AI Meeting Notes with Granola
Bot-Free Meeting Intelligence for Executives & Consultants
Affiliate Disclosure:
This Quick Reference Card contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, AltNexus may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use in my consulting practice and with my executive clients.
What Granola Does
Granola is a lightweight AI notepad that captures meeting audio directly from your device — no bot joins the call, no one is notified, and no audio is stored. It runs quietly in your menu bar during any video call (Teams, Zoom, Google Meet) and produces structured, executive-ready meeting summaries with action items, decisions, and key takeaways within seconds of hanging up. Unlike bot-based alternatives like Otter.ai or Fireflies, Granola is invisible to other participants.
90%+
Transcription Accuracy
0
Meeting Bots
10+
Languages
GDPR
Compliant
"Granola fundamentally changed how I handle back-to-back client meetings. No bot joining the call, no awkward notifications — just clean, structured notes waiting for me the moment I hang up. Executives spend 35% of their time in meetings; Granola gives a meaningful portion of that time back."
— Patrick van Abbema, MBA, CMC, PMP, CBAP, CSP | Founder & CEO, AltNexus AI Core
Bot-free meeting intelligence — no one on the call knows you're using it
Try Granola Free →How I Use It: Executive Consulting Workflow
As a consultant managing engagements across multiple Government of Canada departments, I'm frequently in 6–8 meetings per day. Granola captures every conversation without creating the friction of a recording bot — critical in government settings where bot-based tools are often blocked or create discomfort among participants.
Meeting Types I Capture
- Client Strategy Sessions — AI generates structured notes with strategic decisions and next steps
- Stakeholder Briefings — Automatic capture of commitments, concerns, and escalation items
- Project Stand-ups — Action items extracted and ready for JIRA/Teams posting
- Executive Coaching — Confidential 1:1 notes with development themes tracked
Post-Meeting Workflow
- Review AI-enhanced notes within 30 seconds of call ending
- Ask Granola's AI chat for specific details or follow-up drafts
- Export structured summary to Slack channel or Notion workspace
- Sync key decisions and contacts to HubSpot CRM automatically
Getting Started (Under 5 Minutes)
| Step | Action | Detail | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Download Granola | Install from granola.ai — available for macOS, Windows, and iOS | 1 minute |
| 2 | Connect Calendar | Sync Google Workspace calendar for automatic meeting detection | 1 minute |
| 3 | Grant Microphone Access | Enable device audio capture — Granola listens from your machine, not as a bot | 30 seconds |
| 4 | Choose a Template | Select from 1:1, customer call, strategy session, or create custom templates | 1 minute |
| 5 | Join Your Next Call | Granola auto-detects meetings and begins capturing — no manual trigger needed | Automatic |
Total Setup Time: Under 5 Minutes
🎯 Quick Win Challenge YOUR NEXT MEETING
Experience the difference on your very next call:
Download Granola → Connect your calendar → Join your next meeting normally → When the call ends, open Granola and see your AI-enhanced notes waiting — decisions, action items, and a structured summary, all generated in seconds.
⏱️ No setup during the meeting. No bot notification. No one knows. Just better notes.
Key Features for Executives
| Feature | What It Does | Executive Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Bot-Free Capture | Records from device audio — no bot joins the meeting | Government and confidential client meetings where bots are inappropriate |
| AI-Enhanced Notes | Combines your typed scratchpad notes with full transcript context | Your ad-hoc notes become comprehensive meeting records |
| Ask Granola (AI Chat) | Query the meeting transcript in real-time or post-meeting | "What were the three action items?" or "Draft a follow-up email" |
| Custom Templates | Structured note formats for different meeting types | 1:1 coaching, sales calls, board meetings, strategy sessions |
| Shared Folders | Team-wide meeting note organisation and collaboration | Centralise client notes across consulting team members |
| CRM Integration | Sync notes to HubSpot, Attio, and Affinity automatically | Client meeting records flow directly into your pipeline |
Granola vs. Bot-Based Alternatives
| Dimension | Granola | Bot-Based Tools (Otter, Fireflies) |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting Presence | Invisible — no bot, no notification | Bot joins call; participants are notified |
| Audio Storage | No audio/video stored — transcripts only | Full audio and video recordings stored |
| Government Suitability | Works in restricted environments where bots are blocked | Often blocked by IT security policies |
| Note Enhancement | AI enhances your scratchpad notes with full context | Generates notes independently of your input |
| Privacy | GDPR compliant; Enterprise opt-out of model training | Varies; some train models on your data |
| Pricing | Free (Basic) / $14/user/month (Business) | Otter: $8.33/mo | Fireflies: $10/mo | Fathom: Free |
Integrations & Ecosystem
| Integration | What It Does | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace | Calendar sync for automatic meeting detection | All Plans |
| Slack | Post meeting summaries to channels automatically | Business+ |
| Notion | Export structured notes to workspace pages | Business+ |
| HubSpot / Attio / Affinity | Sync meeting notes with CRM contact records | Business+ |
| Zapier | Connect to 8,000+ apps for custom workflows | Business+ |
🍁
Government of Canada Context: Granola's bot-free, device-level capture works in restricted meeting environments where third-party bots are blocked. No audio stored — only text transcripts retained.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Price | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic (Free) | $0/month | AI notes, AI chat, 14-day meeting history | Trying Granola; light meeting load |
| Business RECOMMENDED | $14/user/month | Unlimited history, advanced AI, Slack/Notion/CRM integrations | Professionals and consulting teams |
| Enterprise | $35/user/month | SSO, org-wide model training opt-out, analytics, priority support | Compliance-driven organisations |
ROI at Executive Rates
5 min
Setup Time
35%
Time in Meetings
$14
Per Month
10x
ROI in Week 1
At an executive billing rate of $200+/hour, saving 30 minutes per week on note-taking pays for an entire year of Granola in the first month.
✅ FREE TO START • NO BOT REQUIRED
Transform Your Meeting Notes Today
Bot-free AI meeting intelligence. No one knows you're using it.
Structured notes, action items, and decisions — seconds after you hang up.
Try Granola Free →
Structured notes, action items, and decisions — seconds after you hang up.
Free Basic plan available. Business plan is $14/user/month for unlimited meeting history.
Honest Assessment
- Granola is not a full recording tool — no audio/video playback is available (transcripts only)
- Speaker attribution can be inconsistent in large group calls (5+ participants)
- Requires Google Workspace account; personal Gmail support is in migration
- Android app not available — macOS, Windows, and iOS only
- Basic (Free) plan has limited meeting history (14 days); Business unlocks unlimited
- Unless on Enterprise plan, your data may be used for model training (you can manually opt out)