Async standup vs sync standup

Most remote engineering teams that work well have settled on async written standups. The teams that still hold daily synchronous standups split into two groups: those who actively need them, and those who haven't questioned the habit. ## When sync wins Junior-heavy teams. Teams with active incidents. Teams whose timezone overlap is wide enough that the meeting is cheap. ## When async wins Senior IC teams. Teams across more than four timezones. Teams whose work is mostly individual contributor depth rather than coordination. ## The async format that works A short message in a shared channel: what I shipped yesterday, what I'm shipping today, blockers. Read within the working hours by whoever needs to read it. Comments inline if relevant. ## What does not work Async standup that nobody reads. Synchronous standup that exists out of habit. Both are quiet productivity sinks.