Article

Adyen employees explain The Formula

Explore the eight principles of The Adyen Formula directly from our team's perspectives.

October 27th, 2026

· 5 minutes

A person speaking in a meeting room with large windows, with payment activity handled by an Adyen terminal.

The eight principles of the Adyen Formula guide how we work, but what do they mean in practice? You may have already heard from our senior leadership on how they’d describe each Formula point. Now we’re turning the spotlight on team members from across the globe to share how they see the Formula show up in their day-to-day. Take a look into their perspectives in the videos below.

A woman standing outdoors at night, illuminated by colorful lights, with greenery and a wooden structure behind her.

Every success at Adyen is a shared effort.

Our team highlights how they depend on each other to do their best work, and that trust is what makes those partnerships possible. Support doesn’t just come from your direct team, office, or time zone. Our low-ego environment allows us to keep our focus on what matters most: winning together.

Adyen team member speaking at an event in a lively environment with green decorations and other people in the background.

How do we build for every merchant, not just the loudest one? By building scalable, sustainable solutions.

Adyen employees explain that “built to benefit all merchants” means an idea from one customer only becomes a product once it’s tested against the needs of many. It also means making sure employees feel confident saying no, explaining why a request doesn’t make sense, and offering what else we can do to solve the problem.

Adyen employees in the office engaging in a conversation, with payment activity provided by an Adyen terminal visible.

Thinking and building for the long-term is foundational to our success. Our team shares that we’re able to do this by being intentional with every decision and keeping the big picture in mind.

At Adyen that means constantly weighing the benefit for our merchants, for the company, and for the world, and showing up consistently for the local communities where we operate. We support people and the businesses they run, so we have to build products that are scalable and fit for the future.

Adyen team members standing outdoors at an event with colorful lighting and greenery, engaging in a discussion.

How do we build trust with each other across cultures and time zones? By keeping communication flowing and expectations aligned.

Our team shares that “talking straight” at Adyen means direct communication and getting to the point, but also understanding that “rude” doesn’t look the same everywhere. Every country has its own nuances, so we learn and adapt without losing the heart of this Formula point. The result is clearer conversations and solutions created sooner.

Adyen employees in the office engaged in a discussion with a visible payment terminal provided by Adyen.

At Adyen, moving quickly isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about learning and improving faster.

The Formula point “launch fast and iterate” means putting an idea out there, seeing whether it works, and building on it if it does. Rather than sitting on a concept until it’s perfect, we test it and let the results guide the next step. This mindset gives our team the freedom to move quickly and change direction when needed.

Adyen team members at an event, engaging in conversation with a customer at a lively venue.

A quick call can often settle what might otherwise take days of back and forth. So we “pick up the phone” (or Zoom!) to maintain momentum and clarity.

Our team shares that talking directly with colleagues and merchants often gets to the answer faster than a long email thread. That’s especially true across time zones. Team members in Sydney, on the other side of the world from many of their colleagues, describe how a quick call keeps work moving when email would slow it down.

Adyen team member speaking in an office setting, with a blurred background and professional attire.

Every day brings a chance to collaborate on challenges, offer a possible solution, and ask what others think.

At Adyen, people come from many different backgrounds, and our team shares that this variety is what leads to the best product decisions. When we bring different voices into the room, the outcome is always stronger than any one person could reach alone.

Our team shares that careers at Adyen aren’t “ladders”, they’re more like jungle gyms. Someone might start out in the Commercial organization, move to Operations, and then try their hand at Compliance.

They explain that “creating your own path” means it’s up to each person to understand what drives them and how their goals align with the business. While growth at Adyen takes a choose-your-own-adventure approach, there’s support and guidance along the way.

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