Most bad interviews aren't bad because the guest was boring. They're bad because the host came in with a list instead of a curiosity. Here's how I get ready.
First, I consume everything. Sermons, past interviews, posts, the book if there is one. Not so I can quote it back — so I can skip it. If a question has already been answered on three other shows, I'm not asking it. My job is to find the conversation nobody else has had with this person.
Second, I write one question. Just one. The question that, if we only got to that, the episode would still be worth it. Everything else is a path toward or away from that question.
Third, I build guardrails, not a script. I'll have six or seven areas on a page — not phrased as questions, just topics. That keeps me listening instead of reading.
Fourth, I decide what I'm willing to sit in. The best moments in the show come after a real answer, when most hosts jump to the next thing. I plan silence on purpose.
And last: I pray before every single one. Not as a ritual — because the person across from me is a person, not content.
— Davon