CODITECT Universal Mom Test Question Framework
Version: 1.0 | Classification: Standard Operating Template Applies to: Any industry, vertical, horizontal, or organizational idea — from inception through validation
Purpose
This framework generates Mom Test-compliant interview questions for any business idea at any stage. It operates as a universal question engine: input your idea, context, and stage — the framework outputs conversation-ready questions that produce truthful, behavioral data instead of polite lies.
It is designed to be used by humans directly, by AI prompt engines, or by CODITECT's autonomous validation agents.
The Three Inviolable Rules
Every question generated by this framework must pass all three rules simultaneously. If a question fails any single rule, it is rejected and rewritten.
| Rule | Test | Failure Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Rule 1: Their life, not your idea | Does this question work without revealing what you're building? | Question mentions your product, solution, or feature |
| Rule 2: Past specifics, not future hypotheticals | Does this question ask about something that already happened? | Contains "would you", "will you", "do you think", "could you imagine" |
| Rule 3: Listen, don't pitch | Does this question invite a story, not a yes/no? | Answer is a single word; you're talking more than listening |
Quick Compliance Check
Before asking any question, run this 3-second mental filter:
✓ Could I ask this without them knowing my idea?
✓ Am I asking about something that already happened?
✓ Will their answer be a story, not a word?
All three YES → Ask it
Any NO → Rewrite it
The Universal Question Architecture
Every customer conversation follows the same structural arc, regardless of industry. The framework organizes questions into 7 layers, each building on the previous. You don't always use all 7 — your idea's stage determines where you start and how deep you go.
Layer 1: World Discovery (The Wide Lens)
Purpose: Understand their universe before you zoom into your problem space. Determines whether your problem category even registers on their radar.
When to use: Always use for new segments. Skip only when you have overwhelming prior evidence that the problem category matters (e.g., marketing for small businesses).
Universal Templates:
| # | Template | What It Reveals |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | "What are the biggest challenges you're dealing with right now in [domain area]?" | Whether your problem category is top-of-mind |
| 1.2 | "Walk me through a typical [day/week/sprint/quarter] — where does most of your time and energy go?" | Real priorities vs. stated priorities |
| 1.3 | "What's consuming the most [money/time/attention/stress] in your [role/business/life] right now?" | Pain magnitude and resource allocation |
| 1.4 | "If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing about [domain], what would it be?" | Aspirational direction (follow up with specifics) |
| 1.5 | "What's changed about how you handle [domain] in the last [6 months/year]?" | Rate of change, openness to new solutions |
Adaptation by vertical:
- B2B SaaS: "Walk me through how your team handles [process] from start to finish."
- Healthcare: "What takes up the most administrative time in your practice right now?"
- Fintech: "Where are you losing the most money to friction or inefficiency?"
- Consumer: "What's the most frustrating part of your [morning routine/commute/shopping/etc.]?"
- Education: "How do you currently measure whether [learning outcome] is actually happening?"
- Manufacturing/QMS: "Walk me through what happens when a [deviation/NCR/CAPA] occurs."
Layer 2: Problem Excavation (The Dig)
Purpose: Once a problem category surfaces naturally in Layer 1, dig into it. Understand frequency, severity, cost, and emotional weight.
Trigger: Only enter Layer 2 when they — not you — have raised or confirmed the problem area.
| # | Template | What It Reveals |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | "Tell me about the last time [problem] happened." | Real-world specifics, not hypothetical scenarios |
| 2.2 | "How often does [problem] come up?" | Frequency → severity signal |
| 2.3 | "What did you do about it?" | Current behavior (the gold standard of data) |
| 2.4 | "What was the outcome?" | Whether current solutions actually work |
| 2.5 | "What did that cost you in [time/money/reputation/stress]?" | Quantified pain = pricing signal |
| 2.6 | "Who else was affected when that happened?" | Stakeholder map, organizational impact |
| 2.7 | "What's the worst version of this you've experienced?" | Ceiling of pain, emotional anchoring |
The "Why Do You Bother?" Probe:
After any stated problem, ask: "Why does that matter?" or "What are the implications of that?"
This separates I-will-pay-to-solve-that problems from annoying-but-whatever "problems." Some problems have massive implications. Others exist but don't actually matter. You need to know which is which.
Layer 3: Current Solution Mapping (The Landscape)
Purpose: Understand what they're already doing, paying for, and tolerating. This is your competitive intelligence AND your pricing anchor.
| # | Template | What It Reveals |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | "How are you dealing with [problem] right now?" | Current solution = your real competitor |
| 3.2 | "Walk me through the workaround you've built." | Effort invested = pain severity signal |
| 3.3 | "What tools/services/people do you currently use for this?" | Existing spend = price anchor |
| 3.4 | "How much are you spending on [current solution] — in money and time?" | Direct cost quantification |
| 3.5 | "What do you love about how you handle it now?" | Features to preserve, switching cost factors |
| 3.6 | "What do you hate about it?" | Gaps your solution must fill |
| 3.7 | "Have you tried anything else before settling on this?" | Solution-seeking behavior = purchase intent |
Critical Signal: If they haven't looked for ways of solving it already, they're not going to look for (or buy) yours. A person who claims a problem is critical but has never Googled for a solution is giving you noise, not signal.
Layer 4: Active Search Behavior (The Intent Test)
Purpose: Determine whether they're actively seeking a better solution or passively tolerating the status quo. This is the difference between a buyer and a complainer.
| # | Template | What It Reveals |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | "Have you searched for a better way to handle this?" | Active intent vs. passive acceptance |
| 4.2 | "What did you find when you looked?" | Market awareness, competitive landscape |
| 4.3 | "Why didn't those solutions work for you?" | Your differentiation opportunity |
| 4.4 | "When did you last try something new for this?" | Recency of solution-seeking |
| 4.5 | "What would have to be true for you to switch from what you're doing now?" | Switching criteria = your feature requirements |
| 4.6 | "Is there a budget allocated for solving this, or would you need to create one?" | Budget reality check |
The "Double-Knot Test":
If someone claims shoelaces coming untied is their biggest problem but has never tried a double-knot, they don't actually care enough to buy your solution. The same logic applies to every domain.
Layer 5: Decision Architecture (The Power Map)
Purpose: Understand who decides, who pays, who blocks, and how purchases actually happen in their world. Essential for B2B, important for high-consideration consumer purchases.
| # | Template | What It Reveals |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | "Where does the money come from for something like this?" | Budget owner, purchasing process |
| 5.2 | "Walk me through how a purchase like this would actually happen at [org]." | Decision process, timeline, gatekeepers |
| 5.3 | "Who else would need to be involved in this decision?" | Stakeholder map, potential blockers |
| 5.4 | "What would you need to show [boss/board/spouse] to get buy-in?" | Internal selling requirements |
| 5.5 | "Have you bought anything similar in the past? How did that process go?" | Past purchasing behavior = future predictor |
| 5.6 | "What killed the last thing you almost bought but didn't?" | Deal-breaker discovery |
Layer 6: Commitment Extraction (The Truth Serum)
Purpose: Separate real interest from polite enthusiasm by asking for concrete action NOW. Words are cheap; commitments are expensive.
The Commitment Ladder:
| Level | Commitment Type | Examples | Signal Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Time | Agrees to a follow-up meeting, schedules a demo, joins a beta list | Weak but positive |
| 2 | Reputation | Introduces you to colleagues, boss, or peers; agrees to be a reference | Moderate |
| 3 | Effort | Participates in pilot, provides data access, fills out onboarding | Strong |
| 4 | Money | Pre-pays, deposits, letters of intent, signed pilot agreement | Very strong |
| 5 | Contract | Signed purchase agreement, annual commitment | Definitive |
Universal Commitment Templates:
| # | Template | Ladder Level |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | "Would you be willing to [specific next step] this week?" | Time |
| 6.2 | "Who else on your team should I talk to about this? Could you introduce me?" | Reputation |
| 6.3 | "Would you be open to testing an early version with your team for [time period]?" | Effort |
| 6.4 | "If we built this, what would you be willing to pay to start using it immediately?" | Money |
| 6.5 | "Can we set up a pilot starting [specific date] with [specific scope]?" | Effort + Time |
Zombie Detection Rule: If a prospect has had 3+ touchpoints without advancing on the commitment ladder, they are a zombie lead. Deprioritize immediately.
Layer 7: Network Expansion (The Multiplier)
Purpose: Every conversation should generate your next 2–3 conversations. If it doesn't, you're either solving the wrong problem or running bad meetings.
| # | Template | What It Reveals |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | "Who else do you know who deals with this problem?" | Whether the problem resonates broadly |
| 7.2 | "Who else should I talk to about this?" | Network quality, willingness to stake reputation |
| 7.3 | "Is there anything else I should have asked?" | Blind spots, industry knowledge gaps |
| 7.4 | "What would you want to know if you were in my shoes?" | Insider perspective on what matters |
The Idea-to-Questions Pipeline
This section defines the systematic process for converting any raw idea into a set of Mom Test-compliant interview questions.
Step 1: Idea Decomposition
Break your idea into its core assumptions. Every idea rests on assumptions about:
| Assumption Category | Question to Ask Yourself | Example (QMS Platform) |
|---|---|---|
| Problem existence | Does this problem actually exist? | "Quality teams waste hours on paper-based deviation tracking" |
| Problem severity | Is it painful enough to pay to fix? | "This costs $50K+/year in audit prep time alone" |
| Target segment | Who specifically has this problem? | "FDA-regulated biotech companies with 50–500 employees" |
| Current solution | What do they use today? | "Excel spreadsheets + paper forms + manual email chains" |
| Willingness to switch | Would they actually change? | "They'd switch if it reduced audit prep by 50%" |
| Ability to pay | Can they afford it? | "Quality budget exists; usually $20K–$100K/year for tools" |
| Decision process | How do they buy? | "Quality Director decides, VP Ops approves, IT validates" |
Step 2: Assumption → Question Conversion
For each assumption, generate 2–3 Mom Test-compliant questions using this formula:
ASSUMPTION: "[Your belief about the world]"
CONVERSION RULES:
1. Remove your product/idea from the question entirely
2. Point the question at their past behavior
3. Make the question open-ended (invites a story)
BAD: "Would our QMS platform save you time on audit prep?"
↓ Fails Rule 1 (mentions product) + Rule 2 (hypothetical future)
GOOD: "Walk me through what happened the last time you prepared for an FDA audit."
↓ Passes all 3 rules: their life, past specific, invites a story
Step 3: Question Sequencing
Arrange questions using the Funnel Pattern:
WIDE OPEN → "What are your biggest operational challenges right now?"
NARROW → "You mentioned quality tracking — tell me more about that."
SPECIFIC → "Walk me through the last time you handled a deviation."
BEHAVIORAL → "What did you do when you found out about [specific event]?"
COMMITMENT → "Who else on your team should I talk to about this?"
Step 4: The Three Scary Questions
Before every conversation batch, define your Big 3 Questions — the three questions you're most afraid to ask because the answers could kill your idea.
Format:
SCARY QUESTION 1: [Question that could prove your market doesn't exist]
SCARY QUESTION 2: [Question that could prove they won't pay]
SCARY QUESTION 3: [Question that could prove the problem isn't big enough]
These must be asked in every single conversation. If you're not scared, you're not asking the right questions.
Industry Adaptation Matrix
The framework adapts to any vertical by adjusting the domain vocabulary while preserving the structural architecture.
Healthcare / Life Sciences / QMS
| Layer | Adapted Questions |
|---|---|
| World Discovery | "Walk me through what happens when a quality event occurs — from detection to resolution." |
| Problem Excavation | "Tell me about the last CAPA that took longer than expected. What happened?" |
| Current Solution | "How do you currently manage your quality documentation? Show me the actual workflow." |
| Active Search | "Have you evaluated any quality management systems in the last year? What happened?" |
| Decision Architecture | "How did you purchase your current quality system? Walk me through that process." |
| Commitment | "Would you be willing to participate in a 30-day pilot with your quality team?" |
Fintech / Financial Services
| Layer | Adapted Questions |
|---|---|
| World Discovery | "Where are you losing the most money to operational friction right now?" |
| Problem Excavation | "Tell me about the last compliance incident. What was the total cost — direct and indirect?" |
| Current Solution | "Walk me through your current reconciliation process. Every step." |
| Active Search | "What fintech tools have you evaluated in the last 6 months? Why didn't you adopt them?" |
| Decision Architecture | "How does procurement work for financial software at your firm?" |
| Commitment | "Can we schedule a meeting with your compliance team to map their requirements?" |
B2B SaaS (General)
| Layer | Adapted Questions |
|---|---|
| World Discovery | "What's consuming the most engineering/ops time that isn't building product?" |
| Problem Excavation | "Tell me about the last time [process] broke down. What happened next?" |
| Current Solution | "Show me the tools your team uses for [process]. How do they connect?" |
| Active Search | "What have you tried to fix this? What was the outcome?" |
| Decision Architecture | "Who approves new tool purchases? What's the typical timeline?" |
| Commitment | "Would your team be willing to run a 2-week parallel test?" |
Consumer / Direct-to-Consumer
| Layer | Adapted Questions |
|---|---|
| World Discovery | "Walk me through your typical [morning/evening/weekend] routine." |
| Problem Excavation | "When's the last time [situation] happened? Tell me everything." |
| Current Solution | "What do you currently use for [activity]? How did you find it?" |
| Active Search | "Have you tried other [products/apps/services]? What made you stop?" |
| Decision Architecture | "When you buy something like this, how do you decide? Reviews? Recommendations?" |
| Commitment | "Would you download this and try it for a week if I sent you access today?" |
Education / EdTech
| Layer | Adapted Questions |
|---|---|
| World Discovery | "What takes up the most time that isn't actually teaching?" |
| Problem Excavation | "Tell me about the last time you struggled to assess whether a student actually learned [X]." |
| Current Solution | "Walk me through how you currently handle [grading/assessment/engagement]." |
| Active Search | "What platforms or tools have you tried and abandoned? Why?" |
| Decision Architecture | "How do technology decisions get made at your school/district?" |
| Commitment | "Would you be willing to pilot this in one classroom next semester?" |
Marketplace / Platform
| Layer | Adapted Questions |
|---|---|
| World Discovery (Supply) | "How do you currently find customers/clients? Walk me through your pipeline." |
| World Discovery (Demand) | "How do you currently find [service providers/products]? What's that process like?" |
| Problem Excavation | "Tell me about the last time you needed [service] urgently. How did you find someone?" |
| Current Solution | "What platforms or methods are you using now? What do you love and hate?" |
| Commitment (Supply) | "Would you be willing to list your services and serve our first 5 customers?" |
| Commitment (Demand) | "Would you try this for your next [need] instead of your usual approach?" |
Anti-Pattern Reference
Questions that ALWAYS fail the Mom Test, regardless of industry:
| Anti-Pattern | Why It Fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Do you think this is a good idea?" | Seeks approval, not data | "What are the biggest problems you face with [domain]?" |
| "Would you buy this?" | Hypothetical future + seeking approval | "How much are you spending on this problem today?" |
| "How much would you pay?" | Hypothetical + leading | "What does this problem cost you annually?" |
| "Do you like [feature]?" | Opinion, not behavior | "Walk me through how you currently handle [task the feature solves]." |
| "Would you use this if it had [feature]?" | Hypothetical + leading | "Have you ever looked for a tool that does [capability]? What happened?" |
| "What features would you want?" | Building by committee | "Why do you want that? What would it let you do that you can't now?" |
| "Is [price] reasonable?" | Leading + hypothetical | "What are you paying for similar tools right now?" |
| "How often would you use this?" | Hypothetical | "How often did you deal with [problem] last month?" |
Conversation Quality Metrics
After every conversation, score it against these criteria:
| Metric | Target | How to Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Listen/talk ratio | ≥ 70% them / 30% you | Self-assessment or recording review |
| Tier 1 facts extracted | ≥ 3 per conversation | Count behavioral facts in notes |
| Questions that passed Mom Test | ≥ 80% | Review question list post-conversation |
| Commitment asked for | Yes/No | Did you end with a commitment ask? |
| Commitment received | Level 1–5 or None | Track on commitment ladder |
| New contacts generated | ≥ 1 | Did they offer or accept an intro? |
| Belief updated | Yes/No | Did you learn something that changed your thinking? |
Framework Versioning
This framework is designed to be extended. As your organization conducts more conversations, add:
- Industry-specific question libraries (Layer adaptations per vertical)
- Role-specific question variants (C-suite vs. practitioner vs. end user)
- Stage-specific emphasis (pre-idea vs. pre-product vs. pre-revenue vs. growth)
- AI-assisted question refinement (feed conversation transcripts back to improve question quality)
CODITECT Standard Template v1.0 — Applicable across all industries, verticals, and idea stages. Based on The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick. Framework architecture by CODITECT.