Welcome to episode 226 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.

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).

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.

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.

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"It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. — Curt Robbins

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>> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz

>> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm

>> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy

>> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t

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>> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca

>> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z

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