For many SaaS and software leaders, the pivot to remote work in 2020 presented an exciting chance to re-evaluate how their companies truly operate. However, this often led to an unexpected consequence: employees found themselves spending more time in video calls than in office meetings, leading to significant impacts on well-being and productivity. If “Zoom fatigue” and the constant pressure of being “always on” sound familiar, it’s time to explore a fundamentally different approach to work.
Amir Salihefendić, CEO and founder of Doist (the company behind Todoist and Twist), firmly believes that the future of work (whether fully remote, hybrid, or even back in the office) demands a new model of asynchronous communication. Doist itself has been remote-first since 2010 and asynchronous-first for many years, successfully scaling with over 120 people across 30 countries with no outside investment. This isn’t just about tools; it’s a “philosophy and a way to communicate”.
What Exactly is Asynchronous Work?
In simple terms, asynchronous communication means you send a message and don’t expect an immediate response.
It’s about having the freedom to collaborate on your own timelines, not everyone else’s. Think of email as the “old school” asynchronous method, in contrast to live talks or meetings, which are synchronous. This approach allows individuals to protect their most productive hours for deep focus and creative flow, and to measure productivity by outcomes, not just hours spent.
The Hidden Costs of Our Current Work Habits
During the pandemic, many companies simply moved their existing office habits into the cloud, which often made things “much worse”. Here’s why the traditional synchronous model often creates problems for modern software businesses:
Time Wasted on Coordination
A shocking 60% of a worker’s time is often spent on coordination. This means a developer might only spend 30-40% of their time actually coding – the core work they were hired for.
Zoom Fatigue & Overwork
From 2020 to 2022, people spent 250% more time in meetings. Being “always connected” to real-time systems makes it “very hard to actually disconnect”.
“Toxic” Meetings for “Makers”
For roles like developers and designers, meetings are a “disaster”. Just one meeting can “blow a whole afternoon”, breaking up valuable time needed for deep, focused work to solve complex problems.
Expensive Context Switching
Constantly switching tasks or being interrupted is a “productivity killer”. Studies show it can take up to 23 minutes to refocus after a distraction.
Multitasking can even lead to an IQ decline equivalent to missing a night of sleep.
Burnout Risk
This constant cycle of interruptions, context switching, and pressure for immediate responses often leads to burnout.
The Asynchronous-First Advantage: A Better Way to Work
Adopting an asynchronous-first approach (as a core philosophy, not just a tool) offers significant benefits:
Fewer Meetings, More Deep Work
Leaders and individual contributors can have significantly fewer meetings. This frees up vast amounts of time for strategic thinking, planning, and core tasks like design, development, or marketing. Amir’s own calendar often shows very few meetings, a common sight in asynchronous-first organizations.
Hire the Best, Globally
Time zones become less of a barrier, allowing you to tap into vast global talent pools and hire the best people regardless of their location. This inherently supports diversity. Doist, for example, has people from 40 different countries across 10 time zones.
Optimize for Energy and Creativity
Employees can work when they are most creative and energetic, rather than being tied to a rigid 9-5 schedule. This respects individual biological preferences and fosters creative output.
Deep and Thoughtful Communication
Without the pressure of immediate responses (e.g., a 24-hour response time rule), communication becomes more deliberate and well-considered. Text-based communication, in particular, forces clearer thinking.
Incredible Employee Retention
Companies embracing asynchronous-first models, like Doist and Zapier (which scaled to 500 people and a $5 billion valuation with this model), see exceptional employee retention. Doist boasts 90% retention over five years. Employees are happier because they can better integrate work with their personal lives.
Handbook-First Documentation
Companies like GitLab (which operates with thousands of people asynchronously) and Doist use comprehensive handbooks to document processes, culture, values, and product specifications. This provides excellent onboarding and a single source of truth.
Pillars for Building an Asynchronous-First Company
Successfully shifting to this model requires a fundamental change to your company’s “operating system”. Key pillars include:
- Clear Vision, Mission, and Values: With less physical connection, a clear, reinforced vision and strong values are crucial for aligning and connecting global employees. Define what your culture promotes and discourages explicitly.
- Default to Trust: You must trust your employees. This means not tracking their hours or when they work, but focusing entirely on their output.
- Autonomy and Clear Responsibility (DRI): Decision-making by consensus is too slow asynchronously. Assign a Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) for every task to empower ownership and speed up progress.
- Transparency by Default: Share as much information as possible publicly within the company. This unblocks employees by giving them access to necessary information without waiting for permissions.
- Everyone is a Writer: This is a “critical skill” that everyone, from developers to leaders, must aspire to master. Writing promotes clear thinking (as demonstrated by Amazon’s “no PowerPoints” rule, preferring six-page narratives) and is crucial for scalable, precise, and shareable communication as your company grows.
- Everyone is a Reader: A high volume of reading is inherent to an asynchronous environment, requiring employees to be proficient readers.
- Outcomes Over Hours Worked: Evaluate employees based on the quality and impact of their work, rather than time spent. This requires managers who can truly judge the output.
- Hands-on Management: Managers should be functional experts in the craft they oversee. This enables them to effectively judge the work being produced, which is critical when direct observation of hours isn’t possible.
- Not Async-Only: While asynchronous communication is the default, synchronous communication is still vital for:
- Urgent situations: For emergencies, direct calls are necessary.
- Resolving conflict: Heated arguments should move from text to synchronous calls to address tone and body language.
- Providing feedback: Harsh feedback is best delivered in person.
- Human Connection: Annual company or team retreats are “super critical” for bonding and social connection. Companies like Doist use these as bonding opportunities, not primarily for work tasks. Leaders must also be mindful of loneliness in remote environments and encourage employees to cultivate a social life outside of work.
Dispelling Misconceptions
Cost-Cutting
Adopting asynchronous work is not primarily a cost-cutting exercise. Doist pays top global salaries and invests significantly in retreats. It’s about finding a “better way to work”, not a cheaper one.
Agile/Scrum
Agile principles can be adapted. Daily stand-up meetings can be replaced with weekly text-based “snippets” where team members update on past and upcoming work. Synchronous meetings are then reserved for problem-solving rather than status updates.
Amir Salihefendić, having built a successful, profitable company with zero outside investment, believes this model helps shape the future of work for decades to come.
By embracing asynchronous communication as a core philosophy, SaaS and software companies can unlock unprecedented productivity, innovation, and employee satisfaction.
What are your thoughts on shifting to an asynchronous-first approach in your organization? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below.
This article draws on excerpts from Amir Salihefendic‘s talk, “Asynchronous Communication Means Better Work“, at Business of Software Conference.