I started putting a price tag on meetings. The results were horrifying. That weekly status sync? $52,000 per year. The all-hands? $3,200 per session. Time to do some math.

The Calculation

Most companies don't think about meeting cost. They should. Here's the formula:

💰 Meeting Cost Formula

Cost = (Number of Attendees) × (Meeting Duration) × (Average Hourly Rate)

For a 1-hour meeting with 8 people at $150/hour fully loaded cost:

8 × 1 × $150 = $1,200

One hour. Twelve hundred dollars. Was it worth it?

The Audit

I audited our recurring meetings for a month. The numbers were brutal:

  • Weekly team standup: 10 people × 30 min × $150/hr = $750/week = $39,000/year
  • Sprint planning: 8 people × 2 hours × $150/hr = $2,400 bi-weekly = $62,400/year
  • Monthly all-hands: 50 people × 1 hour × $120/hr = $6,000/month = $72,000/year
  • Weekly product sync: 6 people × 1 hour × $180/hr = $1,080/week = $56,160/year

Just these four meetings: $229,560 per year.

And these were only the recurring ones. Add in ad-hoc meetings, client calls, and reviews, and we were easily spending $500K+ annually just on internal coordination.

The Value Test

For each meeting, I asked: if this cost real money from our budget, would we pay for it?

Team Standup - $39K/year

Value delivered: Status updates that could be Slack messages.
Verdict: Hell no. Cancelled. Replaced with async updates.
Savings: $39,000

Sprint Planning - $62K/year

Value delivered: Actual planning, task assignment, capacity allocation.
Verdict: Worth it, but we cut it from 2 hours to 1 hour by doing pre-work.
Savings: $31,200

All-Hands - $72K/year

Value delivered: Company alignment, culture building, transparency.
Verdict: Worth it, but we made it quarterly instead of monthly.
Savings: $54,000

Product Sync - $56K/year

Value delivered: Cross-team coordination, blocker removal.
Verdict: Worth it, but cut attendance from 6 to 3. Others get AI summaries.
Savings: $28,080

Total savings: $152,280/year — just from optimizing four meetings.

"When you realize that 1-hour meeting cost more than your AWS bill last month, you start questioning things."

— Me, having an existential crisis about calendars

The Rules I Now Live By

Rule 1: No Meeting Without a Price Tag

Before scheduling, I calculate the cost. If I wouldn't spend that much on a consultant to solve the problem, we don't meet.

Rule 2: Halve the Attendees

Most meetings have 2x the necessary people. Half are there "just in case" or because they'll "feel left out."

Send them the AI summary instead. They get the information without the time cost.

Rule 3: 25-Minute Default

Hour-long meetings expand to fill the time. 25 minutes forces focus. Saves 35 minutes × attendees × hourly rate.

Rule 4: Async First

If it can be a document, make it a document. If it can be a Loom video, record it. If it absolutely needs real-time discussion, then (and only then) schedule a meeting.

📉 Our Results (6 Months Later)

• Meeting time: -45%

• Meeting cost: -$380,000/year

• Productivity: +32%

• Employee satisfaction: +28%

The Productivity Paradox

Here's what's wild: fewer meetings = more productivity = more revenue.

We cut $380K in meeting costs. But the real win? The engineering team shipped 40% more features. The sales team closed 25% more deals.

Because they had time to actually do their jobs.

How to Actually Do This

You don't need to be ruthless like me. But you do need to be intentional:

  1. Calculate the cost: Make meeting expenses visible
  2. Question recurring meetings: Last year's necessity might be this year's waste
  3. Minimize attendees: Invite only decision-makers and essential contributors
  4. Use async tools: AI summaries mean people can stay informed without attending
  5. Measure outcomes: Did this meeting produce decisions/actions worth its cost?

The Uncomfortable Truth

Most meetings are expensive status updates. Most status updates should be Slack messages. Most Slack messages should be automated.

When you start treating meeting time as the expensive resource it is, you find better ways to collaborate.

And you save a fortune.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate the cost of a meeting?

Meeting cost = (Number of Attendees) × (Meeting Duration in hours) × (Average Hourly Rate). For example, a 1-hour meeting with 8 people at $150/hour fully loaded cost = $1,200. Most companies don't realize how expensive meetings really are.

How much do meetings really cost a company?

A typical company spends $500K+ annually on internal meetings. Just four recurring meetings (standup, sprint planning, all-hands, product sync) can cost $229K/year. Most of this is recoverable waste.

How can I reduce meeting costs?

Four rules: 1) Calculate and display meeting costs, 2) Halve the attendees (send AI summaries to others), 3) Default to 25-minute meetings, 4) Go async first—only meet when real-time discussion is essential.

Should I cancel recurring meetings?

Yes, audit them regularly. Ask: would I pay this much to a consultant to solve this problem? Many status meetings can be replaced with async updates. Teams that cut meeting time 45% see 32% productivity gains.

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