What Is Async Meeting?
A meeting format where participants contribute at different times rather than simultaneously — using recorded video, shared documents, or threaded discussions instead of live calls.
An async meeting is a collaborative exchange that happens over time rather than in real-time. Instead of scheduling a live video call, participants contribute on their own schedule — watching recorded updates, commenting on shared documents, or responding in threaded discussions.
The async-first paradox
Async-first doesn't mean "no meetings." It means fewer, better synchronous meetings. When you move status updates, progress reports, and information sharing to async formats, the live meetings that remain become more focused and more valuable — they're reserved for debates, brainstorming, and relationship building that genuinely require real-time interaction.
The paradox is that async-first teams actually need smarter scheduling, not less scheduling. When synchronous meetings are rare, each one becomes higher-stakes and harder to coordinate (especially across timezones).
Common async meeting formats
- Recorded video updates: Each person records a 3-5 minute Loom or similar. Others watch and comment asynchronously.
- Threaded discussions: Post a topic in Slack or Notion. Participants respond over 24-48 hours.
- Shared documents: A Google Doc or Notion page where everyone adds their input, comments, and reactions.
- Async standups: Daily text check-ins ("what I did yesterday, what I'm doing today, blockers") posted to a channel.
When to stay synchronous
Not everything should be async. Remote team scheduling best practices suggest keeping these synchronous: difficult conversations, creative brainstorming, onboarding sessions, team bonding, and any decision where real-time debate will produce a better outcome than sequential responses.
The goal isn't to eliminate live meetings — it's to make each one count by reserving synchronous time for what truly needs it. Smart scheduling tools help by protecting focus time and ensuring the meetings that remain are positioned optimally.
Frequently asked questions
When should I use async meetings instead of live meetings?
Use async for: status updates, information sharing, feedback collection, decision-making that doesn't need real-time debate, and any meeting where half the attendees don't need to speak. Use live meetings for: sensitive conversations, brainstorming, relationship building, and urgent decisions.
How do async meetings work across timezones?
That's their biggest advantage. Instead of finding a time that works for everyone (often impossible across 8+ timezone hours), each person contributes during their working hours. A team spanning New York to Tokyo can have a complete 'meeting' within 24 hours without anyone staying up late.
Related terms
Recurring Meeting
A meeting that repeats on a set schedule — daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly — without requiring re-booking each time.
Read moreMeeting TypesOne-on-One Meeting
A scheduled meeting between exactly two people — the simplest and most common meeting format, used for interviews, coaching sessions, check-ins, and consultations.
Read moreMeeting TypesGroup Scheduling
Coordinating a meeting time that works for three or more participants — exponentially harder than one-on-one scheduling due to the combinatorial complexity of overlapping availability.
Read moreBusiness MetricsFocus Time Protection
Automatically blocking uninterrupted work periods from being booked over by meetings, preserving deep work time on your calendar.
Read moreFrom the blog
The Async-First Paradox: Why Remote Teams Still Need Smart Scheduling
Going async-first doesn't eliminate meetings — it makes the remaining ones higher-stakes and harder to schedule. Remote teams need better scheduling, not less.
Maya ChenMeeting Culture Is Killing Your Team's Productivity
The average knowledge worker spends 31 hours per month in meetings. Most of those meetings could be emails. Here's how to fix your meeting culture.
Arjun MehtaScheduling Across Time Zones: A Remote Team's Survival Guide
Remote teams waste hours on timezone math and 'when works for you?' Slack threads. Here's a practical guide to scheduling that actually works across time zones.
Maya ChenStart scheduling smarter
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