---
title: "What is an AMA session? Ask me anything, explained"
url: "https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/ama/"
description: "An AMA is a session where one person answers open questions from a group. How to run one in Slack, with upvoted and optionally anonymous questions."
---

# What is an AMA (ask me anything)?

**AMA (ask me anything)**: An AMA, short for "ask me anything", is a session where one person or a panel answers open questions from a group, usually with the most popular questions answered first.

Also known as: ask me anything, AMA session, open Q&A.

The format was popularised by Reddit's r/IAmA, started in 2009, and is now common at
all-hands meetings, new-leader introductions and community events.

## Example polls

Paste any of these into the message box in Slack.

```text
/poll "What questions do you have for the leadership team before the all-hands?" q&a anonymous close after 2 days
```

Anonymous, upvoted questions for an all-hands, collection closing two days later. *Premium: closing automatically.*

```text
/poll "Ask our new VP of Engineering anything" q&a
```

A named AMA to introduce a new leader. *Free.*

```text
/poll "Questions for the security team about the new laptop policy" q&a anonymous close after 1 day
```

A focused AMA on one change, open for a day. *Premium: closing automatically.*

## What makes an AMA work

- **Collect questions ahead of time.** A live thread favours the fastest typists. Opening
  questions a day or two early gives everyone a chance, across time zones too.
- **Let people vote questions up.** The group decides what matters, and the host can't
  quietly skip the hard one at the top.
- **Allow anonymous questions** for leadership AMAs. The questions people most want
  answered are often the ones they won't put their name to.
- **Answer the top questions in order**, including the uncomfortable ones. Skipping them is
  noticed.
- **Post answers back** for people who missed it.

## Running an AMA in Slack

Simple Poll has a `q&a` poll type for this. People post questions and upvote each other's,
and the most upvoted rise to the top. It takes no options. Add `anonymous` so questions
aren't attributed, and `close after` (Premium) to stop collecting questions at a set time
before the session.

During the session, work down the list from the top. For a Slack-only AMA, answer each
question in the thread. Large AMAs work best in their own channel, so the questions don't
get buried.

## FAQ

### Can AMA questions be anonymous in Slack?

Yes. Add `anonymous` to a `q&a` poll and questions aren't shown with names.

### How long should questions stay open?

One to two days before the session is usually enough, and lets people in other time zones
add questions.

## Related

- [How to run an AMA in Slack](https://simplepoll.rocks/guides/how-to-run-an-ama-in-slack/): An AMA, short for "ask me anything", works best when questions arrive before the session and the team decides which ones get answered first. Simple Poll's q&a poll does exactly that: people post questions, everyone upvotes the ones they want answered, and the most upvoted rise to the top. Add anonymous and people ask what they actually want to know.
- [All-hands questions poll for Slack](https://simplepoll.rocks/templates/all-hands-questions/): In the days before an all-hands, town hall or leadership AMA, so the questions people actually care about get asked, including the uncomfortable ones.
- [What is an anonymous poll?](https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/anonymous-poll/): An anonymous poll records votes without showing who cast them: everyone sees the totals, and nobody can see which person picked which answer. In Simple Poll that includes the person who created the poll.
- [What is a slash command?](https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/slash-command/): A slash command is a message that starts with a forward slash, like `/poll`, and runs an app or a built-in Slack action instead of posting text to the channel.

## Sources

- [How can I use Slash Commands to make a poll quickly?](https://help.simplepoll.rocks/article/120-how-can-i-use-slash-commands-to-make-a-poll-quickly)
- [Wikipedia: r/IAmA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/IAmA)

---

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