Mom Test

Avoid asking questions even your Mom would lie about.

Three rules

1. Talk about their life, not your idea. Pitching contaminates data. Mention idea last (or not at all).
2. Ask about specifics in the past, not generics about the future. "How did you handle this last week?" beats "Would you pay $9.99/month?"
3. Talk less and listen more. If they're not telling stories, you're talking too much.

Killer follow-up sequence

After they describe the problem:

• "How are you solving this today?"
• "How long does it take?"
• "How much does it cost you (money, time, hassle)?"
• "Have you ever PAID for anything to fix it?"

If "no" to that last one, nobody will pay for yours either.