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Episode Topic Planner

Answer 4 questions about your guest and get the arc, the questions and the working titles for the recording.

Step 1 of 4
Who is sitting across from you?
The guest you want on the show, described the way you would describe them to a colleague.
Step 2 of 4
What have they built that most people have not?
The thing they are quietly proud of. This is what makes them want to talk for 45 minutes.
Step 3 of 4
What is the hardest part of their job right now?
The problem they would bring up unprompted. Your questions get their honesty here, not on the topics they have talked about 50 times.
Step 4 of 4
What do you sell?
Only used to mark where the conversation naturally touches your world. Nothing you sell goes into the questions.

Your Episode Framework

Send the arc to your guest before the recording so they arrive knowing what they will be asked.

Why an Episode Needs an Arc, Not a Question List

A list of questions produces an interrogation. The guest answers 12 things in a row, none of them connect, and the recording never gets past what they would have said on any other show. An arc does something different. It moves from what they built, through what it cost them, to what they would tell someone starting today, and the middle section is where the honest answers live.

The other reason to plan it is the guest. Sending someone the arc before the recording is the single easiest way to raise the quality of what they say. They turn up having thought about it, which is the difference between a good conversation and a polite one.

The 4 Sections That Work

What Not to Do

Do not put your offer into the questions. The recording is a conversation about them, and a guest can feel the turn the moment it happens. If working together makes sense, it is a separate conversation on its own call, afterwards.

The framework here is the short version of what we build for every client. Podcast creation covers the full interview framework, and podcast interview questions that surface pain goes deeper on section 3.

FAQ

Common Questions About Planning an Episode

How do I plan a podcast episode with a guest?
Build an arc rather than a question list. Open with what they built, move into how it actually happened, then ask what is hard right now, and close on what they would tell someone starting today. The middle is where the honest answers are, and the arc is what gets you there without it feeling like an interrogation.
Should I send the questions to the guest beforehand?
Yes. Sending the arc ahead of the recording is the cheapest way to raise the quality of what a guest says, because they turn up having thought about it. It also lowers the chance they cancel, since the recording stops being an unknown.
How long should a B2B podcast episode be?
Around 45 minutes is a useful target for a conversation with a senior guest. It is long enough to get past the rehearsed answers and short enough that a busy person will agree to it. The framework this tool builds is paced for roughly that.
Can I ask about their business problems without it feeling like a sales call?
You can, as long as you actually stop at the question. Asking what is hard right now is a normal thing to ask anyone about their work. It only turns into a sales call if you follow the answer with what you sell, which is why that belongs on a separate conversation afterwards.
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