The Developer's Guide to Effective Meetings

Meetings are often cited as the biggest productivity killer for developers. Yet meetings are sometimes necessary for alignment and collaboration. The goal is not eliminating meetings but making them effective while protecting time for deep work.

The Meeting Audit

Start by auditing your current meetings. For each recurring meeting, ask: What decisions does this meeting make? Could those decisions happen asynchronously? What would happen if this meeting stopped? Be ruthless—many meetings continue through inertia rather than necessity.

Default to Asynchronous

Before scheduling a meeting, consider alternatives. Could this be a Slack thread? A Notion document with comments? A Loom video? Async communication respects everyone's time zones and work patterns. Reserve synchronous meetings for discussions requiring real-time interaction.

Agenda or Cancel

Every meeting needs a clear agenda distributed in advance. What topics will be covered? What decisions need to be made? What preparation is expected? Meetings without agendas should be cancelled or rescheduled. "Catch up" meetings are a red flag.

Time Boundaries

Default to 25 or 50 minutes instead of 30 or 60. This builds in buffer time between meetings and prevents the all-day meeting marathon. Start on time regardless of who is missing. End early if you have finished—returned time is a gift.

Active Participation

If you are in a meeting, be fully present. Close your laptop (unless needed for the meeting). Listen actively. Contribute meaningfully. If you cannot be fully present, decline the meeting—your half-attention helps no one and wastes your time too.