customer-discovery

Overview

Based on "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick. The core principle: most customer conversations are worthless because founders ask questions that invite polite lies. The Mom Test fixes this by shifting from opinion-seeking ("would you use this?") to behavior-seeking ("how do you currently handle this?"). Every question must pass the test: would your mom give you an honest answer even if she wanted to protect your feelings?

Workflow

Step 1: Define the assumption you are testing

Before writing a single question, state the riskiest belief your business depends on.

Format:

• Assumption: [specific belief about customer behavior, pain, or willingness to pay]
• Why it matters: [what breaks if this assumption is wrong]
• What evidence would confirm or deny it: [observable behavior, not stated preference]

Do not run the interview until the assumption is written down. The interview exists to pressure-test this specific thing.

Step 2: Write your question set using Mom Test rules