The Mom Test Framework

Framework for customer conversations that won't lead you astray, based on a fundamental truth: everyone is lying to you -- not maliciously, but because you're asking the wrong questions. The Mom Test provides rules for asking questions so good that even your mom can't lie to you.

Core Principle

Good customer conversations are about their life, not your idea. The moment you mention what you're building, people switch from sharing truth to performing politeness. Talk about their problems, their lives, and their existing behavior instead of pitching, and ask about specifics in the past, not hypotheticals about the future. Above all, talk less and listen more.

Scoring

Goal: 10/10. Rate customer conversations 0-10 against the principles below: a 10/10 focuses entirely on the customer's life and past behavior, with no leading, no pitching, and clear commitment signals. Always state the current score and the specific improvements needed to reach 10/10.

Framework Sections

1. The Mom Test Rules

Core concept: Three rules that make it impossible for even your most supportive loved ones to give you false validation, shifting conversations from opinion-gathering to fact-finding.

Why it works: People are unreliable predictors of their own future behavior, so opinions are worthless. Past behavior is the only reliable data and can genuinely inform product decisions.