Q: What is the purpose of a meeting?
A: To confuse, bore, and demoralize those present. But also to achieve clarity and consensus. Maybe.
Q: What is the optimal meeting duration?
A: 30-90 minutes, but only if you're really good at it. Otherwise, 3-10 minutes, for the love of all that is sane.
Q: Can I just send an email instead?
A: Only if you want to be a heretic. Meetings are where the magic happens, and the magic happens best when everyone's eyes are fixed on you, nodding in unison.
See our prophecies of meeting doom.