We have attended, collectively, 247 standups in the past 12 months. We have ranked them. The ranking is definitive.
The Methodology
We measured each standup format by a single metric: median time from entry to the moment you can reasonably exit without being called back for a blocker discussion. We call this the Exit Window. Shorter is better.
The Rankings (Selected)
1. The Text Thread Standup. Exit Window: Zero. You never arrived. You are already free. This is the ideal.
2. The Slack Status Update. Exit Window: Also zero. You typed three lines before your coffee was ready. The day is yours.
12. The Rotating Facilitator Round-Robin. Exit Window: 19 minutes. You must wait for every person to finish before you can leave, because the format requires the final participant to “pass” the meeting to the next facilitator. Nobody knows who the next facilitator is. This takes time.
23. The Hybrid Standup With Technical Difficulties. Exit Window: 41 minutes. Someone’s audio is cutting out. You know who. You always know who.
24. The Talking Stick Round-Robin. Exit Window: 58 minutes. The stick is a real stick. We do not make the rules.
Full rankings available in Form 18-D of The Memo Archive. Access requires a subscription, a valid employee ID, or proof that you have attended a standup with a physical talking stick.
