Apply Rob Fitzpatrick's Mom Test rules to user research conversations. Use when the user says 'Mom Test', 'how to interview without leading', 'avoid biased interviews'.
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---
name: "mom-test"
description: "Apply Rob Fitzpatrick's Mom Test rules to user research conversations. Use when the user says 'Mom Test', 'how to interview without leading', 'avoid biased interviews'."
---
# 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.
## Bad questions to never ask
- "Would you use this?"
- "Do you think this is a good idea?"
- "Would you pay for this?"
- "How much would you pay?"
All produce polite lies.
## Reference
`references/05-product-design.md`
