SecondPen.aiTemplates · Research & discovery
Customer interview guide (The Mom Test) template
Origin: Rob Fitzpatrick, The Mom Test (2013).
Start from this templateFree, no account needed. The blank is written with guidance in each section, ready to fill in.
Sections
- Goals
- Warm-up
- Past-behavior questions
- Problem depth
- Current solutions & spend
- Commitment ask
- Debrief
How a tough reader scores it
When you score a draft against this format, the Critic evaluates this interview guide against The Mom Test. The weights add up to 100; the fixes for the weakest criteria arrive as cards in the editor.
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Questions focus on past behavior, not hypotheticals | 30 |
| No leading or pitching questions | 20 |
| Probes cost, frequency, and existing workarounds | 20 |
| Includes a commitment ask | 15 |
| Learning goals are clear and prioritized | 15 |
How it works in SecondPen.ai
Open the template and the editor writes the blank once, with a line of guidance under each heading that you delete as you fill it in. Write your abstract and the editor names the format it reads like. Ask for a document with a slash command and it offers to start from the matching format. When the draft is ready, the Critic scores it against the criteria above, the way this format's toughest reader would, and the three highest-leverage fixes become Editor cards.
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