How to manage meetings across timezones

Summary

This conversation explores the challenges of coordinating meetings with distributed engineering teams across different time zones. It discusses the limitations of relying solely on overlapping hours and proposes alternative methods for effective collaboration.

Takeaways

- Coordinating meetings across different time zones can be challenging and may lead to burnout and work-life imbalance.

- Using writing and documentation, such as Amazon's six-page document approach, can help convey information and reduce the need for meetings.

- ADRs (Architectural Decision Records) and RFCs (Request for Comment) are effective tools for asynchronous collaboration and keeping teams in the loop.

- Maximizing developer productivity involves minimizing meeting time and providing dedicated periods for focused work.

- Team size plays a role in synchronization, and smaller teams may find it easier to work asynchronously across time zones.

Chapters

00:00 - Coordinating meetings with distributed engineering teams across different time zones

03:14 - Using writing and documentation to communicate effectively

04:46 - Utilizing ADRs and RFCs for asynchronous collaboration

05:39 - Maximizing developer productivity and minimizing meeting time

06:42 - Considerations for team size and synchronization

08:03 - Wrap-up and invitation for further discussion