Asking the Right Questions: The Mom Test Approach to Business and Persona Interviews

As entrepreneurs and product managers, we often find ourselves eager to validate our ideas and understand our target audience. However, the way we approach these conversations can make or break our research efforts. Enter "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick, a game-changing guide that teaches us how to ask the right questions and get honest, actionable feedback.Why It's Called "The Mom Test"The book's title stems from the idea that even your mom, who loves you and wants to support you, shouldn't be able to lie to you if you're asking the right questions. It's not about actually interviewing your mom, but rather about structuring your questions in a way that elicits truthful, unbiased responses from anyone.Key Principles of The Mom Test

1. Talk about their life, not your idea
   Instead of pitching your product, focus on understanding your interviewee's experiences, challenges, and current solutions. This approach yields more valuable insights and prevents people from giving you false positives just to be nice.
2. Ask about specifics in the past, not generics or opinions about the future
   People are notoriously bad at predicting their future behavior. Instead, ask about concrete examples from their recent past. This gives you factual data rather than hypothetical scenarios.
3. Talk less and listen more
   The goal is to learn, not to sell. Give your interviewee space to share their thoughts and experiences without interruption or leading questions.

Crafting Effective QuestionsTo apply The Mom Test principles, consider these question formats:

• "Tell me about the last time you encountered [problem X]."
• "What steps did you take to solve [problem X]?"
• "How much time/money did you spend on [related activity]?"
• "What else have you tried to address this issue?"

These questions focus on real experiences and behaviors, giving you a clearer picture of your potential customers' needs and pain points.Avoiding Common Pitfalls

1. Don't ask if your idea is good
   This invites biased responses and doesn't provide actionable insights.
2. Beware of compliments
   While they feel good, compliments don't help you improve your product or understand your market.
3. Don't pitch during the interview
   Save your pitch for after you've gathered valuable information about your interviewee's needs and experiences.

Putting It Into PracticeRemember, the goal of these interviews is to understand your potential customers deeply. By focusing on their lives, problems, and current solutions, you'll gather the insights needed to create products that truly resonate with your target audience.As you conduct your interviews, keep refining your approach. The more you practice, the better you'll become at asking the right questions and interpreting the responses.

You can watch this video summarizing the book and approach: The Mom Test