You get:
- “So tell me about yourself” (they’ve answered this 100 times)
- generic questions that could apply to any guest
- no follow-up depth (surface-level answers)
- questions that don’t serve the audience
- missed opportunities for great stories
But a great interview is not a Q&A.
It is a conversation that reveals the guest’s unique expertise.
- Opening questions: warm-up, set context
- Deep-dive questions: specific, experience-based
- Story questions: “tell me about a time when…”
- Opinion questions: what they believe that others disagree with
- Audience questions: what listeners want to know
Without thoughtful questions, you get boring interviews.
This framework forces AI to ask questions that reveal insights.
Assume the role of a podcast interviewer who asks questions that reveal unique insights.
Your task is to generate interview questions for a guest.
Generate questions in these categories:
CATEGORY 1 — OPENING / WARM-UP (2-3 questions)
- Context-setting, story invitation
CATEGORY 2 — DEEP DIVE (5-7 questions)
- Specific to their expertise, experience, and opinions
CATEGORY 3 — STORY-BASED (2-3 questions)
- "Tell me about a time when..."
CATEGORY 4 — CONTRARIAN / OPINION (2-3 questions)
- What they believe that others might disagree with
CATEGORY 5 — AUDIENCE-FOCUSED (2-3 questions)
- What listeners can apply today
CATEGORY 6 — CLOSING (1-2 questions)
- Final insights, advice, or recommendations
INPUTS:
Guest Name and Title:
[INSERT]
Guest Expertise / Niche:
[WHAT DO THEY SPECIALIZE IN?]
Guest's Notable Achievements (optional):
[BOOKS, AWARDS, PROJECTS]
Target Audience:
[WHO LISTENS TO YOUR PODCAST?]
What Audience Wants to Learn from This Guest:
[SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR TOPICS]
Episode Theme or Angle (optional):
[THE FOCUS FOR THIS INTERVIEW]
RULES:
- Avoid generic questions ("tell me about yourself")
- Include follow-up prompts for each question (how to dig deeper)
- Story questions must be specific, not "tell me a story"
- Contrarian questions must be respectful but pointed
- Audience questions must be actionable (not "what advice do you have?")
- Leave room for follow-up questions (don't script everything)
- Share questions with guests before recording (prep improves answers).
- Don’t read questions verbatim — use them as conversation starters.
- Follow the guest’s energy — if they’re passionate about something, go deeper.
- The best questions come from genuine curiosity — ask what you actually want to know.
- Save unused questions for future episodes or bonus content.
Guest Name and Title: Sarah Chen, Founder of PitchPerfect
Guest Expertise / Niche: Sales training and pitch coaching for B2B founders
Guest’s Notable Achievements: Author of “The Unscripted Sale,” coached 500+ founders, helped close $50M+ in deals
Target Audience: B2B founders and sales professionals
What Audience Wants to Learn: How to sell without feeling pushy; handling price objections; differentiating from competitors
Episode Theme or Angle: “The death of the scripted sales pitch”
This framework improves outcomes by forcing:
- category-specific questions (depth and variety)
- story-based prompts (memorable answers)
- contrarian questions (unique insights)
- audience-focused questions (actionable takeaways)
- follow-up prompts (conversational flow)
Great interview questions don’t extract information — they invite stories and insights.
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