July 2020 Summaries

Link tokens and Link event logs are being released by Plaid to improve the infrastructure and security of their ecosystem. These updates aim to provide a more secure way to integrate with Plaid, allowing developers to initialize Link with a new token instead of using a static public_key. The new token endpoint will also be used for certain Link configurations, such as 'products' and 'language'. Additionally, new event logs are being launched in the Dashboard, making it easier for developers to view Link events. All new Plaid implementations will automatically benefit from Link tokens, and existing developers are encouraged to upgrade now in preparation for future updates built on this new technology.

Plaid's remote engineering team has successfully navigated the challenges of working remotely, leveraging a combination of intentional culture creation and strategic tool usage to foster a cohesive and productive team. By establishing clear core surface areas for each office/remote team, focusing on shared goals such as enhancing the consumer experience, and implementing tools like Tuple and Standuply Slack integration, they have created an environment that encourages collaboration, communication, and growth. The company values diversity, flexibility, and self-care, recognizing the importance of nurturing relationships and providing opportunities for growth and development. By modeling a culture of continuous learning and improvement, Plaid's remote team is able to thrive despite the physical distance between team members.

Plaid has welcomed its newest class of interns for the Summer 2020 PIinternship program, which is being conducted remotely. The team members share their initial reasons for joining Plaid, ranging from the company's values and transparency to pleasant experiences with people they met during the interview process. They also discuss their first days onboarding, new skills they are looking to gain this summer, and what they are most excited about, such as learning about Sales, fintech, and building relationships within the team. The interns come from various backgrounds and universities, including MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, and Rice University, and share their enthusiasm for working with Plaid and contributing to its projects.

In June 2020, Baker Shogry made several updates to its platform. A new 'merchant_name' field was added for US & Canada transactions, improving clarity and consistency in merchant names. Transaction categorization was improved for the UK & EU, with over 90% of transactions now correctly categorized. For payment initiation in the UK, webhooks were added to provide instant notifications when payment status changes, and payment recipients can now be created using sort codes and account numbers. Additionally, Link SDKs were updated for iOS (v1.1.33) and Android (v2.0.0), with improved event reporting available via Cocoapods, Carthage, and GitHub.