I thought it was just me?
I am quite sure that I am the ONLY person in iTunes who has thought of asking the listener what they'd like to ask the guest.
So here is where the idea came from.
The best panel events I have run have been Q&A all the way. I always had to get Andy Bargery to chair the panel as I'd end up laughing at my own jokes and get into arguments.
Seeing people at events "pontificate" from the stage vs doing Q&A is always a closed deal for me - Q&A wins.
This post by Gary V a couple of years ago encouraged me to be confident I was on the right track.
the post is "the future of events is questions" and I remember my mate Julius as far back as 2009 being overcome with grief at "star speakers being so passé"
Also smaller more connected groups work better than "I just walked in off the street." People (like me) are less inclined to ask attention seeking questions also people are more in sync and comfortable asking "dumb questions" - a great example of this was Tilley at New Media Europe at the weekend.
He was asked a personal question by the audience and gave a few really vulnerable answers. This worked for him as the audience was a community rather than a crowd.
AND he'd been there all weekend, not one of these speakers that flies in for ten minutes to drop a Keynote, an offer and then fuck off.
The cunning Typeform, Questions and You Tube plan.
Using typeform and Youtube I have people record a cell phone video saying "give me a question" and then I stick it on you tube and put the link into type form and embed it on my webpage.
In Rainmaker Platform (Wordpress) it is soooooooo easy and clean to add a landing page - even I can do it!
When It comes to tech / backend I am fucking hopeless - I'd rather go out of business than ask for help or even try to do it myself.
Here is how you make a landing page in Rainmaker:
new landing page
Click
New segment
Click
Drop HTML code in new segment
Click
Hit publish
Sweet.
This is the early days of very long game but I am sure this will work well.
It video thing is dependant on a close, small and highly engaged listener. I know I meant to say I'd LOVE 40k downloads a month but I am blissfully in love with a small connected tribe.
With a smaller group the pace will move deeper and people will evolve together.
Two influencers on me were Simon Sinek and Derek Slivers - Derek had to sell MY CD Baby because is was happy with a small crew and everyone wanted more.
When I had dinner with Simon Sinek in London last year he told me he decided to wide and shallow - where as I am going very deep and thin.
(OK I was invited to a dinner with Simon Sinek by the Publicate Team)
