Ambient Blog

The Rhythm of Business Product Release

Lawrence Coburn — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT

If you work in the Office of CEO or adjacent, you know what the Rhythm of Business is; it’s the invisible hand that guides how your company operates. It starts with strategic planning, budgeting, and target setting, but it ripples all the way down to the drumbeat of weekly one on ones and executive staff meetings.

It’s often the Chief of Staff’s job to ensure that the meetings that underpin a company’s Rhythm of Business are well executed; that everyone is prepared, that next steps are captured, that confidential information is safeguarded, that people that missed the meeting are caught up, and that the topics discussed are digestible in a variety of formats; for the board, for the employee base, etc.

Today I am pleased to announce that Ambient has shipped a product release that is purpose built to help Chiefs of Staff and other members of the Office of the CEO modernize and automate their Rhythm of Business.

The crux of this release is about applying AI to a particular type of meeting; meetings that recur. How can we use what happened in previous meetings of a series to sharpen the impact of future meetings?

Here are the key elements of the Ambient Rhythm of Business release:

Effortless Organization & Meeting Hygiene: When you connect your calendar, Ambient now detects your team meetings and one-on-ones, placing them neatly in a folder in your sidebar navigation. This means all your important meetings, notes, and follow up tasks are organized in one place, with all of the critical information at your fingertips. If you regularly facilitate high profile meetings, this feature is for you.
Your Personal AI Assistant for Series of Meetings: Work hand in hand with an AI assistant that is intimately familiar with your meeting history, allowing you to extract insights, draft documents, and plan projects effortlessly. It's like having your own private ChatGPT for each meeting series. Prompts like “What are the biggest risks to this initiative?”, “Draft a one-page strategy for our employees,” and “Create a project plan for Key Initiative A” are all within reach.
Automated Agendas and Pre-reads: Ambient automatically generates concise pre-reads and draft agendas for your recurring meetings based on the content of the previous session, delivering them straight to each participant's inbox. This keeps your team on the same page and ready for productive discussions.
Safeguard Your Data: Ambient now offers fine-grained privacy settings at the meeting series level, allowing you to customize visibility and share rules for each series individually. You likely want to handle the Fun Committee differently from the Compensation Committee in terms of privacy settings, and Ambient gives you the nuanced tools to do this.

At Ambient, we want every meeting that underpins your Rhythm of Business to be productive and informed.

We want you to be able to securely leverage the power of AI to make sense of complex, high-stakes discussions and automate follow-up tasks like agendas, summaries, and even project plans.

And of course, we want you to have complete control over the privacy and security nuances of the meetings and email discussions that underpin your operating cadence.

We’d love to show you what we’ve built. I’ve put a Loom in the comments, but also feel free to grab time with me or Taylor McLoughlin for a walk through.

Please let us know what you think in the comments.

Ambient brings AI Analysis to your Email

Lawrence Coburn — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

New Feature Alert!

Have you ever found yourself face to face with a monster email thread that is littered with things that you are supposed to get done and crucial little details?

If so, please read on.

Here at Ambient, we have been quietly working to bring the same AI powered task extraction and summarization to email, that we do for online meetings.

So let’s get back to the Problem of the Monster Email Thread. Historically, you have had two options for extracting out the important bits from a giant email exchange:

Go through manually, email by email, noting down the important stuff.
Send your email to a human and ask them to help you parse it.

Well today, we are announcing a Better Way:

Starting today, you can forward any email or email thread to a@ambient.us and we will work our magic; extracting all of the tasks, surfacing Key Details (dates, links, docs, $$, etc), and giving you a flash of Decisions to Be Made / Decisions Made.

Here is an example: here is a giant 26-email thread that I had with two of my CoS friends Maggie Olson and Clara Ma.

Forward it to Ambient and 30 seconds later, presto, I get this:

Like everything else Ambient, tasks are loaded up into your Eisenhower Matrix for easy prioritizing / triaging / assigning.

So we now have Ambient AI coverage for your meetings, your email, and your Slack. Soon we will be announcing how we pull it all together.

Watch this space!

One more time for the people in the back…. Try forwarding any email or email thread to a@ambient.us and see what happens!

What's the Difference between a Chief of Staff and a COO?

Lawrence Coburn — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT

What's the Difference between a Chief of Staff and a COO?

In the corporate world, roles and titles can sometimes be confusing, and two titles that are often interchanged or misunderstood are Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer (COO). These positions play crucial roles in the executive leadership of organizations, but they have distinct responsibilities, career paths, reporting structures, and qualifications. This blog post aims to clarify the differences between a Chief of Staff and a COO, especially for our audience of Corporate Chiefs of Staff.

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Responsibilities:

The primary difference between a Chief of Staff and a COO lies in their core responsibilities:

Chief of Staff: This role is often described as a right-hand person to the CEO. Chief of Staffs are strategic advisors, gatekeepers, and project managers. They work closely with the CEO to ensure that the organization's vision and initiatives are effectively executed. Their responsibilities often include facilitating communication, managing special projects, and providing support in decision-making processes.

COO: The Chief Operating Officer, on the other hand, is primarily responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company. They oversee various departments, ensuring that all functions are working efficiently and aligned with the organization's goals. COOs focus on execution, process improvement, and delivering results.

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Career Progression:

Understanding the career progression into these roles is essential for anyone aspiring to reach the top of the corporate ladder:

Chief of Staff: Many individuals start their careers as Chiefs of Staff before advancing to higher executive positions. This role often serves as a stepping stone to the COO or even the CEO position. It's an excellent opportunity to learn the intricacies of the business while contributing to strategic decisions.

COO: Most COOs have substantial experience in senior executive positions, particularly in operations, supply chain, or similar areas. They often climb the ranks within an organization, earning trust and demonstrating their ability to manage and optimize operations before becoming COOs.

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Reporting Structure:

The reporting structure varies between these roles:

Chief of Staff: Typically, a Chief of Staff reports directly to the CEO. This direct reporting relationship ensures they have the CEO's ear and can influence strategic decisions.

COO: COOs can report to the CEO or the President, depending on the organization's structure. Their reporting line is often a reflection of the organization's size and complexity.

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Impact and Influence:

The impact and influence of these roles differ significantly:

Chief of Staff: Chief of Staffs play a critical role in shaping the organization's strategy, acting as a conduit between the CEO and the rest of the company. Their influence is more on the strategic side, helping to guide the company's direction.

COO: COOs have a more direct operational impact. They influence the day-to-day functioning of the organization, ensuring efficiency, quality, and performance across various departments.

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Qualifications:

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Qualifications for these roles vary:

Chief of Staff: Chief of Staffs typically need strong leadership, analytical, and project management skills. Effective communication and the ability to work closely with the CEO and other senior leaders are essential.

COO: COOs should have a strong background in operations, financial management, and strategic planning. Their qualifications often include a deep understanding of the industry and the ability to streamline processes and optimize resource allocation.

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Conclusion:

In summary, while both the Chief of Staff and COO are critical roles in an organization, they have distinct responsibilities, career paths, reporting structures, influence, and qualifications. Understanding these differences is crucial for career development and organizational success.

As a Corporate Chief of Staff, recognizing the unique contributions of each role will enable you to excel in your current position or pave your way to becoming a future COO or CEO. By clarifying these distinctions, you can better leverage your skills and experience to contribute to your organization's growth and success.

The Eisenhower Matrix: A Chief of Staff's Best Friend

Lawrence Coburn — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Mention the “Eisenhower Matrix” to any experienced Chief of Staff and they will likely nod their head appreciatively and tell you all about how this particular 2x2 framework allows them to triage, route, and delegate the barrage of action items and tasks that are coming at them.

The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, is a time management tool named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States and a five-star General during World War II. Its origins are linked to a quote attributed to Eisenhower: "I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent."

The Eisenhower Matrix is structured as a simple box divided into four quadrants to categorize tasks based on their urgency and importance:

Quadrant 1 (Urgent and Important): Tasks that need immediate attention. Maybe these are tasks that your Principal should have eyes on, maybe they make it onto the Staff meeting agenda.

Quadrant 2 (Not Urgent but Important): Tasks that contribute to long-term goals and personal development. These may tie back to your strategic plan, or fit into your org’s “boulder” definition.

Quadrant 3 (Urgent but Not Important): Tasks that demand attention but do not contribute to long-term goals. Delegate these!

Quadrant 4 (Neither Urgent nor Important): Activities that offer little to no value and can be eliminated. Delete them!

Here is a handy image from our friends Asana (here is their excellent resource on the topic).

Image Source: Asana

So why does this particular framework resonate so much with Chiefs of Staff?

Well, I think there are a number of reasons: It's a framework for triaging the firehose of work coming at them; It's a helpful visualization for figuring out what to delegate; It's a lens on what is truly dial moving / strategic, and what is fake urgent. And it helps with time management, which is perhaps the biggest bogeyman facing the Chief; too much work and not enough time.

Which brings me to the Big Reveal.

Here at Ambient, acting upon the feedback of more than 100 Chiefs, we’ve been developing an Eisenhower Matrix inspired tool to help Chiefs visualize and act on tasks and action items..

Here’s how it works:

Summon an Ambient recorder into any live meeting, and Ambient will generate a structured list of Action Items / Action Owners / Timelines.

These Action Items can now be visualized and processed in an Eisenhower inspired matrix.

Eisenhower Matrix by Ambient.us

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And this is not only a visualization. Chiefs can drag & drop tasks from one matrix to the next, edit metadata, delegate low importance tasks, and even export out to their preferred project management system like Asana, Jira, and ClickUp.

At Ambient, we are determined to give 10-15 hours back to the Chief per week, and now have an end to end workflow on the board; Automatic AI Notes, Next Step / Action Item Extraction (and export to Asana / Monday / Clickup etc.), CoS Dashboard, and now Eisenhower Matrix. Please reach out if you’d like to get hands on the product.

A Brief History of the Chief of Staff Role

Lawrence Coburn — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Introduction

In almost any modern organization, a seasoned advisor, strategist, and gatekeeper are indispensable for smooth operations and effective decision-making. Enter the Chief of Staff—a role that has played a crucial part in both military endeavors, political landscapes, and the corporate world. In this blog post, we delve into the rich history and significance of the Chief of Staff role, exploring its evolution and projecting a promising future for this integral position.

The Chief of Staff in the Military

The origins of the Chief of Staff role can be traced back to military operations. Historically, this role emerged to support commanding officers by managing communication, coordinating units, and overseeing strategic planning. The Chief of Staff acts as a linchpin, ensuring efficient execution of plans and optimal utilization of resources on the battlefield.

One of the earliest known references to the Chief of Staff role in the military can be found during the Napoleonic era in the early 19th century. Napoleon Bonaparte appointed Louis-Alexandre Berthier as his Chief of Staff, setting a precedent for the critical position that would later become an integral part of military command structures worldwide.

Over time, this role has evolved to encompass a broader spectrum of responsibilities. Today, military Chiefs of Staff often play pivotal roles in policy formulation, intelligence gathering, and fostering collaboration among various branches of the armed forces. Their expertise and guidance significantly influence the success and efficacy of military endeavors.

Notable military Chiefs of Staff, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower and Colin Powell, have left lasting legacies, showcasing the impact a skilled Chief of Staff can have on military strategy and operations.

The Chief of Staff in Politics/Government

In the realm of politics and government, the Chief of Staff role has seen a similar evolution. Initially emerging as a secretary or administrative assistant, this role has metamorphosed into a position of tremendous influence and responsibility. Modern-day Chiefs of Staff in government are key advisors to heads of state or political leaders, managing communication, setting agendas, and coordinating policy initiatives.

One of the earliest documented references to a Chief of Staff in the political sphere is during the early 20th century in the United States. President William McKinley appointed James A. Garfield as his Chief of Staff, recognizing the need for a key advisor to assist in managing the demands of the presidency and coordinating activities with various departments.

The Chief of Staff serves as a vital bridge between the leader and other government officials, streamlining decision-making and ensuring the leader's vision is effectively implemented. Historical figures like H.R. Haldeman, Chief of Staff to President Richard Nixon, and Rahm Emanuel, Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama, exemplify the pivotal role a Chief of Staff can play in shaping policies and the overall trajectory of a government.

The Chief of Staff in Corporations

In the corporate world, the Chief of Staff role has gained traction as organizations recognize the need for a right-hand person to the CEO. Originally adopted from the military and political spheres, the Chief of Staff has been adapted to suit the dynamics of a corporate environment.

While the formal title and structure may have varied, an early precursor to the Chief of Staff role in the corporate world can be seen with the rise of the "assistant" or "secretary to the CEO" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As corporations expanded and became more complex, executives increasingly relied on trusted advisors to help manage their schedules, communications, and decision-making processes.

Today, the Chief of Staff is often a strategic partner to the CEO, overseeing special projects, facilitating communication across departments, and ensuring alignment with organizational objectives. This role is instrumental in maintaining cohesion within the company and promoting effective decision-making at the executive level.

Leaders like Sheryl Sandberg, who served as Chief of Staff to Larry Summers at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, highlight the potential of this role to drive transformation and growth within corporations.

The Bright Future of the Chief of Staff Role

As organizations become more complex and multifaceted, the Chief of Staff role is poised to become increasingly indispensable. The need for a dedicated individual to streamline operations, facilitate communication, and support the highest-ranking executives is evident across various sectors.

A Chief of Staff can provide invaluable assistance in navigating the intricacies of the modern business landscape. From aiding in decision-making to fostering collaboration and innovation, this role has the potential to be a linchpin for success. Embracing the Chief of Staff role can lead to more agile, efficient, and visionary organizations.

Conclusion

In a world where adaptability and efficiency are paramount, the Chief of Staff role stands as a beacon of effective leadership and support. From its origins in the military to its integration into the political and corporate spheres, this role has continuously proven its worth.

Looking forward, the Chief of Staff role is set to evolve and proliferate across a myriad of organizations, bolstering their capabilities and fostering a brighter future. Every modern company stands to gain from integrating a Chief of Staff, ensuring a well-organized, harmonious, and prosperous journey forward.

Let's embrace the potential of the Chief of Staff role, recognizing it as a cornerstone for progress and success in the dynamic landscapes of tomorrow.

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Ambient: a New Brand, a New Product Design, New Funding, and a Narrowness of Focus

Lawrence Coburn — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Hello world!

We have so much to share with you today as we officially move Ambient, our AI Assistant for Chiefs of Staff, out of Beta.

We have a new brand.

We have some new investors.

We have a fully redesigned product (try it, it’s super slick!)

But perhaps most importantly, we have a piercing clarity of focus.

I think I will start with the “focus” part.

On Focus

We first started talking about Ambient back in December as a generative AI powered newsfeed for everyone within a company. Imagine Yammer with an AI Narrator, listening to what’s happening in various systems around the org.

The idea was big and exciting, but it lacked some sharpness around the edges. We knew we wanted to focus on cross org, and we saw the opportunity to build a generative AI product that helped connect the dots across systems, teams, and geographies.

So we started talking to people. We spoke to founders, we spoke to ops folks, and once we got on the scent, we spoke to more than one hundred Chiefs of Staff at orgs of varying size. We of course used Ambient to track and summarize these conversations, helping us detect patterns on the quest for PMF.

And we were excited by what we heard. I have had immense respect for the CoS role for years now (ever since I hired one). But somehow, nobody was building tools for this high leverage role.

More importantly, it felt like we could immediately give time back to Chiefs of Staff (initially through AI powered note taking and Next Step extraction and tracking), allowing them to focus on the strategic projects that only a human CoS can pull off, from day one.

We think there are about 700K CoS in the world, and we’d like to meet as many of them as we can.

If you are interested in hearing all of the big learnings from these 100+ convos, you can do so HERE.

On Brand

After a chance encounter at Gus’ supermarket in the Mission District with the amazing Amanda Buzard, we somehow convinced her to take on our logo and brand project.

We knew what we wanted - we wanted to embrace the literal definition of the word and the adjacent definitions of Ambient Sound and Ambient Light, particularly:

“Present on All Sides, Encompassing, Atmospheric, Textural Layers, Tone and Atmosphere, and Unobtrusive Accompaniment to other activities.”

There was a lot to work with here, and Amanda was exceptionally thoughtful about how she tackled it. We ended up going with a prism metaphor - there is something about the idea of refracting a world of light that felt perfect - and embracing gradients that felt to us like ambient light.

On Funding

We are thrilled to welcome some new investors on our journey; Startup Haven Ventures, Sequoia (Scout), First Check Ventures, Zero Knowledge Ventures, D Global, and others join team Ambient, as well as continued support from Moment Ventures, Coelius Capital, Maven Ventures, and others.

On Product

And last but certainly not least, let’s talk about the product.

We publicly launched the first version of Ambient in mid-June of this year. Since then product engagement has been growing an average of 50%+ each month.

One of the beautiful things about having a more focused ICP is you can sharpen the product with precision.

Since launch we’ve made manual meeting note taking a thing of the past. We added content tagging, search, and filtering to make it easy to find insights across different meetings.

Now we’re barreling ahead towards making action item extraction and follow up a routine job that Chiefs of Staff can rely on Ambient to do.

Today we’re proud to launch a completely redesigned and rebranded product that is mobile friendly and customizable.

Let’s Go

We are excited to bring Ambient to market. If you are a Chief of Staff, we want to talk to you and get your hands on the product. Our commitment to you - we are determined to get you back 10-15 hours per week so that you can focus on the things that only you can do.

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Thanks for coming on the journey with us!

The Rise of AI Note Taking Apps: The Biggest Workplace Behavioral Shift Since Calendly

Lawrence Coburn — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Behavioral shifts in the workplace are actually quite rare, global pandemics aside. Habits are hard to break, and people get used to certain workflows, particularly around the basics; meetings, scheduling, email, and core systems. As we navigate the digital realm of remote and hybrid work, one trend is emerging as a major behavioral shift in the way we collaborate and communicate: the rise of AI note-taking apps. Much like Calendly revolutionized scheduling, AI note-taking apps are poised to redefine how we capture, share, and leverage information from meetings held on platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet.

The Changing Landscape of Workplace Tools

To appreciate the significance of AI note-taking apps, it's essential to understand the evolution of workplace tools. The advent of video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet has become instrumental in facilitating remote collaboration. Yet, within this landscape, a crucial aspect was often overlooked: efficient note-taking in meetings.

Meetings, whether conducted virtually or in-person, generate a wealth of insights, action items, and decisions. Traditionally, this information relied on manual note-taking, leaving room for errors and inefficiencies. Enter AI summarization technology, which promises to transform this process.

The AI Summarization Revolution

At the heart of this shift lies AI summarization, a technology that extracts meaningful content from raw data. Recent advancements in AI have catapulted summarization to new heights, enabling AI-generated notes that surpass human notes in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The AI's ability to analyze discussions, extract key points, and organize them into coherent summaries is changing the way we capture and utilize information.

What was once considered science fiction—machines comprehending and summarizing complex human conversations—is now a reality. AI note-taking apps are rapidly becoming a staple in meetings across industries and organizations, effectively addressing the challenges of information retention and dissemination.

The Prevalence of Recording Bots

Initially, the idea of bringing recording bots into virtual meetings might have seemed unconventional. However, as these bots seamlessly provide real-time AI-generated notes without disrupting the natural flow of discussions, their acceptance has grown. The convenience and time-saving benefits they offer have become evident.

Recording bots, in essence, record meetings, transcribe conversations, and instantly generate summarized notes. This approach eliminates the need for participants to juggle note-taking and active participation, ultimately enhancing the quality of discussions.

The Behavioral Shift: From Human Notes to AI Notes

The workplace is witnessing a significant behavioral shift. Knowledge workers are increasingly relying on AI note-taking apps to capture critical meeting insights. This transition parallels the adoption of scheduling tools like Calendly, which streamlined the cumbersome process of scheduling meetings.

AI-generated notes have proven their worth in terms of information retention, sharing, and collaboration. They provide a clear, organized record of discussions, making it easier for teams to align on action items, decisions, and next steps. The convenience of AI notes is driving their widespread adoption.

AI Note Taking Apps in Action

The impact of AI note-taking apps is tangible. Consider a scenario where a project team conducts a virtual brainstorming session. With an AI note taker in action, the team can fully engage in the creative process, knowing that the AI is diligently capturing key ideas, action items, and decisions.

These AI-generated notes are immediately available to all participants, eliminating the need for post-meeting documentation. This leads to faster follow-up, increased accountability, and a more efficient workflow. The benefits extend beyond the meeting room, as well-informed decisions are made based on comprehensive records of discussions.

The Road Ahead: Integration and Optimization

As the use of AI note-taking apps continues to grow, we can expect further integration with other collaboration tools. The goal is to create a seamless, cohesive environment where information flows effortlessly between meetings, chat applications, and project management platforms. This integration will optimize productivity and decision-making.

In conclusion, the rise of AI note-taking apps is reshaping how we approach meetings and knowledge sharing in the digital age. This behavioral shift parallels the impact of scheduling tools like Calendly, which streamlined a previously cumbersome process. AI-generated notes offer a promising solution to the challenges of information capture, retention, and dissemination in a world where efficient communication is paramount.

As we navigate the changing landscape of work, embracing AI note-taking apps may become as natural as scheduling a meeting through Calendly. The future of work is marked by innovation, and those who adapt to these transformative technologies will find themselves at the forefront of productivity and collaboration in the digital workplace.

The Top 5 Reasons You Should be Using a Zoom AI Note Taker

Lawrence Coburn — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Introduction‍

Meetings are the lifeblood of effective collaboration and decision-making in the business world. However, one common challenge that leaders, Chiefs of Staff, Managers, and Founders face is the struggle to balance active participation with the need to capture essential information. This is where the power of an AI note-taking solution, especially during Zoom meetings, comes into play. In this post, we'll explore the top 5 reasons why incorporating a Zoom AI note taker can transform the way you conduct meetings and revolutionize your team's productivity.

Reason 1: Enhance Meeting Focus and Engagement‍

It's hard to run a meeting (or even participate), while taking notes. This habit, while seemingly efficient, can hinder meaningful discussions and effective decision-making. By leveraging a Zoom AI note taker, leaders and participants can fully immerse themselves in the conversation, free from the distractions of jotting down notes. This not only elevates engagement but also allows for deeper insights and better understanding of the topics at hand.

Reason 2: Elevate Meeting Leadership

‍Effective meeting leadership involves more than just steering the conversation. It's about facilitating dialogue, guiding participants, and ensuring that objectives are met. When leaders are relieved of the task of note-taking, they can fully concentrate on these crucial aspects. The result? Meetings that are well-structured, efficient, and conducive to innovative thinking.

Reason 3: Seamless Sharing of Meeting Insights

‍The true value of meetings lies in the insights they generate and the actions they catalyze. With an AI note taker integrated into your Zoom sessions, these insights are not only captured but transformed into shareable formats effortlessly. Key takeaways, action items, and decisions are distilled into concise summaries, eliminating the need for laborious post-meeting documentation. This means that the momentum from the meeting can be carried forward without delay.

Reason 4: Boost Collaboration with Next Steps

‍Collaboration thrives when everyone is on the same page. The beauty of AI-generated notes lies in their ability to extract and highlight next steps and action items from the discussion. Imagine the efficiency of sharing a crisp, organized list of tasks with meeting attendees right after the session. This not only ensures alignment but also holds everyone accountable, leading to faster progress and better outcomes.

Reason 5: Efficiency in Decision-MakingInformed decisions are the cornerstone of successful businesses. Having access to comprehensive records of discussions is invaluable when making critical choices. AI-generated notes serve as a repository of insights, allowing leaders to review past meetings quickly and make well-informed decisions. This eliminates the need to revisit lengthy recordings or transcripts, saving precious time and expediting the decision-making process.

Conclusion

‍Meetings are an investment of time and resources, and their outcomes can shape the trajectory of your business. By embracing a Zoom AI note taker, Chiefs of Staff, Managers, and Founders can unlock a new level of efficiency and collaboration. With the ability to focus on discussions, elevate leadership, seamlessly share insights, enhance collaboration, and expedite decision-making, this innovative solution is poised to transform the way you approach meetings. Are you ready to revolutionize your meeting experience and drive your team's success? The future of effective collaboration starts with a single click.

Here are a few, free to try, AI Note takers to try that work well for Zoom:

twine Ambient

Fathom

Otter

Hail to the Chiefs: Why Every Company at Scale Should have a Chief of Staff

Lawrence Coburn — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

The year was 2017. My startup was growing very, very quickly and we suddenly had customers, offices, and team members all over the world.

Despite an amazing exec team and a super talented EA, I was struggling to keep up.

There just weren’t enough hours in the day; it almost felt like I needed to be in multiple places at the same time. I needed eyes in the back of my head so I could head off bottle necks and friction points around the org as everything got bigger at the same time. And above all, I needed more throughput; I was the only one with full, cross departmental visibility; we needed my eyes on more stuff.

One of my Board Members suggested that I hire a Chief of Staff; someone who had a similar level of access to information as I did, and who could serve as a proxy and a backstop for all the things coming at me. Someone who could focus on the “bottom half of my to do list.”

For those of you are are not familiar with the role, it has a long history. It apparently started thousands of years ago in the military, as a way to make sure that the troops had what they needed, then made its way to politics, and finally to corporations.

So what does a Chief of Staff do? Here is how ChatGPT defines the core responsibilities of a corporate Chief of Staff:

Strategic Planning: Chiefs of Staff are typically involved in the development and execution of the organization's strategic plans. They help set priorities, align resources, and ensure that strategic goals are being met.
Project Management: They may oversee critical projects and initiatives, ensuring that they are completed on time and within budget. This involves coordinating various teams and stakeholders.
Communication: Chiefs of Staff often play a role in managing communication both internally and externally. They may draft speeches, memos, and other important communications for the executive they work with. They also help ensure that the executive's message is consistent and effectively delivered.
Decision Support: Chiefs of Staff help executives make informed decisions by providing research, analysis, and data on various issues. They may also facilitate decision-making processes within the organization.
Interdepartmental Coordination: In larger organizations, Chiefs of Staff help coordinate activities between different departments or units to ensure alignment with the organization's goals.
Crisis Management: During times of crisis or emergencies, Chiefs of Staff often play a crucial role in managing the situation, mobilizing resources, and communicating with stakeholders.
Office Management: In some cases, Chiefs of Staff may also oversee the day-to-day operations of the executive's office, including managing schedules, appointments, and administrative staff.
Relationship Building: Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external, is often part of the Chief of Staff's responsibilities. This can include relationships with employees, board members, clients, partners, and government officials.
Strategic Initiatives: Chiefs of Staff may lead or participate in special projects or initiatives that are critical to the organization's success.

I ended up heeding my Board’s advice and hiring a Chief of Staff.

My choice was an internal hire; someone who had been with us since the early days, and also had consulting experience at Bain; somebody who could make directionally correct decisions with incomplete information, somebody who could think on their feet, and someone who had existing relationships with our exec staff.

I, and my company, saw immediate ROI. It was extremely helpful to have an adaptable, swiss army knife talent to throw at hard problems that didn’t obviously fall on anyone else's plate; stuff like fundraising, M&A, growth hacks, and pricing.

I also got tremendous value out of his ability to represent me at external and internal meetings that I could not attend.

But the single most important thing that our CoS did for us was to help me hold the company accountable; we believed strongly in “do what you say you are going to do,” which for us, translated into extracting action items from our meetings and Slack conversations, documenting them, and following up.

So whether you work at a rapidly scaling startup, or a company that has been around for a while, I would strongly suggest considering a Chief of Staff. An effective Chief of Staff will help your entire company run more efficiently.

We spoke to 100 Chiefs of Staff, here’s what we Learned

Lawrence Coburn — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

I’ve always had huge respect for the Chief of Staff role, and see it as mission critical, particularly for companies that are rapidly growing and / or at scale. You can read more about my personal experience with the role HERE.

The Chief of Staff is so unique within an org; she / he is typically someone with C-level access to information and business context, often with the ability to serve as a proxy to the CEO (or other exec), unburdened by direct reports, but / and with the daunting task of keeping dial moving, cross departmental projects moving forward.

My team at Ambient has been exploring what it would be like to develop purpose built, AI powered software for the Chief of Staff. Can we automate rote tasks like note taking and follow ups to free up time for the strategic, interpersonal stuff that only a human CoS can accomplish? Can we give them back 10-15 hours a week to focus on truly dial moving work? And if we helped the CoS be more productive, could that flow through to the entire org?

So we went out and spoke to ~100 Chiefs of Staff at fast growing or public companies.

Here are nine things we learned:

The Chief of Staff role varies greatly from org to org, but with some consistent similarities - particularly on helping cross departmental initiatives move forward. Some Chiefs are true members of the executive team “I also run Finance for us,” and others exist primarily to enable a high profile, or otherwise overloaded principal “I do whatever it takes to help XX accomplish their goals.” But all share a similar passion; a desire to get stuff done and to keep things moving forward.
The CoS’ stock is rising. In the age of hybrid work and many, many siloed SaaS systems, the role of Chief of Staff is surging in importance, as someone who can connect the dots across systems, teams, and geographies.
The relationship between the Chief and the Principal is paramount. If that trust and respect isn’t there, even the most competent Chief can fail.
While Chiefs don’t typically have a dedicated budget, they command the attention of folks who do. And as the queens and kings of the special, mission critical project that nobody else can own (a financing, an acquisition, a RIF), they typically get what they want.
Chief multi taskers. Chiefs of Staff often have to run high profile meetings (ELT, Task Forces, etc.), while simultaneously taking notes, capturing action items, and then, post meeting, following up on action items. For a CoS, these meetings can be incredibly stressful; it’s hard to both run a meeting and capture perfect Next Steps.
QBR’s, offsites, and task forces typically fall on the CoS as well. If there is a recurring theme, it’s the CoS as the dot connector - the one that is helping the org function as a single unit, as opposed to a handful of departmental silos (yes, this is the CEO’s job too).
Tools Scout. Consistently, it is the Chief of Staff that is getting tasked by the CEO to be on the lookout for new productivity tools in the market, including AI tools. In fact, among the 100 or so we spoke to, more than a few were running AI Task forces, in charge of making sure their company was leaning into AI productivity gains and trying new tools.
The career progression for a CoS is a bit murky; I heard of folks tracking towards COO or Founder roles, and folks that jumped into strategic IC roles like Growth or Product Management, and other CoS who backfill for executive staff members when they depart, or go on leave. But the CoS seems to be a true unicorn within an org; massive influence with no direct reports, with almost unlimited access to information and complete trust from the Principal.
To date, there has been no purpose built software for the Chief of Staff (!)

This last bullet is shocking to me. Why is one of the highest leverage roles in the org running without purpose built tools?

Well, here at Ambient, we aim to change that, starting with the rote, but mission critical task of capturing precise Action Items, Project Owners, and Timelines at live meetings.

If you are a Chief of Staff, we want to talk to you to learn better how we can automate away the administrative parts of your role, in order to free up hours for you to move the dial on truly strategic projects. Feel free to reach out to me directly lawrence @ambient DOT us and I would love to show you what we are building at Ambient.