Field guide · Openings
Openings
The first ninety seconds establish seriousness, ease, and direction. The opening gives the guest a reason to enter thought now — without biography recital, flattery, or premature pressure.
Nine opening forms
Pick by what is true of the guest, not by preference. Each form has a working stem and a characteristic way of going wrong.
| Form | Use when | Working stem | Risk to avoid |
|---|
Eight anti-patterns
| Anti-pattern | Failure mode | Repair |
|---|
The opening is hospitality with direction: here is the table; here is the question worth sitting down for.
Drill it: Cold Open deals you a guest card and an opening form, and gives you thirty seconds to deliver the first question.