MOM's Test Framework Made Easy

Read Time: 3 min

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Here’s Sarah’s story of her working in a bustling startup.

Why do I need to know this you ask?

Well, her story will help you understand MOM’s Test Framework. Never heard of that? Fret not (and stay tuned)!

Sarah, a product manager, was excited about her new project.

She was working on developing a productivity app for remote teams, aiming to make collaboration seamless and efficient.

However, Sarah knew that she needed to validate her ideas before diving headfirst into development.

That's when she remembered the "MOM Test" framework she had recently learned about. The MOM Test stands for "Mindset of the Outcome", and it's a powerful way to approach customer interviews to gain valuable insights without biasing the feedback.

Sarah decided to conduct interviews with potential users, starting with her friends who were currently working in remote teams.

She was determined to avoid the trap of asking leading questions that would elicit superficial or overly positive responses. Instead, she wanted honest, constructive feedback to shape her product in the right direction.

Armed with the MOM Test principles, Sarah began her interviews.

Here's how she applied the framework...

1. A mindset of the Outcome 🧠: Sarah kept her focus on learning about her potential users' problems and needs, rather than selling her ideas.

   She aimed to understand what pain points they experienced while collaborating remotely and how her app could genuinely address them.

2. Building Rapport🤝: Before diving into specific questions, Sarah engaged in casual conversation to establish a friendly rapport.

   She made sure her friends felt comfortable sharing their honest opinions without fear of judgment.

3. Asking Open-Ended Questions🔓️: Instead of asking leading questions like, "Don't you think an app like this would be awesome for your team?", Sarah asked open-ended questions. For example, "Tell me about your experience with remote collaboration. What challenges do you face?".

4. Listening Actively👂️: Sarah listened intently to her friends' responses, refraining from interrupting or interjecting with her own thoughts. This allowed her to dig deeper into the issues they were facing.

5. Avoiding Solution-Driven Questions❓️: When Sarah's friends mentioned specific problems, she avoided jumping into solution-driven questions like, "Would you like a chat feature to improve communication?" Instead, she asked, "Can you tell me more about how you currently handle communication challenges?"

6. Iterative Learning🛞: Sarah conducted multiple interviews with different team members from various industries and roles. This iterative process allowed her to uncover recurring pain points and patterns, leading her to refine her app's features.

As Sarah went through the interviews, she started noticing common themes…

Communication hurdles, difficulties tracking progress, and lack of a centralized workspace were some recurring challenges her potential users faced.

Armed with this valuable feedback, Sarah iterated on her app's concept, focusing on providing seamless communication, real-time collaboration, and centralized task management.

By avoiding the pitfall of biased questioning and keeping the MOM Test framework at the core of her interviews, Sarah gathered genuine user insights.

Months later, Sarah's productivity app for remote teams was launched.

And guess what?!

Thanks to the MOM Test, it resonated strongly with users, who appreciated that their pain points were genuinely addressed🥳! The app gained popularity, not just within her friend circle but among remote teams worldwide.

As a product manager, Sarah continued to apply the MOM Test principles throughout her career, ensuring that every new project was driven by user-centric insights.

Her journey was a testament to the power of empathetic listening and unbiased validation in creating successful products that indeed met the needs of their users.

Want to learn more?

The book, talk from the author, and the summary of the book.

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