Dropbox CEO Ashraf Alkarmi uses a five-point filter to manage his time

Alkarmi, who moved into the co-CEO role in May 2024 after leadership stints at Vimeo and Meta, shares these goals with his immediate team and chief of staff. By socializing his list, he ensures the organization aligns with his focus areas, which range from personnel management to business performance. He tracks these objectives using Trello, treating the five items as non-negotiable anchors for his calendar.

When new requests surface, Alkarmi subjects them to a simple test: do they advance one of his five goals? If they do not, he declines the invitation. This approach helped him identify customer churn reduction as a critical early priority, allowing him to bypass distractions that lack a direct impact on his core objectives. He is slated to eventually transition into the sole CEO position, succeeding founder Drew Houston.