Hey Product Hunt! 👋 I'm excited to launch Brighten today - an employee recognition platform that we built because we were frustrated watching good recognition programs fail. **The pattern I kept seeing:** I've spent years working with teams across many industries. The same story played out everywhere: 1. Company buys recognition software ($$$) 2. HR rolls it out with training and email campaigns 3. First week: everyone's excited, lots of activity 4. Month 2: Crickets 5. Month 6: Nobody's using it, contract gets renewed anyway **Why traditional recognition fails:** After talking to 100+ employees, the problems became clear: - **It's manager-driven.** Only your boss can recognize you. But managers only see a fraction of what you do. Your teammates see everything. - **It requires opening another app.** People already juggle Slack, email, Zoom, and 10 other tools. Nobody wants to context-switch just to say thanks. - **Rewards feel meaningless.** Generic gift cards nobody wants. Points that expire. "Awards" that are just digital badges. **What we built instead:** Brighten is designed around three principles: **1. Peer-to-peer first** Anyone can recognize anyone. The junior designer can recognize the VP. The engineer can recognize the customer support team. No hierarchy. **2. Live where you work** Slack and Teams integrations. Recognize someone without leaving your workflow. **3. Rewards that matter** 500+ gift card brands. Experiences. Charitable donations. Company swag. Real rewards people actually want. **Plus the stuff HR teams need:** - Real-time analytics dashboard - Recognition trends and patterns - Engagement scoring - Manager insights - SSO, audit logs, IP controls **Pricing:** - Free: $0/mo, up to 10 users (peer recognition, 2 custom award types, 7-day data retention) - Starter: $49/mo, up to 50 users (rewards marketplace, Slack & Teams, manager budgets) - Growth: $149/mo, up to 200 users (advanced analytics, CSV exports) — Most Popular - Pro: $299/mo, up to 500 users (SSO, API access, priority support) - Enterprise: Custom pricing (white-label, dedicated support, GDPR compliance) **Tech stack:** - Next.js + React - Supabase - Vercel - Enterprise SSO support **Try it free:** → hellobrighten.com I'll be here all day answering questions! What would you want to see in a recognition platform? 🚀

Brighten

Turn appreciation into a team habit, not HR

Turn appreciation into a team habit, not HR