Protocol ID: VAL-05Category: User Research Time: 5 x 20 Minutes

The "Mom Test"
Interview Protocol.

1. The Executive Summary

The "Mom Test" Interview Protocol is a customer discovery framework derived from the principle that you should never ask anyone if your business is a "good idea." Why? Because everyone (especially your mom) will lie to you to protect your feelings.

The Golden Rule: If you mention your idea during the first 15 minutes of the call, you have failed the protocol. You are there to excavate pain, not sell a cure.

2. The Outcome

By executing this protocol across 5 subjects, you will possess:

  • The "Bleeding Neck" Verification.
  • The "Workaround" Map (Competitors).
  • The Price Anchor (Current Spend).
  • Zero False Positives.

3. The Prerequisites

  • Target List:5 Strangers (ICP). No friends/family.
  • Mindset:Detective, not Salesperson.
  • The Mantra:Facts > Opinions.

4. The Algorithm

Phase 1

The Setup (The "Non-Meeting")

Goal: Lower their guard. Avoid performance anxiety.

"Hey [Name], I'm trying to save myself from building a useless product for [Industry]. I'm researching how [Role] handles [Problem] right now. I don't have anything to sell—just trying to learn. Do you have 10 minutes?"
Phase 2

Rules of Engagement

Goal: Maintain protocol discipline.

Rule 1: No Pitching

The moment you pitch, they start lying (complimenting).

Rule 2: Past > Future

Allowed: "How did you check receipts last week?" Forbidden: "Would you use..."

Rule 3: The 80/20 Rule

They talk 80%. You talk 20%.

Phase 3

The Question Architecture

Goal: Drill down to root cause.

Step 1: The Anchor

"Walk me through how you currently handle [Task]?"

Step 2: The Dig

"You mentioned that was annoying. Why? Who gets yelled at if it fails?"

Step 3: The Workaround (Critical)

"What are you doing to fix this right now? Have you looked for tools?"

Step 4: The Money

"How much do those workarounds cost you?"

Phase 4

The Translation

Goal: Filter Signal from Noise.

The User Says...TranslationStatus
"That sounds like a great idea!""I am being polite."Noise
"I would buy that.""I'm lying about the future."Noise
"I tried Tool Z but it sucked.""I have active pain."Signal
"I pay a VA $20/hr to do this.""I have a budget."Jackpot

5. The Decision Matrix (Post 5 Interviews)

Scenario: "It's not a big deal."

Diagnosis: Mild inconvenience.

Action: KILL

Scenario: "I haven't tried to fix it."

Diagnosis: Complainer, non-buyer.

Action: KILL

Scenario: "I built a spreadsheet."

Diagnosis: Active workaround.

Action: BUILD

Scenario: "I am actively looking."

Diagnosis: Desperate buyer.

Action: SEND PRE-SALE

6. The Failure Points

Leading Witness

"Is it hard to do X?" You are feeding the answer. Ask open questions.

Feature Auditing

Listing features to check reactions. You are testing imagination, not reality.

Happy Ears

Hearing what you want. Be a pessimist. Unless they scream, it's a no.

7. Automate This.

The Exeluma "Insight Extractor" uses AI to analyze your interview recordings, flag Mom Test violations, and extract Willingness To Pay data.