Finding the perfect holiday gift for co-workers isn’t always easy. Sure, you can go the easy route and get an Amazon or Starbucks gift card, but where’s the fun in that?
So we rounded up a short list of gift ideas broken out by role—from developers and operations to product managers and support—just in time for your last-minute holiday shopping! And they’re not just for the holidays; these tech-oriented gifts are also great for birthdays, work anniversaries, or any other time you want to show appreciation for the cool people you work with. Enjoy!
For the developer superstar
Coffee Cereal: The Caffeinated Breakfast Cereal
When developers have been up all night coding, they need a fast and easy meal with the nutrition (and effort level) of corn flakes, the great taste of coffee, and the stimulant effects of caffeine. You can find all that and more with Coffee Cereal, a caffeinated breakfast cereal created by two Illinois State University students. It’s the perfect snack for powering through even the most difficult project!
Audio Technica ATH-MSR7 SonicPro Headphones
What’s the best way to help that lucky developer get in the zone? Buy them a pair of these awesomely oversized Audio Technica SonicPro headphones. With high-resolution audio and a sturdy, lightweight build, they’re made for coding without distractions.
For the ops hero
OSTRICHPILLOW Original
See your operations counterpart looking like they could use some extra shut-eye? Give them a quick and comfortable way to get a quick nap in at their desk with the OSTRICHPILLOW. There may be no way of avoiding those 2 a.m. alerts, but at least your ops partner will be equipped to handle the long day ahead.
“This is Fine” Plush Dog
Putting out fires all day is exhausting. Acknowledge your ops team’s heroic efforts by getting them the stress-relieving “This is Fine” plush dog, which is based on the popular meme featuring a dog in a similarly flame-engulfed situation. As an added bonus, you’ll be supporting the “This is Fine” character’s original creator K.C. Green by purchasing his Kickstarter-funded product.
For the brilliant product manager
JIRA Software T-shirt
You can’t go wrong with a JIRA Software t-shirt for that productive and driven product manager. Your PM relies on Atlassian’s software development management tool every day to keep their developers headed in the right direction. With this shirt, developers won’t be able to help but listen to what your PM says. Nothing says “developer trust” more than wearing the developer’s uniform.
Compact Professional Megaphone
Why a megaphone? How else is a product manager supposed to get the attention of a developer encased in big ol’ headphones? Help your PM get the team into shape with this powerful little megaphone that’s the perfect size for keeping on their desk.
For the super support engineer
Costco-Sized Bottle of Pain Meds
If there’s anyone on the team who could use an endless supply of pain meds to get through the day, it’s likely your support crew. Help them deal with all those frustrated customers by getting them this 2-pack of Kirkland Signature Extra Strength Acetaminophen Caplets (it comes with 1,000 pills!).
Gift Card for 12 Neck Massages
Okay, so a gift certificate for a dozen massages may sound a little excessive, but just think about all the tricky troubleshooting your support engineer has to deal with every day. Don’t they deserve at least a massage a month? Or maybe after a particularly problematic release, a massage a day for the next two weeks!
Adam Larson, Clay Smith, Lee Atchison, and Tori Wieldt contributed to this post.