Ask Me Anything (AMA)
An Ask Me Anything (AMA) is an open question-and-answer session in which a leader or project group takes questions from anyone in the audience, on any subject or on one announced topic. The name was popularised by question threads on Reddit. The procedure described here is the document-based one from the GitLab handbook: all questions are written into a shared agenda document, ideally before the call, answered in the order listed, and the answers are noted in the same document for people who could not attend.
Facilitation script
- 1
Moderator opens, starts the recording if agreed, and reminds everyone of the rules: questions go in the document, are taken in order, and each asker reads their own.
2 min - 2
Host gives a short welcome and any context. No presentation.
2 min - 3
Work through the questions in document order. Askers read aloud, the host answers or hands over, attendees note the answers under each question.
18 min - 4
Moderator gives a five-minute warning and names how many questions remain. Continue in order.
5 min - 5
Close: host thanks the askers, moderator confirms that open questions will be answered in writing in the document and where the recording will be.
3 min
Tips
Open the document several days ahead and add two or three seed questions, because an empty page stays empty.
The host should answer the uncomfortable questions as plainly as the easy ones; one evasive answer teaches the audience not to bother next time.
Keep the list order strict, since skipping around makes people suspect that questions are being filtered.
Common pitfalls
Opening the document only when the call starts, so the first ten minutes are silence and the people who think slowly or work in another time zone never get a question in
The host gives long answers to the first three questions and the rest of the list is never reached
Questions arrive in the meeting chat and get answered there, which breaks the order and leaves them out of the written record
Nobody writes down the answers, so absent colleagues get a list of questions and a recording they will not watch
Dodging or reordering awkward questions; the audience notices and stops asking them
Variations
A themed AMA limits questions to one subject, such as a reorganisation or quarterly results. Where people may not dare to ask under their name, offer a way to submit questions through the moderator, and say how those will be handled. In person, project the document and keep the same rules. A fully asynchronous AMA skips the call: questions and written answers accumulate in the document over a fixed period. For very large audiences, let people mark the questions they most want answered and take those first, announcing this rule in advance.
Where it fits
When to use it
After a significant announcement, when people have questions and rumours are filling the gap
A new leader has joined and the organisation wants to get a sense of them directly
A distributed company in which many people cannot attend live and need a written record of what was said
As a regular fixture, for example monthly with the CEO, so that hard questions have a known place to go
A project team wants to explain its work to the rest of the organisation and find out what is unclear
When not to use it
The host is not free or not willing to answer openly. A session full of 'I can't comment on that' damages trust more than holding none
You need the group to discuss among themselves or reach a decision; an AMA is one-to-many, so use Lean Coffee or a Fishbowl
The questions concern individual cases, such as one person's pay or performance; those belong in a one-to-one conversation
People fear consequences for asking under their name and no anonymous route exists; fix that first or the list will contain only safe questions
The host wants to present. Send the update in writing beforehand and keep the session for questions
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Ask Me Anything (AMA)?▾
An Ask Me Anything, or AMA, is a session in which a person or team answers questions from an open audience. In the document-based version, questions are collected in a shared document, answered in order during a call, and the answers are written down in the same place. It is widely used for leadership communication in remote organisations.
How long should an AMA be?▾
Between 25 and 50 minutes works for most internal AMAs. The length matters less than keeping answers short enough to get through the list, and answering leftover questions in writing afterwards.
Why collect AMA questions in a document instead of taking them live?▾
A document lets people ask in advance, including those who cannot attend, and makes the order of questions visible to everyone. It also becomes the written record once answers are noted under each question. Live hand-raising favours whoever is fastest and most confident.
Should AMA questions be anonymous?▾
Named questions are the default in the GitLab process, and names make follow-up easier. Where people may hesitate to ask a critical question openly, offer a route through the moderator as well. Tell people in advance which options exist.
Who should moderate an AMA?▾
Someone other than the host. The moderator starts and stops the recording, watches the time and keeps the queue in order, so the host can concentrate on answering. In small teams this can be any colleague who is not the subject of the session.
Plan your next workshop with AI
Workshop Weaver helps you combine methods like Ask Me Anything (AMA) into a complete, timed agenda in minutes.
Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from GitLab Handbook.