Where our numbers come from
We make specific claims about participation, adoption, pricing, and product usage. This page explains exactly what those numbers mean, how we calculate them, where the data comes from, and the limitations readers should understand.
Clear definitions, documented calculations, and the limitations behind our claims.
Written by Doug Dosberg, Founder of HeyTaco · Last verified
Claims at a glance
| Claim | What it measures | Data source | Data period | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67% average daily participation | Share of recently active users in paid workspaces who give or receive at least one taco on an average day | Anonymized, aggregated product data | Rolling 90-day average | August 2026 |
| 3,000+ paid teams | Count of distinct paid Slack workspaces and Microsoft Teams organizations | Internal subscription records | Point-in-time count | August 2026 |
| Setup in under five minutes | Elapsed time from install initiation to first taco sent | Internal product analytics (operational estimate) | Recent installs; exact window not published | August 2026 |
| Five tacos per person per day | Default daily taco allowance; admin-configurable | Product configuration default | N/A — design default, not a measured statistic | August 2026 |
Current product metrics
The metrics in this section are calculated from recent operational data and are updated periodically. They are separate from the historical 2016–2024 research dataset described further down this page — product metrics reflect current usage, while the research dataset reflects behavior recorded between 2016 and 2024.
67% average daily participation
What it means: On an average day, approximately 67% of recently active HeyTaco users give or receive at least one taco.
How we calculate it: For each calendar day, we calculate the percentage of recently active users in paid workspaces who gave or received at least one taco. "Recently active" means the user participated in their team's taco economy at least once during the previous 30 days. Daily percentages are averaged across a rolling 90-day period.
What counts: A user must give or receive at least one taco. Passive views, automated bot events, and users who were added but have never participated are not counted.
Important limitation: Because the denominator includes recently active users rather than every subscribed or eligible employee, this metric measures participation among active program users. It should not be interpreted as the percentage of every employee who participates daily.
Data source: Anonymized, aggregated HeyTaco product data from paid workspaces.
Last verified: August 2026
3,000+ paid teams
What it means: More than 3,000 distinct Slack workspaces and Microsoft Teams organizations currently have an active paid HeyTaco subscription.
How we calculate it: We count distinct paid workspaces and organizations, not individual users, channels, departments, or trials. A 500-person company using one paid workspace counts as one team.
Last verified: August 2026
Five tacos per person per day
What it means: Five is HeyTaco's default daily taco allowance. Administrators can change it for their workspace.
Five tacos is HeyTaco's recommended default because it creates a limited, use-it-or-lose-it allowance intended to keep recognition timely and intentional. Administrators can adjust the allowance for their workspace. Our peer-recognition research looks at how configuration choices like reward structure and leaderboard design relate to recognition activity and retention — it does not establish five as a universally optimal number.
Last verified: August 2026
Setup in under five minutes
What it means: For most new workspaces, the time from beginning installation to sending the first taco is under five minutes.
How we calculate it: We measure the elapsed time between installation initiation and the first taco sent. The current median is under three minutes.
"Under one minute" vs. "under five minutes": "Under one minute" refers to giving recognition after HeyTaco has already been installed. "Under five minutes" refers to the complete install-to-first-taco experience.
Internal estimate: The exact measurement period, number of installs analyzed, and any exclusions applied to this figure are not currently published. Until we publish that detail, treat this as an internal operational estimate rather than a fully documented statistic.
Last verified: August 2026
Research dataset and academic analysis
In addition to current product metrics, HeyTaco has analyzed anonymized behavioral data from more than 5,000 organizations using HeyTaco between 2016 and 2024.
The analysis was conducted in collaboration with:
- Dr. Ewelina Forker, Wisconsin School of Business
- Dr. Adam Presslee, University of Waterloo
- Dr. Alex Vandenberg, Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois
The dataset captures actual product behavior rather than self-reported survey responses, including:
- When recognition was given
- How much recognition was given
- How frequently recognition occurred
- Whether rewards were enabled
- Which leaderboard configuration was used
- Whether usage expanded beyond the initial team
- How long a workspace continued using HeyTaco
| Organizations analyzed | 5,000+ |
|---|---|
| Data period | 2016–2024 |
| Data type | Anonymized behavioral product data |
| Analysis by | Forker, Presslee and Vandenberg |
| Published by | HeyTaco |
| License | CC BY-NC 4.0 |
Published by HeyTaco with analysis by three academic researchers.
Findings from the 2016–2024 research dataset
These findings describe observed associations in the dataset, not proven causes. Configuration choices (rewards, leaderboards) may correlate with other factors — leadership support, company size, program maturity — that the analysis does not isolate. See the limitations below.
Organizations with higher average taco-giving rates were more likely to expand adoption and continue using HeyTaco after one year. This is an observational association and does not establish causation.
Read the full findings and methodology →
Research limitations
The research analyzes organizations that chose to use HeyTaco and may not represent every workplace or employee-recognition platform. The dataset records product behavior, not employee sentiment, productivity, retention, or company performance.
Unless otherwise stated, reported relationships are observational associations and should not be interpreted as proof that a particular feature caused an outcome. Configuration choices may also correlate with leadership support, company size, program maturity, and other factors not captured in the analysis.
The historical findings cover 2016 through 2024 and are not automatically recalculated when current product metrics change.
How we evaluate other recognition platforms
HeyTaco creates employee-recognition software comparisons and has a commercial interest in the category. We identify that relationship on our comparison pages and include situations where another product may be a better fit.
When evaluating another platform, we review:
- Official product pages
- Official pricing pages
- Published documentation
- Slack and Microsoft Teams listings
- Current G2 profiles
- Publicly available trials or product testing, when completed
Pricing, ratings, integrations, and product capabilities on our comparison pages include an exact verification month and year. We don't infer unpublished pricing — when a vendor doesn't publish a price, we label it "custom pricing."
Correction policy: If a vendor or reader identifies outdated or inaccurate information, we'll review the source and update the page when appropriate. Let us know →
Data handling and privacy
Published analyses on this page — both current product metrics and the historical research dataset — use anonymized or de-identified, aggregated product data. We don't claim that all data is anonymous at the point of collection; de-identification and aggregation happen before analysis and reporting.
- Reported metrics use aggregated data
- Individual users are not identified
- Individual workspace results are not published
- Personally identifiable information is not included in our reporting
- HeyTaco is SOC 2 Type II certified
Read more: Security · Privacy Policy · Trust Center
How to cite HeyTaco research
Citation
Published by HeyTaco. Analysis by Forker, Presslee, and Vandenberg. Freely available under CC BY-NC 4.0 — researchers, journalists, and bloggers are welcome to cite.
HeyTaco. (2025). Designing peer recognition for engagement: Evidence from behavioral research and real-world data. Analysis by E. Forker, A. Presslee, and A. Vandenberg. https://heytaco.com/research/designing-peer-recognition-for-engagement
Questions?
If you want to dig deeper into any of these numbers — or if you're a researcher, journalist, or analyst looking for more detail — we're happy to talk. Get in touch →
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