| name | panel-interview |
| description | Plan multi-speaker sessions — panel discussions, fireside chats, podcast interviews, and moderated Q&A. Use when there are 2+ speakers in a conversational format rather than a single presenter. |
Panel Discussion / Interview / Fireside Chat
Scope
Any session with multiple speakers in conversation:
- Panel discussion (3-5 panelists + moderator)
- Fireside chat (interviewer + 1-2 guests)
- Podcast recording (host + guest)
- Moderated Q&A (expert panel fielding audience questions)
- Internal roundtable discussion
What Makes This Format Different
- No slides (usually) — the conversation IS the content
- Moderator is critical — bad moderation ruins good panelists
- Unpredictable — you can prepare but not script
- Chemistry matters — panelist selection is 80% of the work
- Audience engagement — they're watching a conversation, not a lecture
Planning Process
- Define the topic and angle — not too broad, not too narrow
- Select panelists — diversity of perspective, complementary expertise
- Prepare the moderator — questions, flow, time management
- Brief panelists — expectations, format, key questions
- Design audience interaction — when/how do they participate?
Roles
Moderator Responsibilities
- Keep time (firmly but gracefully)
- Ensure all panelists get air time (some will dominate)
- Ask follow-up questions that go deeper
- Bridge between topics with smooth transitions
- Handle audience questions (filter, rephrase, direct)
- Cut off tangents ("fascinating — let's come back to that. But first...")
- Open and close the session
Panelist Guidelines
- Keep answers to 1-2 minutes (moderator should enforce)
- Share specific stories/examples, not generalities
- Disagree respectfully (disagreement is GOOD for panels)
- Build on what others said ("to add to what X mentioned...")
- Avoid re-introducing yourself before every answer
Session Structure
Opening (5 min)
- Moderator sets context (why this topic, why now)
- Quick panelist intros (30 sec each — OR moderator introduces them)
- Ground rules ("we'll take audience Q&A in the last 15 min")
Conversation Rounds (main body)
- Round 1: The Setup — broad opening question (everyone answers)
- Round 2-4: Deep Dives — specific questions, 2-3 panelists respond
- Round 5: Spicy Question — the controversial or forward-looking one
- Audience Q&A — last 15-20 min
Closing (3 min)
- "Lightning round: one sentence each — what's your key advice?"
- Thank panelists
- Point to resources/follow-ups
Best Practices
Moderator Craft
- Never ask yes/no questions — use "how", "why", "tell me about a time when"
- Don't answer your own questions — you're the facilitator, not a panelist
- Name who should answer — don't let the loudest person always jump in first
- Rotate the starting order — don't always start with the same panelist
- Listen actively — best follow-ups come from actually hearing the answer
- Have backup questions — if a topic dies, pivot smoothly
- Watch the clock — sacrifice questions, not the ending
Question Design
- Layered questions — start broad, get specific
- "What's the biggest challenge?" → "How did you solve it specifically?" → "What would you do differently?"
- Experience-based — "tell me about a time when..." beats "what do you think about..."
- Productive tension — "X, you disagree with Y on this. Why?"
- Audience-relevant — frame questions from the audience's perspective
- Avoid leading questions — don't telegraph the "right" answer
Panelist Selection
- Diverse perspectives — different roles, companies, experiences
- Complementary, not identical — the CTO, the practitioner, the customer
- At least one contrarian — agreement is boring; respectful disagreement is gold
- Good communicators — domain expertise ≠ ability to articulate it conversationally
- 3-4 panelists ideal — 5+ means not enough air time per person
- Brief them separately — share questions in advance, not the "right" answers
Audience Engagement
- Collect questions throughout via chat/Slido (not just at the end)
- Moderator curates — don't take questions in order; group by theme
- Rephrase audience questions for clarity (and to save time)
- "Great question from [name]" — acknowledge the asker
- If no questions: have 3-5 prepared "audience questions" ready
Common Mistakes
- ❌ Panel of 5+ where everyone gets 2 minutes (too many panelists)
- ❌ Moderator talks more than panelists
- ❌ No prep call with panelists (they don't know the format or each other)
- ❌ Reading questions from a script without follow-ups (feels robotic)
- ❌ Letting one panelist dominate (others check out)
- ❌ All panelists agreeing on everything (boring)
- ❌ No audience interaction until the very end
- ❌ Going over time because "one more question"
- ❌ Panelists giving rehearsed marketing pitches instead of authentic answers
Checklist
2 Weeks Before
1 Week Before — Prep Call
Day Of
During — Moderator Reminders
Podcast/Interview Specifics
- More intimate — lean into personal stories
- Longer format OK (30-90 min)
- Less structured — follow the interesting threads
- Edit later — you can remove tangents in post
- "Yes, and..." technique — build on what the guest says
- Research the guest deeply — reference their specific work/tweets/articles
- End with: "where can people find you?" (give them a plug)
