Distributed teams that actually work!
summary
Claim: distributed teams do not need most of their time in video meetings. Shows a four‑phase asynchronous decision‑making workflow (ideation, narrow to 3–7 options, build consensus, make the vote) and recommends a broadcast channel plus per‑decision case management tool (mailing lists, GitHub issues/discussions, issue trackers), reserving chat for “war rooms.” Gives numbers: Apache board runs 20‑person meetings 1–2 hours because decisions are prepared; a Swiss government weekly 4‑hour meeting resolves ~70 items. Advocates concise writing, radiate intent (“I will merge this PR in 24h unless someone objects”), and respect for maker schedules, time zones, and culture.
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chapters (6)
- 0:00Introduction to distributed teams
- 6:22Why meetings fail and costs
- 10:15Asynchronous decision making
- 18:27Clarity in written communication
- 23:45Cultural differences matter
- 27:22Conclusion and key takeaways
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