Reference table
Mom Test question rewrites: before and after
Ten questions that fail the Mom Test and a rewrite for each
A reference table for founders, product managers and researchers writing a customer interview guide. Each row takes a question that invites a polite or hypothetical answer and rewrites it to ask about something the person actually did, with a note on what changed. Use it to edit your own questions before an interview. Koji's AI interviewer follows the same rules and probes for specifics in every conversation.
Where this appears
What's in this reference table
| Question that fails | Rewrite that passes | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Do you think this is a good idea? | How do you handle this today? | From your idea to their current workflow |
| Would you use a tool that automates reporting? | Walk me through the last report you put together. | From a hypothetical future to a specific past event |
| Would you pay for this? | What do you pay for anything that does part of this today? | From a guess about spending to money already spent |
| How often do you have this problem? | When did this last happen? And the time before that? | From a self-estimate to dated events |
| Isn't it annoying when the export breaks? | What happened the last time you exported the data? | From a leading question to a neutral one |
| What features would you want? | What have you tried to fix this? What was missing? | From a feature wishlist to past attempts |
| Would you switch from your current tool? | When did you last look for an alternative? What happened? | From a maybe to a real search they did or didn't do |
| Do you usually plan sprints on Mondays? | Tell me about how you planned your last sprint. | From a generic habit to one instance |
| How important is security to you? | When did security last come up in a buying decision? | From an opinion everyone agrees with to a real decision |
| Can I show you what we built? | What would have to be true for you to try something new here? (at the end) | The pitch moves to the end, after the learning |
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<a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/mom-test-question-rewrites-before-after"><img src="https://www.koji.so/visuals/mom-test-question-rewrites-before-after/mom-test-question-rewrites-before-after.png" alt="Table of ten customer interview questions that fail the Mom Test, each with a rewrite that asks about a specific past event instead." width="1200" height="1218" /></a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/mom-test-question-rewrites-before-after">Mom Test question rewrites: before and after</a>, Koji</p>
