Oh, boy.
Let’s talk about something that’s slowly bleeding your SaaS org dry: bad meetings.
You know the ones. Half the invite list doesn’t know why they’re there, the other half doesn’t know how to leave. There’s no agenda, no focus, and no follow-through. Just vibes. And those vibes? Bad, bad, naughty, no good.
Ineffective meetings aren’t just annoying. They’re expensive. Unfocused rituals, unclear processes, and bloated invite lists don’t just hurt morale, they stifle progress, destroy momentum, and tank productivity. I've seen it in some form at every company I’ve worked at, and each one had their own flavour of meeting dysfunction.
Before we can fix a problem we first have to identify it, so let’s call out some of the biggest offenders.
What bad looks like
- Too much time = too much filler
Give a meeting 60 minutes and people will take 60 minutes—whether they need it or not.
- No clear agenda, outcome, or process
You need to be able to answer three questions fast: Why are we meeting? What will we walk away with? How are we getting there?
- Too much talking, not enough thinking
If the loudest person always wins, the smartest ideas never get airtime. Give people space to prepare, especially the folks who don’t think out loud.
- No one owns the outcome
Don't play "hot potato" with accountability. If there’s no follow-up and no accountability, that meeting didn’t matter. And everyone knows it.
- Too many people
If you’re running a meeting with 15+ people and no strong facilitation, you're hosting a conference, not making decisions. And guarantee and huge chunk of them are zoning out.
- No sense of "done"
A meeting without closure is like a sprint without a demo. Know when you’ve achieved your goal and adjourn before things unravel.
- Communication knots
It’s not just what’s said, it’s what’s heard, understood, felt, and interpreted. Meetings are often where cross-functional misalignment starts.
So, what does good look like?
- Prep like a pro.
Distribute a tight agenda at least 24 hours ahead. Define the purpose, expected outcomes, and plan to get there (POPs). If it’s not outcome-based, it’s a waste.
- Invite with intention.
Limit attendees to those directly involved in decision-making or input. Everyone else? Optional or async. Preferably async, caught up easily because attendees totally took concise notes and action-items.
- Facilitate like a human, not a calendar.
Strong facilitation is a skill, not a personality trait. Train your team to do it well. I strongly recommend getting facilitation training.
- Follow up.
Summarize key outcomes, assign clear ownership, and check in later. If no one is accountable, nothing gets done. Note this means a check-in on ownership and not micro-management or the need for project management. Own your poop.
- Trim the fat.
If a meeting has outlived its usefulness or could be async, cancel it. Even trimming a meeting by 15 minutes can have a big impact on multiple people's days and productivity. Respect people’s time. It’s your most expensive asset.
Conclusion
A great SaaS team doesn’t just build fast. It focuses fiercely. And meetings done right should be an accelerator, not an anchor.
Want to improve your product velocity, team morale, and strategic clarity? Start by fixing your meetings. That’s where all three go to die... or come to life.
This original post started way sassier. I'm glad I rewrote it. I clearly have baggage when it comes to bad meetings. 😂
