It feels good to send karma. Not just because it’s a nice thing to do—but because appreciation is contagious, morale-boosting, and downright essential in today’s fast-moving, hybrid world of work.
The Karma Web Platform is more than just a recognition tool—it’s a story of empathy, remote teamwork, and innovation. And like all great stories, it started with a simple, genuine need: keeping a remote team connected and motivated. What began as a rustic internal tool became a global product with a purpose.
So, how did we get here? Let’s take you behind the scenes.
A Remote Culture Before It Was Cool
Before the pandemic reshaped how the world works, Stas and David, co-founders of Karma, were already ahead of the curve. For over a decade, they ran a successful design and development company based in New Zealand with a fully remote setup. Their team was distributed, diverse, and highly productive—even without an office.
Back then, the idea of remote work was still novel to many. But for Stas and David, it wasn’t a workaround—it was an intentional design choice.
“We weren’t trying to escape the office. We were just focused on building a team where flexibility, autonomy, and trust came first,” David says.
This remote-first mindset meant that culture had to be built differently. Without the daily coffee chats or spontaneous high-fives, how do you celebrate wins? How do you recognize effort? How do you keep motivation alive across time zones?
The answer started as a joke—and quickly turned into something powerful.
Karma Was Born in a Business Chat
Around two years ago, the team made a big shift: they moved all communication from email to business chat. This shift wasn’t just practical—it was cultural. Chats felt more human. Messages were faster, more informal, and more frequent.
But something was missing.
They wanted a way to give each other kudos that felt fun, instant, and meaningful. So, the team built a small, quirky internal bot. They called it Karma.
At the time, it was nothing fancy. You could send someone karma by @mentioning them and adding a kind word or emoji. That was it. But the response? Immediate and joyful.
People were smiling more. Productivity stayed high. Team members started recognizing each other spontaneously. The little bot became the heartbeat of team spirit.
“It started as a rustic internal tool to keep each other entertained and motivated,” says Stas. “But we quickly realized we were onto something.”
From Stealth Mode to Product Hunt
For about a year, Karma quietly lived inside the company. It evolved slowly as a side project. The team didn’t pitch it or promote it. But as they kept using it, the benefits became impossible to ignore.
Karma was not just helping with morale—it was shaping culture.
Eventually, the team decided to launch it publicly on Product Hunt, one of the internet’s most popular platforms for new products. And the response? Overwhelming.
“That launch was a turning point,” says David. “We thought maybe five other teams might like it. Instead, we found ourselves talking to hundreds of companies interested in building a more appreciative culture.”
Karma was no longer just an internal tool. It was a product that teams around the world needed.
The Karma Web Platform: Built for the New World of Work
The Slack bot was a great start—but Karma had to evolve.
Enter the Karma Web Platform: a full-featured recognition system designed for the real, messy, hybrid, global world of work. Whether your team is in Slack, working from browsers, on-site, or halfway around the globe, Karma makes appreciation scalable, visible, and joyful.
Here’s what makes it special:
🌐 A Centralized Recognition Hub
Karma’s web platform is the new home for your appreciation culture. From leaderboards and point tracking to customizable rewards and feedback loops, it gives HR teams and leaders real insights into how recognition flows within the organization.
🎁 Rewards That Actually Matter
You decide what rewards mean the most. Whether it’s a coffee voucher, a team lunch, or a day off—Karma’s reward catalog is customizable and flexible. Employees can even redeem points for donations or shared team treats.
📊 Data-Driven Culture
Recognition is great. But measurable recognition is even better. With Karma, you get:
- Team engagement dashboards
- Recognition frequency tracking
- Insight into top contributors
- Heatmaps and trend graphs
According to a Deloitte study, 82% of employees find recognition an important part of their happiness at work, yet only 60% of companies have a structured recognition program. Karma bridges that gap—with data to back it up.
🧠 Designed for Humans
The platform is sleek, intuitive, and joyful to use. It’s built with design sensibility from a team that understands how UX and psychology intersect. Every interaction, from sending karma to redeeming rewards, feels effortless.
Why Recognition Matters More Than Ever
Today’s workplace is full of challenges—burnout, disengagement, quiet quitting. Recognition isn’t a Band-Aid. It’s a long-term investment in culture.
The Research Is Clear:
- Gallup reports that employees who feel recognized are 21% more productive.
- Companies with strong recognition programs experience 31% lower turnover rates.
- According to Achievers, 64% of employees are more likely to stay at a job where they feel appreciated.
The Karma Web Platform isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about making people feel seen, supported, and empowered—wherever they are.
What Makes Karma Different?
There are plenty of recognition tools out there. So why are companies choosing Karma?
Here’s what we hear most often:
🟢 Built by a remote team, for remote teams We’ve walked the talk. We know what keeps distributed teams strong.
🟢 Simple but powerful Karma doesn’t overwhelm you with features you won’t use. It delivers exactly what you need—cleanly and clearly.
🟢 Designed to scale Whether you have 10 people or 10,000, Karma grows with you.
🟢 Loved by employees Recognition is only effective if people use it. Karma makes it fun, spontaneous, and meaningful.
What’s Next for Karma?
As we grow, we’re doubling down on what matters:
- Expanding our integrations
- Adding support for multi-language teams
- More automation for recurring recognition
- Deeper analytics and AI-powered recognition suggestions
But most importantly, we’re staying true to our origin: helping people feel good about doing great work.
Final Thought: Small Acts, Big Impact
Sending karma feels good. Receiving karma feels even better. And when it becomes part of your team’s rhythm? That’s when the magic happens.
Recognition doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. It just needs to be genuine and consistent. With the Karma Web Platform, we’re making that easier than ever.
Ready to empower your team? Explore the Karma Web Platform with our 30-day free trial today.
Let’s build workplaces where appreciation isn’t an afterthought—it’s a foundation.