Behind the Scenes of My Interview Research Process — Andy Matuschak Crashes My Crib
Jan 25, 2025
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Andy Matuschak, an independent applied researcher and former founder of Khan Academy’s R&D Lab, dives deep into the intricate preparation process for impactful podcast interviews. He explores the commitment involved, highlighting a framework that entails over 200 hours of targeted study. The conversation touches on collaborative learning, effective note-taking strategies, and the use of tools like Kanban for organization. They also share insights on balancing thorough research with engaging dialogue, ensuring interviews remain both enlightening and accessible.
The interviewee dedicates extensive time, around 200 hours, to preparing for interviews, emphasizing the importance of thorough groundwork for intelligent dialogue.
Techniques like spaced repetition and just-in-time learning enhance the interviewee's efficiency and comprehension during their research process and interview preparation.
Engaging with knowledgeable peers helps the interviewee refine questions and create a structured approach, fostering deeper conversations with guests through collaborative learning.
Deep dives
Research and Preparation Process
The interviewee spends an extensive amount of time preparing for podcast interviews, often well in advance. For instance, the preparation for an interview with a prominent figure involved around 200 hours of focused learning, comprising both intensive study and prior foundational knowledge. This preparation includes reading books relevant to the guest's work and consulting with tutors and peers in their field. The interviewee emphasizes that this thorough groundwork is critical for formulating intelligent questions and creating a robust dialogue during the interview.
Learning Techniques and Methodologies
The interviewee adopts various techniques to enhance their learning efficiency, such as spaced repetition and memory prompts. They implement approaches like actively engaging in practice problems with a tutor, which helps solidify concepts in their mind. Additionally, they incorporate just-in-time learning, ensuring that when encountering unfamiliar terminology during their reading and interview prep, they seek clarification immediately. This proactive learning strategy allows them to maintain a flow of understanding while absorbing complex material.
Collaboration and Feedback
Engaging with knowledgeable individuals is a significant part of the interviewee’s preparation process. They seek advice from peers and experts in the relevant field to create an effective syllabus that prioritizes essential concepts to cover within a limited time. By discussing their plans and findings, they invite constructive criticism from others, which informs their understanding and approach to topics their guests might cover. This collaborative learning not only deepens their comprehension but also improves the quality of the questions they formulate.
Structuring Interview Questions
As the preparation process unfolds, the interviewee organizes questions based on themes related to the interviewee's specialty. This involves creating a Kanban board where they can categorize questions and continuously refine them as new insights emerge. They recognize the importance of sequencing these questions logically to maintain a coherent narrative during the interview. Ultimately, this structured approach helps facilitate a deeper conversation and elicits more meaningful responses from their guests.
Reflection on Previous Interviews
The interviewee acknowledges that not every prepared question will lead to valuable insights during the podcast. Disappointment arises from experiences where insufficient preparation might lead to in-depth discussions missing the mark. For instance, in an interview with a groundbreaking scientist, they recognized that emphasizing personal stories might have outweighed abstract discussions, highlighting the importance of grounding questions in real-world contexts. This reflection informs their future preparation, steering them toward what they identify as more fruitful lines of questioning.
Sharing the Process
In an effort to demystify the extensive preparation behind their interviews, the interviewee expresses a desire to share their process with a broader audience. They plan to publish detailed notes, prompts, and commentary from their preparation phases for upcoming interviews with notable guests. This transparency aims to showcase not only the dedication behind their work but also to inspire others to engage in rigorous learning practices. By providing this glimpse into their behind-the-scenes preparation, they hope to illustrate the multifaceted nature of intellectual dialogue and learning.
This episode is a little different: I’m the one being interviewed—and my interlocutor is Andy Matuschak, an independent applied researcher focused on "tools for thought" (ways to augment human intelligence). Andy founded and led Khan Academy’s Research and Development Lab, and prior to that, he was a senior engineer at Apple where he helped build iOS. I first discovered Andy’s work in 2021, and it was a game changer for me and the podcast. We spoke on the show in 2022.
In 2024, I recorded some podcast interviews in the US, and had the pleasure of hanging out with Andy while I was in San Francisco.
In October, Andy dropped by my place in SF to go behind the scenes of my podcast research process and interview me while I prepared for a conversation with Larry Summers. This is an unvarnished, unfiltered look at my tech stack and how I prepare for my interviews. I'm very grateful to Andy for suggesting the idea and for so thoughtfully drawing out my current strategies, tactics and tools.
I support Andy's research. If you'd like to do so too, go here.
If you'd like to access my interview research notes for podcast interviews, you can support to access here.