§ 13 · Panels
Better no panel at all.
1Better no panel than a bad one. When in doubt, do not run one.
2The default is a fireside chat: one guest, the person with the most to say, real questions, real follow-ups.
3The worst format is five experts with the questions sent in advance, each reciting a memorized answer in turn. No follow-ups, no discussion. Never do this.
4Depth needs few people. Easy with one, harder with two, almost impossible to moderate with four or five.
5If you must have two, set the topic blocks but ask freely, never from a script, and let them question each other.
6No talk-show dynamics, where one person monologues to push their points. The audience came for value, not for airtime.