Hustler Words – Former Sequoia Capital partner Kais Khimji is stepping into the startup arena with Blockit, an AI-powered calendar scheduling company poised to revolutionize how we manage our time. Khimji, drawing on an idea he conceived during his time at Harvard, aims to create an AI agent capable of autonomously negotiating meeting times, eliminating the endless email chains that plague modern scheduling. This ambitious venture has garnered significant attention, with Sequoia Capital, Khimji’s former employer, leading a $5 million seed round.
Blockit’s core innovation lies in its AI agents’ ability to communicate directly with each other, learning user preferences and context to find optimal meeting times. Unlike existing solutions like Calendly, which rely on shared links, Blockit strives for complete automation, handling the entire scheduling process without human intervention. Co-founded by John Hahn, a veteran of calendar products like Timeful and Google Calendar, Blockit envisions a future where calendars can seamlessly interact, creating an "AI social network" for time management.
Khimji emphasizes the frustration of disconnected calendars, stating that Blockit aims to bridge this gap. Users can delegate scheduling tasks to their Blockit agent by simply including it in an email or Slack message. The agent then takes over, negotiating a time and location that aligns with the preferences of all participants. The system can be trained to prioritize meetings based on various factors, including the tone of the email request.
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This approach aligns with the concept of "context graphs," as described by Foundation Capital partners Jaya Gupta and Ashu Garg. By capturing the "why" behind scheduling decisions, Blockit aims to provide a more intelligent and personalized experience. Currently, Blockit is being utilized by over 200 companies, including AI startup Together.ai, Brex, and robotics startup Rogo, as well as venture firms like a16z, Accel, and Index. The app offers a 30-day free trial, with subsequent annual subscriptions priced at $1,000 for individual users and $5,000 for team licenses.
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