After launching our newest feature, Prism, a first-of-its-kind intelligent calendar, we hosted a chat with Clockwise co-founders Matt Martin and Gary Lerhaupt to explore how they see Prism helping anyone with a work calendar navigate common scheduling challenges.
The conversation provided insights into the vision and technical foundation of Prism, as well as bold perspectives from Matt and Gary on the current state of calendaring and the evolving AI landscape.
Here are three key takeaways from the chat:
1. We don’t really control our calendars
Humans like to feel in control, and managing our calendars is no different. Yet, in reality, our time is often dictated by the demands of colleagues and collaborators. This leads to a tangled ecosystem in our calendars, where rearranging events to create an ideal schedule becomes nearly impossible.
This problem has been at the heart of Clockwise’s development over the past seven years. It’s an issue so common that most people see it as an unavoidable part of managing a work calendar—but it doesn’t have to be.
2. The AI product fatigue is real
Many companies are adding AI features to their existing products, even when it doesn’t always make sense. To fully harness the power of AI, it needs to be built into the product from the ground up. At Clockwise, we’ve done exactly that by creating a product experience with AI at its core.
While large language models (LLMs) often struggle with complex scheduling—they can mishandle timezone calculations and misinterpret user intent—Prism offers a better solution. It combines our advanced scheduling engine with an LLM, resulting in a product that is more predictable and reliable and enhances users' workflows.
3. Scheduling a meeting should take 3 seconds or less
Leveraging our scheduling engine, which analyzes over 160 million calendar events daily, we identify the best scheduling options based on a user’s preferences in Clockwise.
By combining this with the scheduling prompt you provide to Prism, we deliver intelligent scheduling options in under 3 seconds—faster than any human could.
This speed holds true even for the more advanced use cases, like scheduling that impossible last-minute meeting when there is seemingly no open space on the calendar. We take that request and optimize your calendar to fit the meeting where you need it, all while minimizing disruptions to your existing schedule.
What’s next for Prism?
Google Calendar integration: Access Prism scheduling suggestions, manage meeting flexibility, or chat with Clockwise – without leaving GCal. Available via the Clockwise Chrome extension.
Groups: Quickly schedule a meeting with Clockwise Teams, Google Groups, and Outlook Groups.
Command bar: A simple keyboard shortcut allows you to access a palette of scheduling commands, including Prism’s natural language interface.
Suggestion overlays: Visualize Prism’s smart scheduling suggestions more easily with a direct calendar overlay that highlights the best times to meet.
Click to create: Click or click-and-drag on your calendar to create an event. Prism will cover the rest, including identifying attendee conflicts and proposing alternate times.
About the author
Allie is part of the Growth Marketing team at Clockwise, focusing on how our users engage and derive value from the product.
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