I Built a Meeting Cost Calculator - Here's What I Learned About Wasted Time

The Problem

Last month, our team had a 2-hour "quick sync" with 8 people.

I did the math: 8 people × 2 hours × $75/hr average = $1,200 for one meeting.

That meeting could have been a Slack message.

The Solution

I built Meeting Cost Calculator - a simple tool that calculates the real cost of meetings based on participants and their hourly rates.

Core Features

• Add participants with hourly rates
• See real-time cost as the meeting progresses
• Export reports for management

The Code

Here's the basic calculation logic:

const calculateMeetingCost = (participants, durationMinutes) => {
  const hours = durationMinutes / 60;

  return participants.reduce((total, person) => {
    return total + (person.hourlyRate * hours);
  }, 0);
};

// Example: 3 people, 1 hour
const cost = calculateMeetingCost([
  { name: 'Dev', hourlyRate: 75 },
  { name: 'Designer', hourlyRate: 65 },
  { name: 'PM', hourlyRate: 85 }
], 60);

console.log(`Meeting cost: $${cost}`); // $225

Shocking Stats

After tracking meetings for a month:

Meeting Type	Avg Cost	Could Be Email?
Daily Standup	$180	Sometimes
Sprint Planning	$900	No
"Quick Sync"	$450	Usually
All-Hands	$3,000+	Depends

What I Changed

1. Async by default - If it can be a Loom video, make it a Loom video
2. Required agendas - No agenda = no meeting
3. Timer visible - Showing cost keeps things focused

Try It

🔗 meetingcost.site - Calculate your own meeting costs

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What's the most expensive unnecessary meeting you've been in? Drop a comment!