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Amazing Teams Podcast

Amazing Teams Podcast

Hosted by Doug Dosberg and Una Japundza

Episodes

53

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

We started this podcast because we love teams, especially amazing ones. Michael Jordan said it best, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." This is what we're all about! Our mission is to help others build amazing teams by having authentic conversations with remarkable people who are building amazing teams. We will explore the tactics, strategies, and frameworks that have helped them succeed.

Listen to episodes

53 recent
August 4, 2026Episode 729 min

Intention & Impact: Creating Employee Connection in Remote Teams With Justin Tsatsa

Send us Fan MailWhat does Justin Tsatsa recommend for engagement and employee connection in remote teams? Quality over quantity.When he joined Fetch, one of the globe’s top shopping rewards apps, he had no idea we were mere weeks from a pandemic. Going remote-first and scaling exponentially transformed him from office manager to culture champion practically overnight. Tsatsa dove headfirst into a lot of the virtual team-building stuff you’ve probably tried. Today, he finds that more carefully selected impact events work best for his high-energy team, as well as recognition tools like HeyTaco.“It just came down to the content that we put out and how impactful and meaningful the event is, not the amount that we're trying to do. It's okay if participation is low. It gives you a place to start.” – Justin TsatsaKey TakeawaysBe wary of issues like Zoom fatigue and personal time when planning team-building events.Adding purpose and meaning to in-person and virtual events gives them more impact.Growth opportunities add value to teams, even if it empowers some people to move on to new roles.Keeping events voluntary is part of showing your team you trust them.Experimentation is important for company culture, even if it means circling back to something that didn’t work before.Timestamps1:14 Joining Fetch & Going Remote2:43 The Trial & Error of Remote Team Building4:32 Virtual Socializing & Events With Impact6:12 The Team Meetup Playbook10:37  Communication, Feedback, & Remote Operations12:37 On Voluntary Activities & Trusting Your People14:02 Sustaining Culture & Fostering Growth18:05 Scaling a Remote Team: Justin’s Recipes for Success25:32 Five Tacos to ShareKey Topics DiscussedAmazing Teams, Una Japundza, Justin Tsatsa, employee connection, remote teams, team building, company cultureMentionsWebsite: https://fetch.com/

July 21, 2026Episode 631 min

Whimsy on Purpose: Building Company Culture That’s Truly a Unicorn With Michaela Flatau

Send us Fan MailWhen your customer is known as The Warfighter, it’s safe to say your company culture could use a dose of whimsy.That’s why you’ll frequently find Michaela Flatau, Chief People Officer at Defense Unicorns, in a unicorn costume. As the defense technology company has grown to 200, it’s become more by-the-book with organization and transparency, but fun traditions keep morale high. Team rituals centered around giving and honest communication strengthen workplace trust. After all, if you want to say you hire the very best, you have to treat them as such.“If you've already gone too far down the [corporate] path, you can't turn it around by suddenly having fun logos or costumes and things like that. You have to earn your employees’ trust as well.” – Michaela FlatauKey TakeawaysRevisiting and revising company culture is essential as teams grow.Leaders who value and protect the culture are a huge contributor to its success.Work-life balance and camaraderie help retain talent in stressful or heavy roles.Trusting employees with recognition is as key as trusting them to do a good job.Team rituals and social Slack channels drive participation and engagement on remote teams.Timestamps2:54 The Mission: About Defense Unicorns6:54 The Evolution of Whimsy at Work13:12 Introducing Transparency15:26 Leadership’s Role in Company Culture21:11 What’s With the Costume?22:53 Tacopocalypse & Team Rituals26:50 Building Authentic Workplace Trust29:52 Five Tacos to ShareKey Topics DiscussedAmazing Teams, Una Japundza, Michaela Flatau, Defense Unicorns, HeyTaco, company culture, workplace trust, peer recognitionMentionsWebsite: https://defenseunicorns.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaela-flatau

July 7, 2026Episode 535 min

Line of Sight: How Transparency in the Workplace Builds Aligned Teams – With Martin Gourdeau

Send us Fan MailHave 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 GourdeauKey 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 Tracker01:33 Transparency & Energy Management at Vacation Tracker03:51 Vacation Tracker’s Vacation Policy04:55 Martin’s Intro to True Transparency at Work11:57 Transparency Reveals Misalignment on Teams15:23 Building & Maintaining Transparency18:07 What Not to Share20:26 How to Introduce More Transparency at Work22:49 Transparency & Leadership Qualities27:18 Getting Clear on Objectives & Priorities28:27 How Transparency Translates Across Cultures31:04 What’s Next for Vacation Tracker32:52 Tacos to ShareKey Topics Discussed:Amazing Teams, Una Japundza, Martin Gourdeau, transparency in the workplace, company core values, building trust in teams, workplace communicationMentions:Website: https://vacationtracker.io/LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/mgourdeau

June 23, 2026Episode 427 min

How to Scale Remote Work Culture Without Forcing It – With Camilla Booth

Send us Fan MailEver 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 BoothKey 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 Team01: 32 Going Global & Investing in People04:35 Organic Culture & the Power of Tinkering08:15 Slack Channels, After Hours, & Employee Appreciation Week12:16 The Trial & Error of Virtual Events18:00 The Importance of Leadership Buy-In: Swaying Skeptics with Data19:12 At Long Last, Events & Awards That Never Feel Forced20:31 Knowing When to Pull the Plug23:30 My Favorite Taco24:30 Five Tacos to ShareKey Topics Discussed:Amazing Teams, Una Japundza, Camilla Booth, remote work culture, startup culture, peer recognition, employee engagementMentions:Website: https://www.coder.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilla3Mentions: https://www.coder.com/careers

April 21, 2026Episode 318 min

From Taco Trophies to Culture Clubs: Building Teams That Thrive

Send us Fan MailWhat 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. 🌮

February 6, 2026Episode 220 min

Taco Bytes: 10 Lessons for 10 Years of Building HeyTaco

Send us Fan MailTo 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 EpisodeThe 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 YearsBuilding a business is hard — It takes time, patience, and the courage not to quit when things get tough.Don’t do it for the money — Solving a real problem beats chasing revenue any day.Work on a problem you actually feel — Doug built HeyTaco because he knew what it felt like to do meaningful work and feel invisible.Your customers are the best investors you’ll ever have — He bootstrapped HeyTaco from day one, and never took outside funding.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.Customer service is the product — Doug still checks the support inbox. Listening to users fuels innovation.Recognition works best when it’s imperfect — Typos, emojis, and awkward phrasing are features, not bugs.Recognition is a leading indicator — Tacos often spike before major milestones (like a little ChatGPT launch 👀).Recognition reveals what actually matters — Teams can reverse-engineer their real values by looking at what teammates thank each other for.HeyTaco is just a vehicle — The mission is bigger: help people treat each other better and feel appreciated at work.Also in This EpisodeDoug’s taco costume makes a triumphant returnUna compares the HeyTaco dashboard to a football stadium noise meter (she’s not wrong)A spicy debate about AI vs. human supportFavorite Quote“HeyTaco is just a vehicle. The real work is helping people treat each other better and feel appreciated.”

January 13, 2026Episode 110 min

TacoBytes: Inside the HeyTaco Hall of Fame

Send us Fan MailIn 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 TakeawaysGreat workplace cultures are built by givers, not takersRecognition is most powerful when it’s consistent and freely givenThe HeyTaco Hall of Fame celebrates individuals, not teamsInductees are honored for quality and consistency, not one-off momentsBeing a giver means noticing and celebrating even the small winsTacoTars add a fun, gamified layer to recognitionHall of Fame inductees get to design their own taco avatar 🌮Members earn serious bragging rights (the best kind)Finding positivity—even in tough moments—mattersSmall acts of recognition can have an outsized impact on someone’s day

August 12, 2025Episode 138 min

TacoBytes: Celebrating the Days That Matter – Introducing HeyTaco Milestones

Send us Fan MailIn 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 TakeawaysWhy 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 & LinksLearn more about HeyTaco MilestonesTry Milestones free in your Slack workspace via the Admin → Milestones tabExplore how HeyTaco can help build a culture of gratitude → heytaco.comQuotes 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

July 29, 2025Episode 1239 min

The ROI of Delight & the Power of a Well-Thought-Out Gift with Katy Carrigan

Send us Fan MailIn 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 onesThe common oversight of missing work anniversariesHow remote work calls for more intentional recognitionWhy action and follow-through are key to building trustTune in for Katy’s insights on creating meaningful moments that make teams feel truly valued.Resources:Connect with Katy on LinkedInLearn more about GoodyHow Katy became the CEO of Goody

July 15, 2025Episode 1142 min

You Can’t Clap with One Hand: Lessons from 55 Startups with Sanket Merchant

Send us Fan MailIn 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 coachabilityWhy trust is essential for building strong business partnershipsThe importance of agility and responsiveness in fast-paced environments Resources:Connect with Sanket on LinkedInLearn more about PeakSpan CapitalDon’t miss the Master Class featuring John Hamm of PeakSpan Capital

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