Even top CEOs check their phones first thing in the morning—these are the apps business executives reach for
There’s a great deal of mystery surrounding CEOs’ morning routines; every business leader has their own ritual to kickstart the day, whether it’s a 5 a.m. run before work or something else. Yet, many top executives begin their days much like the rest of us: turning off their alarms and rolling over to check their phones.
Even CEOs at the helm of billion-dollar companies scroll through apps first thing in the morning. CEO checking the app to see how he slept—the same routine of the smart ring company’s chief executive, . And , the co-CEO of global architecture firm Gensler, goes through all his messaging platforms to determine which issues are urgent and which can wait for a reply.
Executives across various companies—including , , , , and —can’t resist reaching for their phones in the morning. Many gravitate toward similar types of apps before making their morning coffee: , , Mail, the Weather app, news outlets, and a host of wellness platforms focused on optimizing their health. This daily practice helps prepare them for success as the day unfolds, whether by staying informed on current events or planning the workday ahead while getting ready.
Weather app
C-suite leaders are bracing not just for business storms, but also for those forming outdoors. At ’s Brainstorm Tech conference this September, Salesforce’s senior vice president of enterprise IT strategy Shibani Ahuja the first app she checks in the morning is the weather. Ahuja said it shows her “How’s my hair gonna behave” for the day ahead.
Much like job seekers and professionals keeping tabs on their networks, Visa’s chief marketing officer Frank Cooper III can’t get enough of . Though the executive attempts to avoid the internet first thing in the morning, he can’t help but open the career-focused app daily.
“I try not to check my phone when I wake up, but I’m addicted to LinkedIn, actually,” Cooper III told .
Wellness apps
It’s no shock that the CEO of business ŌURA, Hale, checks his body metrics on the app immediately upon waking each day. chief executive Risher also reviews his ŌURA sleep data after getting ready to see how he slept, at 6:30 a.m. And like these two CEOs, pharmacy vice president John Love prefers to stay informed about his sleep quality; he told the first thing he checks each morning is his phone’s sleep app.
Slack/Messages
Slack has become the preferred messaging app for thousands of businesses—and business leaders are keen to connect with their teams each morning. ’s cofounder and chief chess officer Danny Renach always checks Slack right after waking, much like Greycroft cofounder and managing partner Dana Settle.
Executives also keep track of numerous other messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Messenger. Gensler’s co-CEO Goldstein sets aside early-morning time to review messages sent to him via other platforms, distinguishing urgent requests from those that can wait until breakfast comes.
“I actually do a quick scan of all the instant messages,” Goldstein at Brainstorm Tech. “So, for every instant messaging app I use, I pull them up one by one, check what messages have come in, and decide what I should respond to versus what can wait for an hour or two.”
News
Beyond tracking developments within their own companies, leaders aim to stay informed about global events. American Express’s chief information officer Radhakrishnan Ravi flips through the New York Times app each morning for his daily news fix. Executives are also adopting new technologies to stay updated on world happenings; Zillow’s vice president of AI Nicholas Stevens told he checks “some type of news” or a “highly technical AI news source” right after waking.
While many employees dread checking their inboxes—often overflowing with trivial requests and spam—some executives head straight to their unread emails each morning. Varonis Field chief technology officer Brian Vecci told the very first app he checks is Outlook. For Amazon Pharmacy general manager and vice president Tanvi Patel, going through emails can be a meaningful way to kickstart the day and plan ahead.
“Usually, I use the Mail app to see if there’s anything I need to keep in mind while getting ready,” Patel at the conference.