Ask HN: When do you prefer video calls?

Not the answer to your question, but you can do things to get the most out of them:

- Enough time between them has to pass.

- Ask the team if there are topics or issues they want discussed or decisions to be made.

- Make the agenda of the meeting a collaborative document so everyone lists the topics they want to discuss there (questions, help requests, clarification requests, decision request between different approaches and tradeoffs).

Everyone goes over the document whenever they can and answers questions and clarify items. Iterative and recursive.

More often than not, doing this answers a lot of questions. Sometimes the meeting is rendered useless because all items are cleared.

If the meeting is still on, mist of the legwork is done. When the meeting is in session, everyone is on the same page and you go over the agenda items systematically with less rambling. Decisions are made. Issues are prioritized and everyone knows the rationale behind decisions.

Never I try to avoid all form of synchronous conversations that happen through a screen. They can be useful, but almost never necessary for my cases.

When it's a girl I'm dating. No other time. I've never had a situation where a video call was necessary for work.