What is the PayPal Business Challenge?

The “PayPal Business Challenge” brings together teams of self-nominated product managers and technologists with local small organizations to work together over a pre-defined time period. The goal of this engagement is to work intimately with the business to Discover, Define, Design and Deliver meaningful opportunities to enhance the business. You tell us what would make your business life easier and we will help.

In the PayPal Business Challenge, the business owner is rightfully in the driver’s seat and the PayPal Inc. team is there to observe, learn and add value in the best way they can.

Each team will work to identify a solution that they can provide to add the most value to their partner. They will work with the business to bring this solution to life. The team that makes the most positive measurable impact will win the Challenge.

While there will be a winner, this is designed as a friendly competition where the most meaningful prize is the satisfaction that the teams will have from helping to support a local entrepreneur. Teams will also benefit, whether they win or not, by enhancing their understanding of PayPal Business operations, as well as developing their leadership and collaboration skills.

Why is PayPal Inc. doing this?

Three reasons:

1. PayPal Inc. is focused on serving the communities in which we call home.
2. Our success in the market can be attributed to the thousands of PayPal Business merchants and non-profits who choose to use our services every day. We need to continually build a deeper understanding of these customers in order to serve them in the best possible way. We see this Challenge as an opportunity for our top employees to build this deep understanding by working directly with local small organizations.
3. PayPal Inc. is a large company, and many of the employees within the company come from around the world and are working in new locations. We see this Challenge as an opportunity to create a stronger bond between our employees and the entrepreneurial, artistic, and historic cities in which we work.

How can PayPal Inc. add value?

The vision of PayPal Inc. as a whole is to “enable commerce” and we are pushing this vision forward everyday with innovative products that help people before, after, and yes, while they pay or get paid.

Our employees come from diverse backgrounds and varying industries. By leveraging our knowledge of the global technology landscape, our current work serving businesses large and small and our diverse backgrounds, we humbly believe that we can step up to the plate to work through problems with you ranging from organizational structure to demand generation.

Can you elaborate on what services or improvements the team can provide?

Each team will have a unique set of skills and experience and will do whatever is within their ability to help you in making a positive, measurable impact for your organization. Below are just some examples of what the team may be able to bring to the table:

• Product Management/customer-centric product design
• Technology – guidance in new web services/apps
• Business Development, e.g., brainstorm additional revenue sources
• Finance/Accounting support
• Research: Market, technology, competition analysis, etc.,
• Marketing: demand generation; traditional and social media.

Who are the participants and how will they be selected?

All participants in the Challenge are employees at PayPal Inc. who are mostly Product Managers or Technologists from varying parts of the organization. These individuals self-identified to participate in the program and have a real passion for volunteering and for PayPal Businesses. We will have approximately 5 participants per team, and the number of teams will vary by location.

The participants are considered high potential, high performing employees who want to connect with their community and make a difference. These employees have the full endorsement of their Managers and will receive plenty of support throughout the program in the form of training and resources they can use to help you.

What will the interactions with the teams be like?

The PayPal Businesses are in the driver’s seat. We understand the demands of being a PayPal Business owner and want to help, not hinder you. The teams want to listen to you. Tell them what keeps you up at night. Help them understand the needs of business owners like yourselves. They want to get to know you, what you are passionate about and how they can help you. Your success is their success. Early meetings with teams will be focused on you, your business, and how it operates. Later meetings will be focused on the project you decide to take on. All meetings should be fueled by graciousness, passion, and heart.

Who gets the final say in what changes are implemented within my business?

At all times, you, the business, retain complete decision authority over what happens during the Challenge and what changes are implemented within your business.

How much of my time will this Challenge actually take?

Quite honestly it will be up to each team to determine the time commitment and meeting cadence. Teams have been instructed to work around your schedule and be efficient when utilizing your time. Here is a flow of how the Challenge is structured:

• Part 1: Teams will meet with you at your business location (at your availability) to observe, interview and probe a bit into how they can best help you.
• Part 2: Teams will define what problem(s) they would like to solve and will get your sign-off. This may be done over 1-3 meetings.
• Part 3: Teams will come up with a solution that you are happy with and work with you to incorporate it into your business.
• Part 4: Teams will continue to work to incorporate and measure the impact of the solution, leading into the close of the Challenge.

Will all businesses be paired with teams?

No. In order to ensure we provide the best possible support we will limit the number of businesses or non-profits involved in each location. The number of businesses or non-profits chosen will vary by each individual challenge location.

If my business is selected, what do I need to provide? Is there some kind of fee or purchase obligation?

Absolutely not: There is no fee nor is there is any obligation to use any PayPal Inc. service before, during or after the Challenge (although we can certainly support you if that is something you would like). What is asked is that the business agrees to open their doors to the team and meet with them to determine the best way to add value.

Who can I look to for support during the Challenge?

If you would like to chat about anything related to the Challenge and your Challenge team, you can email DL-PP-BusinessChallenge@paypal.com. In addition, a program manager will be available for your support based on your location.