Built instead of subscribing. Used for two years.
I wanted my team to recognise each other’s work without paying for a service like HeyTaco. So I built YumDonut: a web app and Microsoft Teams bot where people give virtual donuts for values like teamwork and kindness, then pool them towards shared goals. More than 20 people have used it for two years.
- In use
- Two years
- Participants
- 20+
- Platforms
- Web app + Microsoft Teams
Peer recognition, minus the subscription.
Services like HeyTaco show how much people like recognising each other’s work. I wanted that for my team without taking out a paid subscription.
So I built YumDonut around our own team: virtual donuts for recognising contributions and values, and a way to pool them towards a shared goal.
One app. Two ways in.
I built the web app and connected it to Microsoft Teams. The web app covers recognition, balances, an activity feed, a leaderboard and team goals. The Teams bot lets people give donuts without leaving the conversation.
Both run on the same records. Donuts given in Teams show up in the web app’s balances and activity, and the web app works on its own for anyone not using Teams.
Make recognition specific. Make progress shared.
Every donut ties an action to a value: teamwork, initiative, resilience or kindness. Shared goals turn individual thanks into something the whole team works towards.
The Teams bot follows the same rules as the app, including a daily giving allowance and checks for repeated messages. React runs the interface; Firebase stores the records and runs the Teams integration.
Two years in. Still in use.
YumDonut has been part of how my class works for two years, with more than 20 participants. Students use it to acknowledge what others do, recognise the values they show and pool donuts towards team goals. The web app and the Teams integration are both live.
As of September 2026. The two-year history is for the app overall; the Teams integration is working now.
Build it or buy it? I’ll tell you which.
If your team pays for a tool that only does one job, a focused custom build can be the better deal. It also means someone has to own the hosting, access rules, support and maintenance. I can be that person.
Before anyone writes code, I compare the existing products with a custom option: what people need to recognise, how rewards work, who can see the records and who will support it. If custom wins, I build it, connect it to the tools your people already use, like Microsoft Teams, and look after it. In a senior role, I’d own these build-or-buy calls across your organisation.
See my approach to AI and softwareLet's build it.
Hiring for a senior creative technology role, or planning a project that matters? Tell me what you’re trying to achieve and where you’re based. I’m in New Zealand, spent six years in Singapore and am open to remote work or relocation.