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Have you ever asked a question at work and once you got the answer, wished you hadn’t?

If so, you might not be the right fit on Martin Gourdeau’s team. He doesn’t do performative transparency in the workplace; it’s a true core value. Martin is the CEO of Vacation Tracker, a fully remote SaaS company with a team distributed across seven countries. He finds that being clear and candid about the status of a business is an effective method for building trust in teams, as well as driving performance.

“There's a way to be transparent and not doomy-gloomy. You can be factual, keep your heads up, stay positive, and have trust and confidence in the plan.”

–      Martin Gourdeau

Key Takeaways:

• True transparency can align people with purpose and improve outcomes.
• Leaders should be able to state the consequences of not meeting a goal.
• Being transparent helps organizations retain the people who are the best fit.
• If you want to introduce transparency in the workplace, start small.
• Invite tough questions. If you don’t know the answer, be sure to follow up.
• Teams can be held accountable for performance, but anything specific to one person is off-limits.

Timestamps:

00:31 Meet Martin, CEO of Vacation Tracker

01:33 Transparency & Energy Management at Vacation Tracker

03:51 Vacation Tracker’s Vacation Policy

04:55 Martin’s Intro to True Transparency at Work

11:57 Transparency Reveals Misalignment on Teams

15:23 Building & Maintaining Transparency

18:07 What Not to Share

20:26 How to Introduce More Transparency at Work

22:49 Transparency & Leadership Qualities

27:18 Getting Clear on Objectives & Priorities

28:27 How Transparency Translates Across Cultures

31:04 What’s Next for Vacation Tracker

32:52 Tacos to Share

Key Topics Discussed:

Amazing Teams, Una Japundza, Martin Gourdeau, transparency in the workplace, company core values, building trust in teams, workplace communication

Mentions:

Website: https://vacationtracker.io/

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/mgourdeau

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Ever had an awkward time at a poorly attended Zoom mixer? It’s practically a rite of passage in remote work culture these days. 

Camilla Booth has felt your pain. Throughout her eight years as VP of People at Coder, she’s hosted everything from paint-and-sips to tarot card readers, but nothing stuck. All the while, Coder was exploding from a team of 20 to nearly 200. Camilla finally settled on an authentic startup culture driven by simplicity, Slack, and strict attention to surveys. Toss in a sprinkle of tinker, plush tacos, and an all-in CEO for a tight-knit team that somehow lives in 15 different countries.

“Meeting people from all over the world has probably been one of the more rewarding parts. I've been able to learn so much from other people because of their experience and culture.” – Camilla Booth

Key Takeaways:

• Don’t tell people what startup culture is; let the vibe emerge organically.
• Social Slack channels are more engaging than disruptive, complicated events.
• Convert skeptical leaders with hard data, and audit your processes more often.
• Kind messages saved from peer recognition channels soothe burns on bad days.
• Engagement rises when people drive the culture, not when leaders spend more money.

Timestamps:

00:15 Meet Coder, Camilla, & Their Fast-Growing Team

01: 32 Going Global & Investing in People

04:35 Organic Culture & the Power of Tinkering

08:15 Slack Channels, After Hours, & Employee Appreciation Week

12:16 The Trial & Error of Virtual Events

18:00 The Importance of Leadership Buy-In: Swaying Skeptics with Data

19:12 At Long Last, Events & Awards That Never Feel Forced

20:31 Knowing When to Pull the Plug

23:30 My Favorite Taco

24:30 Five Tacos to Share

Key Topics Discussed:

Amazing Teams, Una Japundza, Camilla Booth, remote work culture, startup culture, peer recognition, employee engagement

Mentions:

• Website: https://www.coder.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilla3
• Mentions: https://www.coder.com/careers

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What does it actually take to make people feel seen at work — and keep it going?

In this episode, Una from HeyTaco sits down with Sheena, a longtime culture builder and HeyTaco admin, to share what actually moved the needle for her team. Not theory. Real tactics, real stories, real results.

They walk through four pillars of building culture with peer recognition — Connection, Visibility, Engagement, and Culture — and for each one, they dig into the symptoms to watch for and the specific things you can do about them.

You'll hear how Sheena used core value hashtags to make company values something people actually did (and how she discovered two of their five values were never showing up), why bringing Taco Shoutouts into all-company meetings changed the whole energy in the room, and how a rotating Culture Club helped her keep recognition fresh for years.

If you've ever wondered how to get peer recognition off the ground — or how to make it feel meaningful again after the novelty wears off — this one's for you. 🌮

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To celebrate HeyTaco’s 10th birthday, Una sits down with HeyTaco founder Doug Dosberg for a heartfelt and hilarious trip down memory lane. In this special Taco Bytes episode, Doug shares 10 powerful lessons from a decade of building a gratitude-powered business—complete with taco costumes, customer stories, and Beyoncé GIFs.

If you’re a startup founder, team builder, or taco enthusiast, this one’s for you.

Highlights from the Episode

• The Big 1-0: Doug reflects on what it feels like to hit the 10-year mark and why it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.
• Behind the List: How he went from “I don’t have any lessons” to “I have too many lessons.”
• Lesson Threads: The top 10 takeaways cover everything from building a bootstrapped SaaS to designing human-centered recognition.

Doug’s 10 Lessons for 10 Years

1. Building a business is hard — It takes time, patience, and the courage not to quit when things get tough.
2. Don’t do it for the money — Solving a real problem beats chasing revenue any day.
3. Work on a problem you actually feel — Doug built HeyTaco because he knew what it felt like to do meaningful work and feel invisible.
4. Your customers are the best investors you’ll ever have — He bootstrapped HeyTaco from day one, and never took outside funding.
5. Tools don’t create culture. People do. — A moving story about a team using tacos to lift up a teammate shows that culture lives in moments, not mechanics.
6. Customer service is the product — Doug still checks the support inbox. Listening to users fuels innovation.
7. Recognition works best when it’s imperfect — Typos, emojis, and awkward phrasing are features, not bugs.
8. Recognition is a leading indicator — Tacos often spike before major milestones (like a little ChatGPT launch 👀).
9. Recognition reveals what actually matters — Teams can reverse-engineer their real values by looking at what teammates thank each other for.
10. HeyTaco is just a vehicle — The mission is bigger: help people treat each other better and feel appreciated at work.

Also in This Episode

• Doug’s taco costume makes a triumphant return
• Una compares the HeyTaco dashboard to a football stadium noise meter (she’s not wrong)
• A spicy debate about AI vs. human support

Favorite Quote

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In this episode of Taco Bytes, Doug and Una dive into what truly makes workplace cultures thrive: givers.

Together, they explore why the most impactful people on teams are often the quiet, consistent supporters—the ones who notice effort, celebrate progress, and lift others up without expecting anything in return.

The conversation centers on the HeyTaco Hall of Fame, an annual recognition honoring individuals (not teams!) who embody the spirit of gratitude day in and day out. Doug and Una share what inspired the Hall of Fame, what makes someone worthy of induction, and stories from recent inductees who show that meaningful culture isn’t built by the loudest voices—but by those who show up with generosity, empathy, and consistency.

Along the way, they touch on how recognition works best when it’s frequent and sincere, why small gestures matter more than we think, and how playful elements like TacoTars help gamify gratitude without losing its heart.

Whether you’re a leader, a teammate, or just someone who wants to make work a little better for the people around you, this episode is a reminder that giving credit freely can change someone’s entire day—and sometimes, an entire team.

🌮 Key Takeaways

• Great workplace cultures are built by givers, not takers
• Recognition is most powerful when it’s consistent and freely given
• The HeyTaco Hall of Fame celebrates individuals, not teams
• Inductees are honored for quality and consistency, not one-off moments
• Being a giver means noticing and celebrating even the small wins
• TacoTars add a fun, gamified layer to recognition
• Hall of Fame inductees get to design their own taco avatar 🌮
• Members earn serious bragging rights (the best kind)
• Finding positivity—even in tough moments—matters
• Small acts of recognition can have an outsized impact on someone’s day

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In this episode of TacoBytes, Una and Doug take you behind the scenes of HeyTaco’s newest feature: Milestones—a fun and effortless way to celebrate your team’s birthdays and work anniversaries, right in Slack.

They explore why recognition on these personal milestones matters more than we often admit, how it used to be done (balloons, cakes, and jackets, anyone?), and how HeyTaco is making these celebrations feel authentic—even when they’re automated.

You’ll hear how customer stories shaped the feature, why it’s more than just a calendar reminder, and how Milestones brings back the joy of being seen—without the spreadsheet chaos or 5:45 AM Slack messages.

Whether you’re part of a remote team or managing culture at scale, this is a fun and thoughtful conversation about celebrating people, not just performance.

👉 Learn more about Milestones and how you can use it to make your team feel valued on the days that matter most.

Key Takeaways

• Why birthdays and work anniversaries matter: These “non-performance” moments are key to making people feel seen and valued.
• The problem with current solutions: Manual reminders and HR-managed celebrations don’t scale—and can feel impersonal.
• HeyTaco’s solution: Milestones lets teammates be recognized automatically, in public or private channels, while keeping the celebration personal.
• The real magic: It’s not just about the automation—it’s about creating a moment that invites everyone to join in with tacos, emojis, and appreciation.
• Recognition is about being seen: Just like a college athlete’s jacket or a 10-year trip to Jamaica, the memories stick when recognition feels earned and visible.
  
  
  

Resources & Links

• Learn more about HeyTaco Milestones
• Try Milestones free in your Slack workspace via the Admin → Milestones tab
• Explore how HeyTaco can help build a culture of gratitude → heytaco.com
  
  
  

Quotes to Remember

• “Recognition isn’t just about big wins. It’s about being seen—and being seen with that jacket on.” – Doug
• “We used to say: automated = bad. But Milestones changed our mind.” – Una

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In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, we sat down with Katy Carrigan, CEO of Goody, to explore how thoughtful gifting drives employee engagement and recognition. They discuss the power of personalization, celebrating milestones, and building a culture of appreciation. The conversation also delves into leadership transparency, empowering teams, and how Goody navigates growth while keeping the recipient experience at the heart of it all.

We dive into:

• Why physical gifts often have more impact than monetary ones
• The common oversight of missing work anniversaries
• How remote work calls for more intentional recognition
• Why action and follow-through are key to building trust

Tune in for Katy’s insights on creating meaningful moments that make teams feel truly valued.

Resources:

• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Goody
• How Katy became the CEO of Goody

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In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, we sat down with Sanket Merchant, a partner at PeakSpan Capital, who shares insights from his career journey in the software investment space. He discusses the importance of culture, clarity, and support in building high-performing teams and organizations. Sanket emphasizes the value of trust, agility, and gratitude in leadership and how these elements drive the success of entrepreneurial ventures. He also highlights the importance of evaluating entrepreneurial teams based on shared values and mutual respect, and the role gratitude plays in cultivating a positive work environment.

We dive into:

• How high-performing teams demonstrate accountability, commitment, and coachability
• Why trust is essential for building strong business partnerships
• The importance of agility and responsiveness in fast-paced environments

 Resources:

• Connect with Sanket on LinkedIn
• Learn more about PeakSpan Capital
• Don’t miss the Master Class featuring John Hamm of PeakSpan Capital

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In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, we sat down with Claire Lew, CEO adn founder of Canopy (formerly Know Your Team), to explore the evolving role of managers and the growing need for leadership development. She discusses the challenges of navigating uncertainty, maintaining morale, and giving honest feedback, while emphasizing the need for clear communication and strong leadership in today’s complex, digital workplace.

We dive into:

• How clear, timely feedback builds stronger teams
• Why manager engagement drives morale and culture
• The challenges of growing into leadership
• What Canopy is doing differently.

Tune in for Claire’s insights on building stronger teams through thoughtful leadership and clear communication.

Resources:

• Connect with Claire on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Canopy.is
• Follow Claire on Substack

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In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, we sat down with Stephen Lord, discuss the unique role of a Scrum Master, emphasizing the importance of kindness, empathy, and building trust within teams. He shares insights on treating developers as creative artists, fostering a positive team culture, and implementing gratitude practices to enhance team dynamics. The conversation offers actionable steps to improve workplace culture, highlighting the value of listening, authenticity, and recognition. The episode concludes with a heartfelt reflection on the power of appreciation in the workplace.

We dive into:

• A Scrum Master serves as a guide rather than a director.
• Developers should be viewed as artists, requiring a creative environment to thrive.
• Humor can lighten the atmosphere and improve team dynamics.
• Culture is shaped through everyday interactions — not just policies.

Tune in for Stephen’s insights on leading with empathy, fostering creativity, and building truly amazing team.  

Resources:

• Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Point74
• What is Scrum Master?
• Ted talk: How to start a movement