What’s something you gave up to be here tonight, and something you’re looking forward to? What’s something you love about where you live and something you’d change? If you had a microphone and the whole world was listening, what would you say?

You could even ask people to come to a “Dinner Pod-dy” with a subject they want to talk about, such as the topic of a podcast they listened to, something they’ve read that had an impact on them, or something they wonder about.

A deep question asks about someone’s values, beliefs, judgments, or experiences—rather than just facts. Don’t ask “Where do you work?” Instead, draw out feelings or experiences: “What’s the best part of your job?” (One 2021 study found a simple approach to generating deep questions: Before speaking, imagine you’re talking to a close friend. What