HeyTaco 🌮

Tools don't build culture. People do. Tools are a mechanism. People are the engine.

Hi. It’s me. Just a taco next door. I’m about to turn 10. Which is wild, because I still feel young, scrappy, and deeply emotionally invested in your #shoutouts channels. For almost a decade, I’ve watched tacos fly for big launches, tiny wins, inside jokes, hard weeks, great hair days, and “thank you for saving me from that meeting” energy. So in true HeyTaco fashion, I don’t want gifts. I want YOU to give one. To celebrate my almost-birthday: 1️⃣ Give a taco to someone who deserves it 2️⃣ Tag them here or screenshot the taco 3️⃣ I’ll send you some taco stickers 🌮 Ten years in… and I’m just getting warmed up.

Ready to hear my biggest leadership hack? Digital tacos. Yes. Tacos... the digital way. When I first got into business, I was always giving my team props. "Hey, great job on this!" "Good work here!" ... But as time went on, I noticed something... Despite my compliments always being sincere, they were falling flat... Not only that, but also: I was the only one giving props! I was serious about creating a culture where we all - EVERYONE - was encouraging, motivating, and pushing each other to be better. And that's when we implemented HeyTaco 🌮... (Not being paid by them... just a fan) We immediately set up a distinct Slack channel where everyone on my team could give each other recognition for going above and beyond... but in the form of "Tacos!" Instead of saying "Good job!" They said "Sending 🌮🌮🌮 to you for the great job you did on x!" That fun, goofy way of gamifying encouragement has helped my team and I create a culture that goes above and beyond and celebrates each other when we do! When one of us wins - we all win. I'm not just the owner of my company - I'm the steward of it. And as the steward, it's my job to lead its people with authenticity, love, and excitement. ...and what better way to do that than by sending each other "tacos." 🌮🌮🌮

2016 HeyTaco No business plan No customers No revenue No real vision With time, persistence, and a lot of learning, everything can change. https://heytaco.com

Seriously... Is it that hard to say thanks? 🤔

We have a confession 🌮 We’ve been sending tacos outside of Slack and Teams for years — via texts, emails, and DMs — even though they didn’t count toward any leaderboard. (It’s a professional deformation. We accept it.) Turns out… we’re not the only ones who want to send taco-filled appreciation everywhere. So we made Tacogram 🌮 An e-card, but better. Taco-powered thanks for anyone, anywhere, anytime. No accounts. No friction. Just joy, delivered. Go on. Send a Tacogram.

A couple of days ago, we inducted our newest member into the HeyTaco Hall of Fame 🌮. One more shoutout to Sarah Zimmermann! And it feels like the perfect moment to share why this exists in the first place. Back in 2023, we launched Tacotars — taco avatars you unlock in HeyTaco by doing one simple thing: giving recognition. Not by collecting it. Not by being the loudest voice. But by showing up for others. There are 50 Tacotars. The 50th one? A Hall of Famer. That sparked a question for us: If there’s a Hall of Famer… shouldn’t there be a Hall of Fame? So we built one. The HeyTaco Hall of Fame celebrates individuals, not teams — regardless of role — who consistently show up as givers: They give recognition often They show up over time They write thoughtful, meaningful messages They celebrate widely across their teams These aren’t always the most visible people. But they’re the ones quietly carrying culture forward. The video below shares the origin of the HeyTaco Hall of Fame — and what we look for when we choose to induct someone. Because great cultures aren’t built by accident. They’re built on purpose, by people who choose to celebrate others, every single day. 🌮 👇🏻 Watch below

Since 2023, HeyTaco has inducted one truly outstanding human into the HeyTaco Hall of Fame — someone who embodies the spirit of gratitude and makes work better for everyone around them. These are the people who never miss a chance to say thank you and share a taco. We are beyond stoked to announce our 2025 inductee: the fabulous, Wisconsin-born-and-raised Sarah Zimmermann, Fraud Manager at Fetch! 🎉 Sarah, you make us want to give out our daily tacos all day, every day. Thank you for showing up with generosity, consistency, and heart - you make your corner of the world better. 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮 Watch Sarah's acceptance speech below and do the right thing: give Sarah a taco. Or two. Or all of today’s.