@Dash let's build a skill to replace our paid kudos tool. We can reuse the same branded templates and image generator we use for blog posts.
👀 1
Live in Slack or Microsoft Teams
Three teammates build a kudos system from scratch.
A CEO, a People lead, and an Ops coordinator collaborate with Dash to replace their paid recognition tool — designing branded cards, iterating on the artwork, migrating historical data, and wiring up automatic tracking in a single thread.
Get started for free Chat with Dash, the AI teammate that works inside Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Will you generate the cards here in this channel?
@Dash give kudos to Alex for thinking of this idea
🎉 Morgan gave kudos to Alex!
For coming up with the idea to build a custom kudos system using Dash. Creative thinking that saves the team a paid tool.
For coming up with the idea to build a custom kudos system using Dash. Creative thinking that saves the team a paid tool.
You didn't use the right template or image generator. Search your skills for the ones we already have. @Dash
Once the card design is approved we'll post to #shoutouts, but for now this is our test channel. Also look at what the current tool does — weekly roundups, metrics — and make a plan to replace all of it.
Design iteration
Show me examples. @Dash every time I give you a tweak, generate a new card so I can see it.
Here's a first pass using the branded template pack:
Getting closer. The text overlaps the logo at the top. Make the kudos message bigger, add more spacing around the value tag, and make the giver's name more prominent at the bottom.
Updated — larger text, more padding on the value tag, giver name bigger at the bottom:
Better. The spacing below the value tag should match the spacing above it.
Fixed — equal padding above and below the value tag:
Great, save this as the template. Rotate through the different brand colors each time someone posts a kudos.
Make a test kudos card for Morgan. She's awesome.
First real card
🎉 Alex gave kudos to Morgan!
🔑 Act like an owner
For everything you do to keep the team running. You make it look easy.
🔑 Act like an owner
@Dash update that image to not be a person
Regenerating with an object-based illustration instead.
Updated — object-only illustration (megaphone + content elements, no person):
This looks good. @Dash going forward, use objects, animals, or places only. No people.
Skill updated. All future kudos illustrations will use objects, animals, or places only — no humans.
Adding features
@Dash create a test kudos for Priya for her work on the content system.
The cool thing about doing kudos through Dash is you don't have to write the whole thing. Give a quick name and reason, and Dash fills in the rest from context.
🎉 Alex gave kudos to Priya!
🚀 Move fast
For building out the content system with Dash. Took the initiative and made it work end to end.
🚀 Move fast
@Dash can you add a business reason to the kudos? Like, what value did this create?
Good idea. I can add a "Why it matters" line to every card — a sentence explaining the business impact of what the person did.
Example:
Want me to update the skill to include that on every card?
Example:
Why it matters: Building the content system cut manual coordination, sped up publishing, and let the team scale output without adding headcount.
Want me to update the skill to include that on every card?
A new teammate picks it up
Yes. Also — does the skill preview the card with the person before posting it to the channel?
Not yet. I'll update the flow so it:
1. Generates the card + text (including the business-impact line)
2. Previews it with the person who requested it
3. Posts to #shoutouts only after they approve
Both changes saved. I'll follow this flow from now on.
1. Generates the card + text (including the business-impact line)
2. Previews it with the person who requested it
3. Posts to #shoutouts only after they approve
Both changes saved. I'll follow this flow from now on.
@Dash I want to keep working on this so we can replace our kudos tool entirely. Catch me up on where Alex and Morgan left off.
Here's where things stand:
Kudos skill (live)
Alex approved the card template. It generates a branded card with an AI illustration (objects/animals only), the recipient's name, a message, a company value tag, and the giver's name — on a rotating color template.
Two improvements Morgan added:
1. Business-impact line — every card now includes a "Why it matters" sentence
2. Preview before posting — the card is shown to the requester for approval before going to #shoutouts
What would you like to tackle next?
Kudos skill (live)
Alex approved the card template. It generates a branded card with an AI illustration (objects/animals only), the recipient's name, a message, a company value tag, and the giver's name — on a rotating color template.
Two improvements Morgan added:
1. Business-impact line — every card now includes a "Why it matters" sentence
2. Preview before posting — the card is shown to the requester for approval before going to #shoutouts
What would you like to tackle next?
Let's do a test. Give kudos to Alex and Morgan for building the content pipeline. It's been a real team effort and building this together has been a joy. Put them both on one card.
Here's your preview:
🎉 Priya gave kudos to Alex & Morgan!
💡 Why it matters: The automated content pipeline cuts manual coordination, speeds up publishing, and lets the team scale without adding headcount.
🔑 Act like an owner
Good to post to #shoutouts?
🎉 Priya gave kudos to Alex & Morgan!
For the team effort building the content pipeline. It's been a real joy creating this together!
💡 Why it matters: The automated content pipeline cuts manual coordination, speeds up publishing, and lets the team scale without adding headcount.
🔑 Act like an owner
Good to post to #shoutouts?
Good to post!
✅ Posted to #shoutouts!
We need a dashboard and metrics so we can fully drop our paid tool. Right now all the data is on their site. What do we need?
Replacing the old tool
Two things to fully replace it:
1. Data layer — Google Sheet as the kudos log
Every time a card posts, I automatically add a row: date, giver, recipient, value, message, business impact, and a link to the Slack post.
2. Reporting layer
From that sheet we can build leaderboards, value trends, and a monthly roundup posted to a channel — just like the old tool does.
Want me to start by creating the sheet?
1. Data layer — Google Sheet as the kudos log
Every time a card posts, I automatically add a row: date, giver, recipient, value, message, business impact, and a link to the Slack post.
2. Reporting layer
From that sheet we can build leaderboards, value trends, and a monthly roundup posted to a channel — just like the old tool does.
Want me to start by creating the sheet?
Yes. Here's our historical data from the old tool — 7 months of exports.
Got them. 435 kudos records across January through July. Creating the tracker now.
✅ Kudos Tracker is set up:
📊 Historical Data tab — 435 kudos loaded (Jan–Jul)
📝 Kudos Log tab — ready for new entries, with Business Impact and Slack Link columns
I'll auto-log every future card to the Kudos Log tab going forward.
📊 Historical Data tab — 435 kudos loaded (Jan–Jul)
📝 Kudos Log tab — ready for new entries, with Business Impact and Slack Link columns
I'll auto-log every future card to the Kudos Log tab going forward.
What's next?
Three things left to fully replace the old tool:
1. Auto-log every kudos — update the skill so each posted card adds a row to the sheet automatically
2. Monthly roundup — a scheduled report with totals, top givers and receivers, and most popular values
3. Engagement prompts — replace the conversation-starter and coffee-chat features
#1 I can do right now. Want to start there?
1. Auto-log every kudos — update the skill so each posted card adds a row to the sheet automatically
2. Monthly roundup — a scheduled report with totals, top givers and receivers, and most popular values
3. Engagement prompts — replace the conversation-starter and coffee-chat features
#1 I can do right now. Want to start there?
Let's do it.
✅ Done. Every kudos card that posts to #shoutouts now auto-logs to the tracker with date, giver, recipient, value, message, business impact, and a link to the Slack post.
Ready for the monthly roundup when you are.
Ready for the monthly roundup when you are.
Let's gooo! 🚀
A few quick decisions:
1. Channel — post the roundup to #shoutouts or a leadership channel?
2. Timing — first Monday of each month?
3. Content — I'd include: total kudos, how many people gave/received, most popular values, top givers, and top recipients. Want all of that?
1. Channel — post the roundup to #shoutouts or a leadership channel?
2. Timing — first Monday of each month?
3. Content — I'd include: total kudos, how many people gave/received, most popular values, top givers, and top recipients. Want all of that?
Post it to our leadership channel at the start of each month. Use the same format as the roundups I've been doing manually. All of those metrics, plus flag anyone who hasn't given or received kudos yet.
Teams @Dash let's build a skill to replace our paid kudos tool. We can reuse the same branded templates and image generator we use for blog posts.
👀 1
Will you generate the cards here in this channel?
@Dash give kudos to Alex for thinking of this idea
🎉 Morgan gave kudos to Alex!
For coming up with the idea to build a custom kudos system using Dash. Creative thinking that saves the team a paid tool.
For coming up with the idea to build a custom kudos system using Dash. Creative thinking that saves the team a paid tool.
You didn't use the right template or image generator. Search your skills for the ones we already have. @Dash
Once the card design is approved we'll post to #shoutouts, but for now this is our test channel. Also look at what the current tool does — weekly roundups, metrics — and make a plan to replace all of it.
Design iteration
Show me examples. @Dash every time I give you a tweak, generate a new card so I can see it.
Here's a first pass using the branded template pack:
Getting closer. The text overlaps the logo at the top. Make the kudos message bigger, add more spacing around the value tag, and make the giver's name more prominent at the bottom.
Updated — larger text, more padding on the value tag, giver name bigger at the bottom:
Better. The spacing below the value tag should match the spacing above it.
Fixed — equal padding above and below the value tag:
Great, save this as the template. Rotate through the different brand colors each time someone posts a kudos.
Make a test kudos card for Morgan. She's awesome.
First real card
🎉 Alex gave kudos to Morgan!
🔑 Act like an owner
For everything you do to keep the team running. You make it look easy.
🔑 Act like an owner
@Dash update that image to not be a person
Regenerating with an object-based illustration instead.
Updated — object-only illustration (megaphone + content elements, no person):
This looks good. @Dash going forward, use objects, animals, or places only. No people.
Skill updated. All future kudos illustrations will use objects, animals, or places only — no humans.
Adding features
@Dash create a test kudos for Priya for her work on the content system.
The cool thing about doing kudos through Dash is you don't have to write the whole thing. Give a quick name and reason, and Dash fills in the rest from context.
🎉 Alex gave kudos to Priya!
🚀 Move fast
For building out the content system with Dash. Took the initiative and made it work end to end.
🚀 Move fast
@Dash can you add a business reason to the kudos? Like, what value did this create?
Good idea. I can add a "Why it matters" line to every card — a sentence explaining the business impact of what the person did.
Example:
Want me to update the skill to include that on every card?
Example:
Why it matters: Building the content system cut manual coordination, sped up publishing, and let the team scale output without adding headcount.
Want me to update the skill to include that on every card?
A new teammate picks it up
Yes. Also — does the skill preview the card with the person before posting it to the channel?
Not yet. I'll update the flow so it:
1. Generates the card + text (including the business-impact line)
2. Previews it with the person who requested it
3. Posts to #shoutouts only after they approve
Both changes saved. I'll follow this flow from now on.
1. Generates the card + text (including the business-impact line)
2. Previews it with the person who requested it
3. Posts to #shoutouts only after they approve
Both changes saved. I'll follow this flow from now on.
@Dash I want to keep working on this so we can replace our kudos tool entirely. Catch me up on where Alex and Morgan left off.
Here's where things stand:
Kudos skill (live)
Alex approved the card template. It generates a branded card with an AI illustration (objects/animals only), the recipient's name, a message, a company value tag, and the giver's name — on a rotating color template.
Two improvements Morgan added:
1. Business-impact line — every card now includes a "Why it matters" sentence
2. Preview before posting — the card is shown to the requester for approval before going to #shoutouts
What would you like to tackle next?
Kudos skill (live)
Alex approved the card template. It generates a branded card with an AI illustration (objects/animals only), the recipient's name, a message, a company value tag, and the giver's name — on a rotating color template.
Two improvements Morgan added:
1. Business-impact line — every card now includes a "Why it matters" sentence
2. Preview before posting — the card is shown to the requester for approval before going to #shoutouts
What would you like to tackle next?
Let's do a test. Give kudos to Alex and Morgan for building the content pipeline. It's been a real team effort and building this together has been a joy. Put them both on one card.
Here's your preview:
🎉 Priya gave kudos to Alex & Morgan!
💡 Why it matters: The automated content pipeline cuts manual coordination, speeds up publishing, and lets the team scale without adding headcount.
🔑 Act like an owner
Good to post to #shoutouts?
🎉 Priya gave kudos to Alex & Morgan!
For the team effort building the content pipeline. It's been a real joy creating this together!
💡 Why it matters: The automated content pipeline cuts manual coordination, speeds up publishing, and lets the team scale without adding headcount.
🔑 Act like an owner
Good to post to #shoutouts?
Good to post!
✅ Posted to #shoutouts!
We need a dashboard and metrics so we can fully drop our paid tool. Right now all the data is on their site. What do we need?
Replacing the old tool
Two things to fully replace it:
1. Data layer — Google Sheet as the kudos log
Every time a card posts, I automatically add a row: date, giver, recipient, value, message, business impact, and a link to the Slack post.
2. Reporting layer
From that sheet we can build leaderboards, value trends, and a monthly roundup posted to a channel — just like the old tool does.
Want me to start by creating the sheet?
1. Data layer — Google Sheet as the kudos log
Every time a card posts, I automatically add a row: date, giver, recipient, value, message, business impact, and a link to the Slack post.
2. Reporting layer
From that sheet we can build leaderboards, value trends, and a monthly roundup posted to a channel — just like the old tool does.
Want me to start by creating the sheet?
Yes. Here's our historical data from the old tool — 7 months of exports.
Got them. 435 kudos records across January through July. Creating the tracker now.
✅ Kudos Tracker is set up:
📊 Historical Data tab — 435 kudos loaded (Jan–Jul)
📝 Kudos Log tab — ready for new entries, with Business Impact and Slack Link columns
I'll auto-log every future card to the Kudos Log tab going forward.
📊 Historical Data tab — 435 kudos loaded (Jan–Jul)
📝 Kudos Log tab — ready for new entries, with Business Impact and Slack Link columns
I'll auto-log every future card to the Kudos Log tab going forward.
What's next?
Three things left to fully replace the old tool:
1. Auto-log every kudos — update the skill so each posted card adds a row to the sheet automatically
2. Monthly roundup — a scheduled report with totals, top givers and receivers, and most popular values
3. Engagement prompts — replace the conversation-starter and coffee-chat features
#1 I can do right now. Want to start there?
1. Auto-log every kudos — update the skill so each posted card adds a row to the sheet automatically
2. Monthly roundup — a scheduled report with totals, top givers and receivers, and most popular values
3. Engagement prompts — replace the conversation-starter and coffee-chat features
#1 I can do right now. Want to start there?
Let's do it.
✅ Done. Every kudos card that posts to #shoutouts now auto-logs to the tracker with date, giver, recipient, value, message, business impact, and a link to the Slack post.
Ready for the monthly roundup when you are.
Ready for the monthly roundup when you are.
Let's gooo! 🚀
A few quick decisions:
1. Channel — post the roundup to #shoutouts or a leadership channel?
2. Timing — first Monday of each month?
3. Content — I'd include: total kudos, how many people gave/received, most popular values, top givers, and top recipients. Want all of that?
1. Channel — post the roundup to #shoutouts or a leadership channel?
2. Timing — first Monday of each month?
3. Content — I'd include: total kudos, how many people gave/received, most popular values, top givers, and top recipients. Want all of that?
Post it to our leadership channel at the start of each month. Use the same format as the roundups I've been doing manually. All of those metrics, plus flag anyone who hasn't given or received kudos yet.