I did just check the wayback machine, and as far back as I could find[0] their design has been really solid. Am I missing something or were you just guessing?
That's exactly what I was referring to. That page, while perfectly respectable, doesn't use fancy fonts, drop down menus, etc. which the original article highlighted.
My point is that Stripe's success was primarily driven by the excellent quality of their api and documentation, and not by fancy website design.
That success allowed them to subsequently devote the resources needed to produce the current incarnation of their website.
That design is also from 2011, nowadays it looks quite simple but back then i think it had a similar effect on people. Of course it isn't as detailed as the current one, but they are a company that values design a lot (in all areas) and it shows.
My point is that Stripe's success was primarily driven by the excellent quality of their api and documentation, and not by fancy website design.
That success allowed them to subsequently devote the resources needed to produce the current incarnation of their website.