Calendly's Platform Strategy: Scheduling as the Main Event

The Unseen Utility of Everyday Tools

Frequently used tools often fade into the background of our daily routines. Calendly, an application designed to streamline meeting planning, scheduling, and follow-up processes, exemplifies this phenomenon.

Widespread Adoption and a Shift in Focus

Currently, approximately 10 million individuals utilize Calendly links to facilitate meeting arrangements with countless others. However, its core function – transitioning users between tasks and software – often prevents it from receiving significant attention.

This situation altered dramatically last year. The widespread shift to remote work triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a surge in meeting frequency. Calendly experienced substantial growth, attracting the interest of investors.

From Personal Need to Startup Success

Initially conceived by founder Tope Awotona as a solution for personal organization, Calendly maintained a relatively low profile despite its expansion. The convergence of pandemic-driven growth and substantial funding swiftly changed this.

Earlier this year, the company’s journey from obscurity to securing $350 million in funding at a $3 billion valuation was explored. This significant milestone served as the starting point for a fireside chat at TechCrunch Disrupt 2021.

Navigating Growth and Maintaining Core Values

The central question addressed was how to elevate a successful product while remaining true to its foundational principles. Awotona pondered whether the funding would prove distracting or if the company could maintain its focus.

“The question I had at the time was, would the company take it as a distraction and become enamored with the publicity? Or would we stay focused and continue to work hard for our customers and partners?” Awotona stated. “Nine months later, it’s clear we’ve done the latter; our culture and values have largely remained consistent.”

Focusing on Prosumers and Expanding to Enterprises

The company continues to prioritize the “prosumers” who initially drove its growth. These users adopted Calendly organically, often through positive experiences with links shared by others, demonstrating a classic viral adoption pattern.

Simultaneously, Calendly is expanding its offerings to cater to larger groups, starting with teams and extending to entire organizations.

Enterprise Growth and the Importance of End Users

“In fact, one of the fastest-growing segments of our business is the enterprise segment – customers who pay us over $100,000 annually,” Awotona revealed. (Calendly does not disclose the proportion of enterprise customers within its paying base.)

Despite serving both enterprise and individual users, Awotona emphasized the fundamental similarity in their needs. “Even with midmarket and enterprise clients, it’s still the end users who introduce us, and it’s the end users we consistently satisfy,” he explained. “Our growth strategy begins with individual users.”

Addressing the Challenges of Group Coordination

Building for groups introduces new complexities, particularly regarding security and facilitating coordination among larger teams. These considerations are now central to Calendly’s product development efforts.

The company is also adopting a more targeted approach, developing services tailored to specific industries and user types.

Vertical Specialization and Potential Acquisitions

While sales professionals have long been key adopters of Calendly, the company is creating experiences designed for professionals such as teachers, service providers, and researchers.

Startups like Fresha, Booksy, Doctolib, and ServiceTitan focus on specific verticals. This specialization may position Calendly in competition with these alternatives, but also opens doors for potential acquisitions and consolidation.

Platform vs. Feature: Defining Calendly’s Future

Calendly’s position as a general meeting and scheduling platform raises a crucial question: is it a feature or a platform?

This distinction is vital for entrepreneurs, investors, and users. A “feature” suggests limited further development, while a “platform” implies greater ambition and extensibility.

Calendly as a Platform for Meeting Activity

Awotona views Calendly as a service-oriented platform, extending beyond integrations with tools like Zoom. He envisions it becoming a central repository for all meeting-related activity.

“Calendly is becoming a platform because many partners utilize our APIs to enhance their products,” he said. “For them, it’s an exciting extension of their platforms, and I believe that’s the definition of a platform.”

Competition and Long-Term Sustainability

This platform approach could help Calendly withstand competition from other meeting and scheduling startups, as well as larger tech companies like Google and Microsoft.

Awotona drew parallels to other products when considering how Calendly might fare in a competitive landscape.

Adapting to Evolving Work Habits

Like all startups, Calendly must adapt to changing consumer and business behaviors. The pandemic initially drove significant growth, but Awotona believes the underlying value proposition remains strong.

“We’re seeing continued strong usage despite changes in work patterns because human connection and collaboration are fundamental to business success,” he stated. “Whether meetings are virtual or in-person, Calendly’s value remains consistent.”