ask two questions

Free · draft template · interactive

A hundred kickoff questions, pick up to ten.

Find the questions to ask in the first meeting of a piece of work. Filter by scenario or search, check the ones where you do not know the answer, and add who you will ask and the fact you already hold. Then copy the list, export it as a CSV file or print the pack version. All 100 questions are listed below, each with its scenario and the one of the two questions it serves. To take them with you, get the 100 questions as a CSV file for the kickoff question bank, plain list ↓, or see all the files under “Take it with you”.

Jump to your short list ↓

This is a draft template, and every example on this page is fictional. Nothing is saved when the tab closes. What you check and type stays on this page: it is not saved, sent or stored, and there are no cookies. Reloading or closing the tab clears your short list, so use Copy as text or Export CSV before you leave.This page saves nothing and sends nothing, and there are no cookies.

The script for this page did not start, so the filters, the pick boxes and the short list are not available here. All 100 questions below still read as a plain list, and the CSV files under “Take it with you” still download.

How to use it

  1. Read the eight scenarios, or search for a word such as date or approve. Look for questions where you notice you do not know the answer.
  2. Check five to ten for one kickoff. The list holds up to ten.
  3. Pick a mix: some tagged Q1 and some tagged Q2, from more than one scenario, so one gap does not hide another.
  4. Under each pick, write who you will ask (a name, a role or Unknown) and the one fact you already hold. Say it first when you ask.
  5. Before you close the tab, use Copy as text or Export CSV. Nothing is saved here.
  6. Choose five to ten for one kickoff and write their numbers, such as SC-03, on paper or in your own notes. A mix of Q1 and Q2 from more than one scenario covers more.
  7. Next to each, write who you will ask (a name, a role or Unknown) and the one fact you already hold. Say it first when you ask.
  8. To work in a spreadsheet, use the CSV files under “Take it with you”.

How to read it

  • Every question serves one of the two questions, as worded in template 9 of the pack: Q1 What don't I know that someone here does? (it asks for a fact) and Q2 Who decides this, and what do they need from me first? (it asks for an owner, or for what the owner needs). The tag stays with the question in your list, the text and the CSV in the CSV files.
  • The eight scenarios and the tags are the pack's own. The questions are listed exactly as in the pack's CSV.
  • The pack's page for a pick of ten aims for at least three of each tag from at least four scenarios. The page counts them for you. Count them from the tags as you choose.

What it does not claim

  • A question bank is not a checklist of everything to ask. It is a shelf to pick from, not a script: asking all one hundred is not the aim.
  • It promises no result: not an answer, not a smoother meeting, not any outcome.
  • The questions are general. The paper pack says to reword a question to fit your project and keep its tag; this page lists them as written.
  • Use the questions to find facts and owners, never to catch a person out. The person who decides still decides.
  • It is practice material, not advice about a real situation. It is a draft template, the example is fictional and Otto is a fictional AI.

The example is a kickoff for the fictional eight-file handoff case (A short overlap for an eight-file package): nine questions from the bank, each with who to ask (the Client, or Otto, a fictional AI) and a fact taken from the case.

Find your questions

Scenario
Serves

Showing 100 of 100 questions

The question bank

Q1 = What don't I know that someone here does? (a fact: how much, which, when, where)
Q2 = Who decides this, and what do they need from me first? (an owner, or what the owner needs)

1. Scope (13)

What is in, what is out, and what "done" means.

  • SC-01What does "done" look like for this project, in your words?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SC-02Which parts of the request are must-haves, and which are nice-to-haves?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SC-03What is out of scope, and where is that written down?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SC-04Which version of the brief or plan is the current one?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SC-05Who will use what we deliver, and what will they do with it first?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SC-06What has already been tried or decided before we started?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SC-07Who can confirm a change to the scope once we start?Serves Q2 an owner
  • SC-08If someone asks for an extra item halfway through, who decides whether it goes in?Serves Q2 an owner
  • SC-09What would make you say this is not what you asked for?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SC-10Who signs off that the scope is agreed, and what do they need to see first?Serves Q2 an owner
  • SC-11Which numbers in the brief (hours, files, pages, users) are firm, and which are estimates?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SC-12Would a partial version, with what is missing clearly marked, still be useful?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SC-13If the scope does not fit our time, who decides what comes out?Serves Q2 an owner

2. Deadline and capacity (13)

Which dates are fixed, and how many hours are really there.

  • DC-01Which dates are fixed, and which are targets?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DC-02What makes that date fixed: a meeting, a contract, or someone's calendar?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DC-03How much time does each person have for this, and in which hours?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DC-04What else is already committed for the same weeks?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DC-05Who is away, and when, between now and the deadline?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DC-06Who can move the date, and what do they need from me before they would consider it?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DC-07How long does review take on your side, and when can it start?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DC-08By what time on that day do you need it, not only which day?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DC-09If two priorities collide, who decides which goes first?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DC-10What was the estimate based on, and who made it?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DC-11Who approves extra hours or extra people, and what do they need to see?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DC-12Which steps can happen at the same time, and which must wait for another?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DC-13What is the earliest you can give feedback, and the latest that still keeps the date?Serves Q1 a fact

3. Decision rights (12)

Who says yes, and whose yes holds.

  • DR-01Who has the final say on this project?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DR-02Who decides between two options if the team disagrees?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DR-03Which decisions can I make on my own, and which need a name from you?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DR-04Who can approve the final version, and what do they need to see first?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DR-05Has anyone already said yes or no to this, and where is it recorded?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DR-06If you are away, who decides in your place, and who can name them?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DR-07Who decides when the work is good enough to send?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DR-08Who can approve a change to the plan, the date or the team?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DR-09Who told you that was approved, and can they approve it?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DR-10Who has to be told before a decision is final, even if they do not decide?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DR-11What does the decider need from me first: a number, a draft, a comparison or a recommendation?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DR-12How are decisions usually made in this group: in a meeting, by message, or by one person?Serves Q1 a fact

4. Stakeholders (12)

Who is affected, who is reachable, who speaks for whom.

  • SH-01Who is affected by this work, even if they are not on the team?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SH-02Who cares most about the result, and what do they care about?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SH-03Who has worked on this before and knows its history?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SH-04Who is the client owner or sponsor I report to, and what do they need from me first?Serves Q2 an owner
  • SH-05Who else should hear about our plan before we start?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SH-06Who is reachable this week, and how do they like to be reached?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SH-07Who speaks for the client, or for the other team, when we disagree?Serves Q2 an owner
  • SH-08Who is not in this meeting and should have been?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SH-09Who is the one person I can send a quick question to, and who is their back-up?Serves Q2 an owner
  • SH-10Whose work changes because of ours?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SH-11Who has seen a draft so far, and what did they say?Serves Q1 a fact
  • SH-12Who has to approve before we contact people outside the team?Serves Q2 an owner

5. Dependencies and handovers (12)

What waits on whom, and who accepts the work.

  • DH-01What do we need from other people before we can start, and by when?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DH-02Which of our steps wait on someone else's step?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DH-03Do any open items depend on the finished ones, or the other way round?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DH-04What is coming to us from another team, and in what form?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DH-05Who owns each thing we are waiting for, and what do they need from us first?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DH-06Who receives our work, and when can they take it?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DH-07Who accepts the handover, and what do they check before saying yes?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DH-08What has to be true about the files or data before we pass them on?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DH-09What is still open on the work handed to us, and who owns each open item?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DH-10Who can check what only they are allowed to check, and when are they free?Serves Q2 an owner
  • DH-11Where do the source files, access and records live?Serves Q1 a fact
  • DH-12Who can approve a different receiver or a different handover time?Serves Q2 an owner

6. AI-produced work (13)

When a draft, a summary or a "done" came from an AI tool.

  • AI-01Which parts of this were drafted with an AI tool?Serves Q1 a fact
  • AI-02What did the AI tool check, and what did it assume?Serves Q1 a fact
  • AI-03Who confirms that this AI-drafted version is the agreed one?Serves Q2 an owner
  • AI-04What was the tool given to work from: the brief, the data, or only a prompt?Serves Q1 a fact
  • AI-05Which numbers, quotes or sources in this draft were checked against the original?Serves Q1 a fact
  • AI-06What changed between the version we agreed and this one?Serves Q1 a fact
  • AI-07Who decides whether something the tool added stays in or comes out?Serves Q2 an owner
  • AI-08Who is allowed to say "done" for AI-assisted work here, and what do they need to see?Serves Q2 an owner
  • AI-09Was anything added that was not in the request?Serves Q1 a fact
  • AI-10Which version of the document is the latest, and who saved it?Serves Q1 a fact
  • AI-11Who is the named owner of the final text, rather than the tool that drafted it?Serves Q2 an owner
  • AI-12If the tool said "yes" or "fine", what did it look at before it said so?Serves Q1 a fact
  • AI-13What does the checker need from me first: the source file, the brief or the list of changes?Serves Q2 an owner

7. Risks and changes (12)

What could move, and how a change gets agreed.

  • RC-01What has gone wrong on similar work before?Serves Q1 a fact
  • RC-02What is the first sign that we are running late?Serves Q1 a fact
  • RC-03Which assumption in the plan, if wrong, changes the most?Serves Q1 a fact
  • RC-04Who decides whether to continue, pause or stop if a risk shows up?Serves Q2 an owner
  • RC-05Who needs to know about a problem the same day, and how do I tell them?Serves Q2 an owner
  • RC-06Which part is least certain, and who knows most about it?Serves Q1 a fact
  • RC-07Who approves a change once we have started, and what do they need from me?Serves Q2 an owner
  • RC-08What could change on your side that we should hear about early?Serves Q1 a fact
  • RC-09What is the plan if a key person is out or a file arrives late?Serves Q1 a fact
  • RC-10Who keeps the record of changes, so everyone sees the same version?Serves Q2 an owner
  • RC-11What would you rather know sooner than later?Serves Q1 a fact
  • RC-12Who can accept a risk on the client's behalf?Serves Q2 an owner

8. Communication cadence (13)

How updates travel and where the record lives.

  • CC-01How often do you want an update, and in what form?Serves Q1 a fact
  • CC-02Where does the record of decisions live: a document, a ticket or a message thread?Serves Q1 a fact
  • CC-03Who receives the update, and who decides what goes in it?Serves Q2 an owner
  • CC-04What is the fastest way to reach you when something is blocked?Serves Q1 a fact
  • CC-05On which days and at what times are you reachable?Serves Q1 a fact
  • CC-06Who writes the meeting notes, and who confirms they are right?Serves Q2 an owner
  • CC-07When someone says "fine" in chat, is that a decision or only a reply?Serves Q1 a fact
  • CC-08Who needs every update, and who only needs the summary?Serves Q2 an owner
  • CC-09Which meetings are regular, and which of them do I need to attend?Serves Q1 a fact
  • CC-10Who decides when we call an extra meeting?Serves Q2 an owner
  • CC-11How should I mark a message that needs an answer by a set time?Serves Q1 a fact
  • CC-12Who confirms in writing when a decision is made, and where?Serves Q2 an owner
  • CC-13What does a good update look like to you: numbers, a list of open items, or a short paragraph?Serves Q1 a fact

Your short list: 0 of 10 picked

Check a box beside a question above and it appears here, in the order you pick. The list holds up to 10. Read it once and change anything before you use it.

Nothing is picked yet.

    Plain-text version

    The CSV has eight columns: #, No., Scenario, Question, Serves, Who I will ask, The fact I hold behind it, and Their answer, the owner, by when. The last column is empty on purpose: fill it in the meeting, in their words.

    Take it with you

    Printable. The question bank is template 9 of the template pack v5 add-on draft: page 3 has the instructions, pages 4 to 7 the bank (four pages), page 8 a blank “pick your 10” page and page 9 a filled example on the eight-file handoff case. Page 10 lists the files. The paper pages have their own layout, a little different from this page, and the add-on is a separate PDF.

    Download the template pack v5 add-on with the question bank (A4 PDF, 293 KB) draft, template 9 on pages 3 to 9 ↓ US Letter PDF, 293 KB of the template pack v5 add-on with the question bank ↓

    Spreadsheet or notes tool. Three plain CSV files: all 100 questions (columns id, scenario, question and serves, the pack’s own file), a blank picked list with eight columns (the columns of this page’s export), and the filled fictional example. They are comma-separated text, UTF-8, with the column names in the first row and no formulas. A tool such as Google Sheets or Notion can import a CSV file with its own CSV import. In the full bank file, filter the serves column to see only the fact questions or only the owner questions.

    Download all 100 questions (CSV, 14 KB) for the kickoff question bank, full bank ↓ Download blank picked list (CSV, 1 KB) for the kickoff question bank, draft template ↓ Download filled example picked list (CSV, 2 KB) for the kickoff question bank, fictional eight-file handoff case ↓

    1. Download the CSV you want: the full bank, the blank picked list, or the filled example to see how it looks.
    2. Open your spreadsheet or notes tool and use its own CSV import. Menu names differ by product and version, so this page does not list them: look for an import option that takes a CSV (comma-separated) file.
    3. Choose the file you downloaded. If the tool asks for a separator, choose comma. If it asks for the text encoding, choose UTF-8.
    4. Check that the first row became the column names and that each column landed in its own column. Fix it in your tool if not.
    5. Use the Export CSV button on this page to get your own short list in the same eight columns as the blank picked list.

    The CSV files are drafts and the example is fictional. A cell that starts with = + - or @ gets a single quote in front when you export, so a spreadsheet never reads it as a formula; no question in the bank starts that way, so the full bank file is the pack’s file unchanged.

    A question bank is a shelf to pick from. It does not cover everything to ask, and it promises no result. Not sure what is a fact? Practice it in three minutes. This page is practice material, not advice about a real situation. It is template 9 of the template pack v5 add-on.

    Practice the two questions first.
    Play a short fictional case, ask for the missing facts and see who decides.

    Play a free case ↗

    Site last updated: