← Technical Writing Success16 Jul · 21 min
How to Interview an SME Without Wasting Their Time (or Yours)
<p>Welcome to episode 226 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.</p><p>This episode is entitled "How to Interview an SME Without Wasting Their Time (or Yours)." Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones provide a comprehensive framework for technical writers to conduct efficient and productive interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs). </p><p>To respect the expert's limited time, writers should perform rigorous pre-interview research and eliminate any questions that can be answered through independent study. The hosts outline a strategic question spine based on journalism's five Ws and H, emphasizing the importance of identifying prerequisites and use cases. </p><p>To prevent missing critical details, writers are encouraged to walk through procedures live and act as a proxy for the end-user by asking clarifying questions. Finally, the source highlights that building long-term professional relationships depends on closing the feedback loop and expanding one's network of information sources.</p><p>_________________________________</p><p>"It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills." — Curt Robbins</p><p>_________________________________</p><p>>> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz</p><p>>> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm</p><p>>> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy</p><p>>> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t</p><p>>> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn</p><p>>> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca</p><p>>> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z</p><p>>> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk</p><p>>> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d</p><p>>> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td</p><p>>> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt</p><p>>> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu</p><p>#TechnicalWriting #documentation #AIJobs</p>
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