Techie Taboo Cards: An Update for Our Waitlisters
Techie Taboo Cards: An Update for Our Waitlisters
Dear Techie Taboo waitlisters,
We wanted to share an update on the status of the Techie Taboo cards and give you a glimpse into the journey we've been on over the past year. Spoiler alert: manufacturing physical products is way harder than shipping digital ones!
The Beginning: March 2025
It all started in March 2025 when Saloni created the very first iteration of Techie Taboo. For an International Women's Day event at Women Devs SG, she designed a simple version using black text printed on A4 paper, cut out into little palm-sized paper strips to use as an icebreaker game.
The game was a huge success with participants! The energy in the room, the laughter, and the connections made through tech terminology convinced Natasha and Victoria to encourage Saloni to prototype it as an actual game as part of ragTech.
First Prototype: April 2025
By April 2025, Saloni had a Figma design of the first prototype ready, with the help of a volunteer from Women Devs SG. Natasha helped find a printer who could manufacture this first prototype, and they began the iterative process of bringing the design to life.
However, printing turned out to be far more complex than anticipated. The team had to navigate:
- Card size specifications
- Bleed edge requirements
- Quality considerations (DPI settings)
- Editing 50 cards (front and back with word pairs) on Figma each time changes were needed
The manual editing process was tedious and time-consuming.
The Game Changer: September 2025
In early September 2025, Natasha created an app-based generator for the cards that allowed the team to programmatically edit the cards and their words! This was a massive improvement in workflow and efficiency.
By the end of September, they received their first printed prototype from their manufacturer. It was a great first prototype, but seeing them in person revealed issues with size and excess border. More iterations were needed.
Beta Testing: October 2025
In October 2025, the team decided to beta test the cards before sending them back to the manufacturer. They printed prototypes themselves and played them with a non-tech friend live on their podcast episode.
They even tried out a system design game that they roughly prototyped (while this isn't being manufactured yet, we're definitely looking to establish this as a full-blown game soon—after finalizing Techie Taboo!).
Second Print & Waitlist Launch: November 2025
By November 2025, the second print of the cards arrived, and the waitlist for the first batch was released to the public.
Unfortunately, the packaging came in damaged due to the supplier's packaging issues. This was disappointing but not the end of the road.
Games Night & First Sales: December 2025
In December 2025, the ragTech team organized a games night through Women Devs SG to play Techie Taboo and other board games with fellow techies. Despite the packaging issues, they brought the cards and sold them at half price, noting the unsatisfactory packaging.
Three wonderful supporters bought the game anyway! The games night also brought in valuable feedback on the words used in the game, and the team iterated further before sending them in for another print, hoping it would be perfect this time.
Font Mishap: January 2026
Alas, in January 2026, when the new batch of cards arrived, while the packaging was now intact... the cards had come in the wrong font due to miscommunication with the supplier.
It was disappointing for the team, but they took it in stride and brought the cards to a startup pitch night—and managed to sell two decks from willing supporters.
What's Next: February/March 2026
We're now preparing for the next print, which we hope will be ready by the end of this month or early March 2026. We're hoping this one will be perfect—but as we've learned from the physical product manufacturing process, it isn't as easy as digital products.
We ask for your patience, waitlisters. Your support means the world to us.
Special Offer for Waitlisters
In the meantime, we're wondering if some of you might be interested in buying our previous batches with small defects:
Batch 1: Packaging Defect
- Price: $8.90
- Condition: Good cards, slightly defected packaging (some folding at the corners of the box)
Batch 2: Font Misprint
- Price: $12.90
- Condition: Perfect packaging, font misprint on cards
If you are waitlisted and have given us the symbolic $1, that $1 will be taken off the bill!
How to Purchase
If you're interested, email us at hello@ragtechdev.com, letting us know your preference (Batch 1 or Batch 2).
Join the Waitlist
If you haven't waitlisted yet, waitlist here now and be notified once the perfect batch is ready!
Thank you for your continued support and patience as we navigate the world of physical product manufacturing. We can't wait to get the perfect Techie Taboo cards into your hands!
— The ragTech Team