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@ O.M
2025-03-14 05:18:35Introduction: Why Most Meetings Are a Waste of Time
Most meetings aren’t productive. They interrupt deep work, drag on too long, and often result in more meetings instead of real action.
Companies like Shopify, Basecamp, and Stripe have realized this and adopted the No-Meeting Rule—a principle that eliminates unnecessary meetings and replaces them with asynchronous communication and focused work.
If you’ve ever felt like meetings:
- Kill your productivity
- Don’t lead to real decisions
- Could easily be an email or Slack messageThen this rule will change how you work.
In this article, we’ll cover:
✔ Why excessive meetings destroy productivity
✔ How top companies have eliminated meetings successfully
✔ How to implement the No-Meeting Rule in your own business
Why Most Meetings Are Productivity Killers
Meetings feel productive—but most of the time, they aren’t.
Here’s why excessive meetings hurt your business:
1️⃣ They Interrupt Deep Work
- The most valuable work happens when you can focus for long periods without distraction.
- Meetings break up the day, making it hard to get into a flow state.2️⃣ Most Meetings Are Unnecessary
- Many meetings could be replaced by a short written update.
- They often involve too many people who don’t need to be there.3️⃣ They Create More Work, Not Solutions
- Instead of making decisions, most meetings result in:
- More meetings.
- Follow-up emails.
- Action items that take longer than expected.🚫 If a meeting doesn’t lead to clear decisions and actions, it’s a waste of time.
How Top Companies Apply the No-Meeting Rule
1. Shopify: Killing All Recurring Meetings
In 2023, Shopify canceled all recurring meetings and enforced a “No Meetings Wednesdays” policy.
Instead of wasting time on unnecessary calls, employees now:
✅ Use Slack, written docs, and async updates instead of meetings.
✅ Only schedule meetings when absolutely necessary.
✅ Give back hundreds of hours to deep work every month.📌 Lesson: Recurring meetings are the biggest waste of time—cut them aggressively.
2. Basecamp: Asynchronous Work Over Meetings
Basecamp’s founders, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, believe that meetings should be a last resort.
At Basecamp:
✅ Most communication happens asynchronously via written updates.
✅ Meetings are rare and only used for major decisions.
✅ People have long, uninterrupted blocks of time to focus on deep work.📌 Lesson: Not everything needs a meeting—async work is often more effective.
3. Stripe: Document-Driven Decisions Instead of Meetings
Stripe uses a "writing-first" culture to reduce meetings.
- Before any major decision, someone writes a detailed document.
- Instead of a long meeting, people read the doc and add comments asynchronously.
- If a meeting is still needed, it's short and to the point.
📌 Lesson: Writing forces clearer thinking and prevents time-wasting discussions.
How to Implement the No-Meeting Rule in Your Own Business
Step 1: Kill All Recurring Meetings
🚀 Action: Delete all standing weekly meetings that don’t provide real value.
Instead, replace them with:
✔ A written update in Slack, Notion, or email.
✔ Short voice messages instead of long calls.
Step 2: Switch to Asynchronous Communication
🚀 Action: Before scheduling a meeting, ask:
"Can this be handled with a written update?"Use:
✔ Slack, Notion, or Loom videos instead of live calls.
✔ Pre-recorded updates instead of status meetings.
✔ Short stand-ups in a chat thread instead of daily calls.
Step 3: Make Meetings Shorter & More Focused
🚀 Action: If a meeting is truly needed, follow these rules:
✔ Keep it under 30 minutes.
✔ Only invite people who are essential.
✔ End every meeting with clear action items.
Final Thoughts: Stop Wasting Time in Useless Meetings
🔹 Meetings should be the last option, not the default.
🔹 Companies like Shopify, Basecamp, and Stripe are proving that deep work beats endless calls.
🔹 If a meeting doesn’t lead to real action, it’s just wasted time.💡 Action Step: Cancel one unnecessary meeting this week and replace it with a written update. See how much time you save.
🚀 Less meetings = more real work done. Start today.
Resources to Learn More
📖 Shopify’s No-Meeting Culture
📖 Basecamp on Asynchronous Work🚀 Work smarter, not longer. Cut the meetings, increase the focus.