Standups are 15 minutes, except when they're 35. Ten excuses that hold up, plus a generator for variety.
10 hand-picked excuses
01
Doctor's appointment moved up. Will post my update in the channel.
02
Conflicting customer call that ran long. Posting a written update.
03
Internet has been flaky all morning. Will catch up async.
04
Caught the tail end of a deploy. Debugging, not skipping forever.
05
Childcare drop-off ran late. Will read the recording.
06
Migraine. Camera-off in the standup is worse than skipping; posting written instead.
07
Time zone overlap with a partner team I had to take.
08
Power outage in my area. On phone tether, no video.
09
Pre-work for the next meeting I'm presenting in.
10
Caught in transit. Will post my update before lunch.
Or generate one
Click below for a fresh excuse.
FAQ
What's the most credible excuse for a daily standup?
Doctor's appointment moved up. Will post my update in the channel. It works because it's specific, honest about the trade-off, and short enough that nobody has follow-up questions.
Can I use the same excuse twice?
Sparingly. Pattern-match is the enemy of plausibility. Rotate from the list of 30 on this page.
Should I post a written update instead?
Almost always yes. A two-sentence async update earns more trust than showing up silent on camera.