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Preparing a podcast guest: what to discuss before recording
Podcasts and interviews

Preparing a podcast guest: what to discuss before recording

Run a podcast pre-interview: choose a topic, find stories, set boundaries, check facts and outline the episode. Includes a briefing template.

The Transkribator team5-minute read
SOURCEBEFORE RECORDING THE PODCASTTopic: a shared pictureof the resultStory: the first jointlaunchTurning point: expectationsdifferedTakeaway: what changedat workFROM WORDS TO RESULTS
Working with a real recordingIllustrated training exampleTemplate to copy
Podcasts and interviews

A pre-interview helps you find the story

A guest may be an excellent specialist and still cover too much for one episode. Preparation helps you choose an angle: what experience can this person explain from the inside, and how will that help listeners? A generic list of interview questions is only a starting point. Here you’re shaping a specific conversation for your show.

Agree on the purpose of the pre-interview and any recording. Material gathered for editorial preparation does not automatically belong in the public episode. Clarify the format, length and technical setup, and agree on how to handle sensitive or non-public details.

Workflow

Prepare the guest and outline the episode

  1. Define the topic around the audience

    Ask which problem the guest’s experience can help listeners understand. Choose one central question and a few supporting topics. If the teaser promises too much, the conversation may jump between subjects without finishing the stories.

  2. Find specific episodes

    Ask the guest to recall situations with a starting point, a decision and an outcome. Find out which ones they were part of and which they know through other people. Mark any details to verify or anonymise before the main recording.

  3. Agree on expectations and boundaries

    Discuss topics that require preparation, documents or examples to show, and any restrictions on disclosure. Promise editorial approval only if it is part of your process. Write down key agreements in wording that both sides understand the same way.

  4. Create a flexible outline

    Prepare an introduction, a sequence of stories, questions about turning points and a closing. Note a possible follow-up and a link to the main theme for each section. Check sound and recording conditions in advance, while leaving room for natural answers.

Worked example

An episode about a first experience of managing a team

This is a fictional training example. The names, circumstances and outcomes are included solely to explain the method.

Excerpt from a training recording · 12:40
The hardest part wasn’t assigning tasks. It was realising that the team didn’t share the same picture of what a finished result looked like. I can talk about our first launch together and what we learned when we reviewed it.

That gives the episode a clear angle: how to agree on what the result should be. The outline can cover the initial expectations, the moment the differences became clear, what the team did and what the guest changed later.

Don’t ask the guest to rehearse the story word for word. The pre-interview lets the host understand the key events and prepare follow-up questions. Before the main recording, check whether you can use colleagues’ names and internal details.

Topic: a sharedunderstandingof the resultFocusStory: the firstjoint launchSituationTurning point: expectationsdifferedDecisionTakeaway: whatchanged at workExperience
Build the episode around a story and a listener’s question. The guest’s job titles don’t need to drive the conversation.
What to clarifyWhy it mattersWhat to put in the brief
Personal experienceUnderstand what the story is based onThe guest’s role in the event
Turning pointFind a question that develops the storyWhat changed the decision
What can be made publicPrepare an appropriate exampleWhat to generalise or leave out
Closing takeawayBring the main theme to a closeWhat the listener can learn
Ready-to-use template

Brief for the guest and host

Share a short logistics section with the guest if useful. Keep editorial hypotheses and additional questions separate.

Template for your workSelect and copy
Audience for the episode:
Central question:
Name, pronunciation and current role:
Story 1 / personal involvement / turning point:
Story 2 / link to the theme:
Facts to verify:
Boundaries for public discussion:
Preparation materials:
Outline and possible follow-ups:
Technical setup:
How to close the conversation:
Check the result

Check that you’re ready to record

  • The episode has one central theme for the listener.
  • You’ve chosen real stories the guest was involved in.
  • Key names and roles have been checked.
  • The recording conditions and permitted use of the material are clear.
IntroductionExperience and expectationsPre-interviewStories and boundariesOutlineTheme and turning pointsEpisodeLive conversation
Preparation gives a substantive conversation a firm starting point and leaves room for new details.
Frequently asked questions

A closer look

Should I send the guest all the questions in advance?

It depends on the format. It usually helps to agree on topics and facts the guest can prepare, and save follow-ups for the conversation. Let them know if their answers need exact figures.

Can I use a pre-interview recording in the episode?

Only if your process includes an agreement for that use. Clarify the purpose of the preparation recording and the public episode in advance.

Keep working with the recording
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