<aside> ℹ️ About this Notion Template

Hello! I’m Mari Luukkainen, an ex-15 % MoM startup’s growth operator, an early-stage VC, and a coach of hundreds of startups in various accelerators.

As an early-stage founder, validating your problem/solution fit through customer interviews is crucial. "The Mom Test" provides a powerful framework for conducting unbiased interviews, but it can be challenging to implement in practice.

To help you overcome these difficulties, I've created a Notion template that breaks down "The Mom Test" guidelines into actionable steps. This resource will support you in conducting effective interviews that yield valuable insights, ultimately guiding your startup to success.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance. Good luck on your journey!

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<aside> <img src="/icons/help-alternate_gray.svg" alt="/icons/help-alternate_gray.svg" width="40px" /> What is The Mom Test?

The Mom Test is a set of guidelines for conducting effective customer interviews, developed by Rob Fitzpatrick. The primary goal of The Mom Test is to help entrepreneurs ask the right questions during customer interviews, allowing them to gather unbiased, valuable, and actionable insights.

The main principles of The Mom Test are:

1. Talk about their life, not your idea: Focus on understanding the interviewee's experiences, pain points, and the context around the problem you're trying to solve, rather than discussing your product or solution.
2. Ask specific questions about the past, not hypothetical questions about the future: People are better at recalling their past behavior and experiences than predicting what they might do in the future. Asking about the past helps you gather more accurate and reliable information.
3. Listen more, talk less: Allow the interviewee to share their thoughts, experiences, and opinions without interrupting or trying to sell your idea. The more you listen, the more valuable insights you can gather.

By following The Mom Test, entrepreneurs can reduce biases, gather honest feedback, and better understand the problem they're trying to solve. This ultimately leads to more successful problem-solution fit iterations and a higher likelihood of building a product that addresses real customer needs.

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Content

I. Background Information

A. Startup Overview

<aside> <img src="/icons/compose_gray.svg" alt="/icons/compose_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Industry

[Specify the industry in which the startup operates, e.g., fintech, ed-tech, health tech, etc.]

Target Audience

[Describe the target audience, e.g., young professionals, small business owners, students, etc.]

Core Problem/Solution

[Briefly explain the core problem that the startup aims to solve and the proposed solution, without revealing features or specific product details, e.g., helping users simplify personal finance management by providing a user-friendly platform.]

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B. Interview Goals

What do you want to learn from the interviews?

Identify the key goals you want to achieve through these interviews. Some possible goals include:

1. Validate the relevance and urgency of the core problem for the target audience.
2. Understand the target audience's existing methods and pain points when dealing with the problem.
3. Identify potential opportunities and areas for improvement in the proposed solution.
4. Gather feedback to refine the problem/solution fit and develop a more effective product or service.

Remember that the primary objective of these interviews is to learn more about the problem and the target audience's needs, rather than to pitch or sell your solution. By focusing on the problem and not leading the interviewee, you'll be able to gather honest and unbiased insights that can help you improve your offering.

<aside> <img src="/icons/compose_gray.svg" alt="/icons/compose_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Goal

[Write your goal for The Mom Test here.]

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II. Interview Preparation

A. Define the Interviewee's Profile