At Autonomy Labs, we value your time and strive to minimize the number of meetings. However, we recognize that meetings are sometimes necessary for collaboration, alignment, and connection. This page outlines our general approach to meetings and the expectations for participation.
General Meeting Principles
To ensure that our meetings are productive and respectful of everyone’s time, we adhere to the following principles:
- Purpose and Agenda: Every meeting should have a clear purpose. An agenda should be prepared and shared in advance to allow participants to review the topics and come prepared.
- Facilitation: Each meeting should have an assigned facilitator who is responsible for keeping the discussion on track, ensuring the meeting runs on time, and that action items are clearly documented.
- Documentation: Meeting notes and action items should be documented in a location that is easily accessible for future reference. This ensures transparency and accountability.
- Attendance and Participation: Attendance at meetings should be purposeful. Only those who are directly involved or impacted by the meeting’s content should attend. Participants are expected to be engaged, prepared, and contribute meaningfully to the discussion.
- Recording and Accessibility: To support our principle of “Source First” and ensure information is accessible to all team members, we record most meetings. These recordings are archived and available for review by anyone who could not attend or wishes to revisit the discussion.
- Respect for Time Zones: As a globally distributed team, we respect the time zones and working hours of all participants. Meetings should be scheduled at times that are reasonable for everyone involved, or alternatively, recorded and shared for those who cannot attend live.
- Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: While synchronous meetings are sometimes necessary, we encourage asynchronous communication whenever possible. This approach helps reduce the number of meetings and allows team members to work more flexibly.
- Use of Tools: We use a variety of collaboration tools to facilitate meetings. The choice of tool should be appropriate for the meeting’s purpose, whether it’s for brainstorming, status updates, or decision-making.
Meeting Types and Expectations
While specific meetings may have different formats, the following are general expectations for common types of meetings at Autonomy Labs:
- Team Syncs: Regularly scheduled to align on progress, discuss blockers, and plan upcoming work. These meetings should be focused, with each participant providing concise updates relevant to the whole team.
- Project Meetings: Organized around specific projects or initiatives, these meetings should focus on advancing the project, addressing challenges, and making decisions. Action items and responsibilities should be clearly defined by the end of the meeting.
- All-Hands: These company-wide meetings are held periodically to share high-level updates, track goals, and foster a sense of unity across the organization. Participation is expected, as these meetings cover information relevant to all employees.
- Leadership Syncs: Reserved for high-level strategic discussions among leadership, these meetings focus on organizational direction, key initiatives, and critical decision-making. Agenda items should be submitted in advance to ensure a focused discussion.
Expectations for Attendees
- Be Prepared: Review the agenda and any pre-meeting materials ahead of time. Come prepared to discuss the topics on the agenda.