Async-first norms that keep distributed teams fast

Async does not mean slow; it means decisions are written, searchable, and time-zone fair. When everything is a meeting, you exclude people who cannot attend live and you multiply context switching. Defaults matter: start with a written brief, then schedule sync only when debate is truly needed.

Response-time expectations should be explicit. “Urgent” channels should be rare. If every channel is urgent, nothing is.

Good async requires good writing: clear titles, TL;DR up front, and links to source. If a thread exceeds three screens, split the decision or move to a doc with version history.

Use meetings for conflict resolution, creative jamming, or sensitive feedback. Use docs for everything else.

Write decision memos: context, options, recommendation, and who decides. If a decision is revisited weekly, the memo was incomplete.

Timezone fairness: rotate meeting times if sync is unavoidable; otherwise default to async.

Archive decisions where new hires can find them. Tribal knowledge is a debt.

Measure meeting load per person. If ICs spend most days in sync, you are managing theater, not progress.