mom-test

Guides customer interviews using Mom Test rules to avoid leading questions and false validation.

Updated Jun 27, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/rachmadideni/ai-staff-assistant --skill mom-test-rachmadideni
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: mom-test
Source: https://github.com/rachmadideni/ai-staff-assistant/tree/main/.agents/skills/mom-test
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/rachmadideni/ai-staff-assistant --skill mom-test-rachmadideni

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Customer conversations often produce misleading data because founders pitch their ideas, ask hypothetical questions, and accept compliments as validation. This Skill applies Rob Fitzpatrick's Mom Test framework to structure interviews around past behavior, concrete facts, and real commitments instead of opinions. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Question Evaluation: Distinguishes good questions (anchored in past behavior) from bad ones (hypotheticals, leading questions, fishing for compliments) with extensive examples. - Bad Data Detection: Identifies and deflects the three types of bad data — compliments, fluff, and unsolicited feature requests — with real-time scoring and recovery phrases. - Commitment Testing: Pushes conversations toward concrete advances using time, reputation, and money commitment currencies to separate real interest from politeness. - Use Case: Before interviewing users about a new SaaS idea, use this Skill to rewrite your question script so every question asks about specific past behavior, then score each completed conversation 0-10 and extract commitment signals. ## Quick Start Review my customer interview questions and rewrite any that violate the Mom Test rules.

Frequently Asked Questions about mom-test

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I interview customers without leading them?▼

Ask about their life and past behavior instead of pitching your idea. Use questions like "Tell me about the last time you faced this problem" rather than "Would you use a product that does X?" Never mention your solution until the end, if at all.

What are the three rules of The Mom Test?▼

Talk about their life instead of your idea, ask about specifics in the past instead of generics or hypotheticals about the future, and talk less while listening more. A question fails the test if the answer is always yes regardless of whether the business will succeed.

How do I know if customer feedback is reliable?▼

Reliable feedback contains concrete facts about past behavior, specific numbers, and real commitments of time, reputation, or money. Compliments, hypothetical promises, and generic claims like "I usually" or "I would definitely" are unreliable signals.

Why is asking "would you buy this" a bad question?▼

Hypothetical purchase questions always get yes answers because saying no feels rude and costs nothing. Instead ask what they currently spend on the problem, what solutions they have tried, and why previous attempts failed.

When should I stop doing customer interviews and start building?▼

Stop when conversations repeat with no new information, multiple people describe the same problem identically, and you have collected concrete commitments. Continuing past this point is often procrastination disguised as research.