all online, has zero fees unlike SVB (I used to pay $15/mo), and has solid technology again unlike SVB. The account gets setup instantly and your debit card and checks arrive about a week after opening. The Spark iOS mobile app is really solid and allows for check deposits. I highly recommend Spark business checking over SVB.<p>[1] - <a href="https://www.capitalone.com/small-business-bank/" rel="nofollow">https://www.capitalone.com/small-business-bank/</a><p>EDIT: Also want to mention, I have two software products and was able to create two bank accounts under the same corporate tax id with Spark, which I was unable to do at SVB. This allows me to isolate income and expenses for each product as each has their own Spark checking account number and transactions under a single unified login.
Info I would find useful in deciding to proceed with Atlas:<p>1. What are the ongoing costs for a company which, worse case scenario, makes little or no money?<p>2. What are the costs to close such a company, fulfilling the likely tax and regulatory requirements?<p>I do understand that Stripe is not a law firm or an accounting firm, and I have read through the publicly available documentation. Even so, I find myself uneasy about the possible downsides of getting tangled up with the US system.<p>Obviously, if everything goes well nothing will be a real problem: the money coming in can cover all sorts of ridiculous fees, tax demands and ridiculous bank charges. I am sure, however, that many potential owners are, like me, more focused upon the possibility that they might find themselves in a financial and paperwork blizzard that will drag on for years.<p>I am grateful that Atlas makes it easy to jump in, but how difficult will it be to jump out if necessary?<p>Related: I get that making the entire Atlas Forum members-only adds to the perceived value of membership, but it is frustrating for potential applicants who are hungry to hear about the experiences of others. Having just one open section would almost certainly encourage more people to go ahead and sign up.
As a foreigner that used Atlas to incorporate my consulting business, I can certainly vouch for it. It is an excellent example of "one stop shop" philosophy.
As a foreign developer with a small startup I'm pretty lost with the guides Atlas provides. Is it actually possible to run an Atlas company without ever going to the US and without hiring an US accountant (or PwC, as recommended by Atlas somewhere)?<p>Also, nowhere in the FAQ it is mentioned if it is possible to close the company and how would that work.<p>The SVB terms are also scary to me: "SVB will share more details on its pricing once you have an account". What? What if they're charging me a million dollars? I'll only know after the fact?
I'm a fan of Stripe generally and loved the concept of Atlas when I first heard about it.<p>I'd be slightly concerned about the commitment bias that might creep in though for startups who rely on Atlas for all their incorporation and financial needs.<p>As a future gatekeeper for some pretty crucial operational issues, do you see any risk in Stripe eventually becoming a dependency for startups?<p>I'd compare it slightly to the App Store where Apple made it simpler for developers to submit, launch and market their apps. As the gatekeeper they then kept increasing their portion of in-app charges. Reduced friction at the start for developers resulted in a sort of sunk cost problem at a later stage.<p>As Da Vinci said "it's easier to resist at the beginning then it is at the end".
One of the benefits of Atlas is the AWS credit, which has been useful for us. We would have much preferred to be on Google's cloud, though, and Google's startup program offers a lot more credit.<p>Is there any plan for Atlas companies to become eligible for that?
Is it possible to start an S corporation instead? Part of the appeal of Delaware is that transitioning from S->C is a well defined process, and a C corp seems a bit silly for many businesses.
Appreciate your response, Patrick. Quick question - is it necessary for a start-up to have payment side to apply for the program? What about a start-up that is pre-revenue?
Is there a roadmap for Stripe supporting more countries? I'm working on an on-demand/marketplace app where buyers and vendors could be anywhere, particularly the Middle East at the outset. The alternatives, Paypal and Payoneer, don't really look too appealing.
If you're looking for a guide/checklist before going through the "The Twelve Tasks of Asterix"[1] involved in setting-up a startup, I found this one particularly helpful: <a href="https://github.com/leonar15/startup-checklist" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/leonar15/startup-checklist</a><p>[1] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Tasks_of_Asterix" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Tasks_of_Asterix</a>
We incorporated using Stripe Atlas during the beta.<p>If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. Would be happy to provide another perspective on incorporation.
Only one of the showcased customers sells physical products, and even then they appear to be a retailer of third party products.<p>I wonder whether they'd accept a startup trying to manufacture and sell a physical (botanical) product from the other side of the world.