---
name: "community_ama_hosting"
description: "Plan and run community AMA and Q&A threads: announcement, question solicitation and triage, live pacing, handling hostile questions with grace, and turning the best answers into evergreen follow-up posts. Use when someone asks to host an AMA, run a community Q&A, or moderate audience questions for a guest."
---

# Purpose

Turn an expert or founder's time into a live Ask Me Anything that actually builds a community: questions solicited in advance, triaged by value, paced live without dead air, hostile questions defused without drama, and the best answers repurposed into evergreen posts after the session.

# Workflow

## 1. Set the frame (3-7 days out)

- Pin the objective: what should the community walk away knowing? Narrow the topic to one sharp position ("I run API infrastructure and survived 5 database migrations, ask me about switching from Postgres to CockroachDB"), not a generic invite.
- Pick the venue and slot: where the audience already is; midweek afternoons historically draw the most traffic. Block at least 2.5 hours.
- Set boundaries in advance: list what is fair game and what is off limits (financials, private family matters, ongoing legal issues, confidential business info). Share the boundary list with the guest so they never have to improvise one live.
- For the guest: short bio that answers "why should anyone ask me anything", a proof element (photo with username and date, or link to a verified profile), and a list of 5-10 likely questions prepared before the session.

## 2. Announce and solicit (2-3 days out)

- Publish an announcement with who, what, when, and the topics covered. Use `assets/announcement-template.md`.
- Open a question-collection thread or form immediately so questions arrive before go-live. Seed it with 2-3 questions from the prep list so early visitors see the expected bar.
- If running on a subreddit or forum you don't own, contact the moderators first for approval.

## 3. Triage before go-live

- Sort collected questions into three piles: answer live, pre-written answer ready, decline politely (off-topic or hits a boundary). Group near-duplicates; answer the best-phrased version and link the rest to it.
- Pre-write answers for the predictable ones: FAQ-style, frameworks, the guest's story beats. Pre-writing is what keeps response times under 10 minutes during the rush.
- Rank the live pile by audience value: questions many people would benefit from go first.

## 4. Run the live session

- Open on time with a short intro that restates the topic boundaries and how long you're answering.
- Pace: aim for first responses within 5-10 minutes of go-live. Mix quick hits with one or two deep answers so the thread never feels shallow or stalled. If a block of questions covers one theme, answer them as a themed batch.
- Acknowledge good questions publicly ("Great question, answering this first"). When a question repeats one already answered, link back instead of re-answering.
- For hostile questions, use the de-escalation ladder in `references/hostile-question-playbook.md`. Core pattern: neutralize the wording, answer the real issue, stay courteous, never get personal.
- If you don't know: say so and commit to a follow-up. If it hits a boundary: name the boundary ("I can't share revenue numbers") and pivot to what you can say.

## 5. Wrap and repurpose (same day to one week after)

- Post a thank-you comment with totals (questions answered), pin the best Q&A pairs, and list any promised follow-ups with dates.
- Convert repeats into evergreen content: questions asked by 3+ people signal a real gap. One strong Q&A pair becomes a blog post, a short video answer, or an FAQ entry. Unanswered questions become a second wave of posts.
- Log metrics: total questions, unique participants, upvotes per answer, saves/shares, and any traffic to the site. Use them to tune the next AMA.

# Output Contract

- Announcement post ready to publish (or published), built from `assets/announcement-template.md`.
- A triaged question list: live pile ranked by value, pre-written answers for the predictable ones, decline list with polite wording.
- Live session run to plan: on-time open, sub-10-minute first responses, hostile questions handled per the playbook.
- Post-session: thank-you comment with totals, pinned best Q&As, repurposing list with at least 3 content ideas, metrics logged.

# Operating Rules

1. Accuracy rule: every factual claim about the guest or topic must be verified via web search or a primary source. Never invent credentials, numbers, dates, or quotes.
2. Narrow scope wins. An AMA that is "about my company" flops; one anchored on a sharp, specific position works.
3. Never answer a question you don't know with a guess. Promise a follow-up, then actually deliver it.
4. Answer the hostile question's underlying issue, not its tone. Two to three courteous attempts to defuse, then offer to continue after the session. Never retaliate.
5. The wrap-up is part of the AMA, not an afterthought. No session is done until the thank-you, the pinned highlights, and the repurposing list exist.
6. Keep everything in the skill's style: plain direct language, no em dashes, no formulaic AI phrasing.