An operating principle where written, asynchronous communication is the default mode of work, and synchronous meetings are the exception reserved for high-bandwidth conversations (debates, brainstorming, urgent decisions). Async-first teams write more than they talk: they document decisions in shared docs, raise issues in long-form threads, and reserve real-time calls for moments when written words genuinely won't suffice. The benefit is time-zone independence, deeper thinking, and a permanent record of why decisions were made. The risk is over-correcting into excessive documentation overhead. Meeting copilots help bridge the two modes: they convert the meetings you do hold into searchable async artifacts (transcripts, recaps, action items) that the rest of the team can consume on their own schedule rather than having to be in the room.