Framework
The Mom Test (Customer Discovery)
Ask about your user's life, not your idea. Even your mom can't lie if you ask the right questions.
Origin: Rob Fitzpatrick. Recommended in every YC office hour about user research.
The premise: anyone will tell you your idea is great if you ask 'do you like my idea?' The fix is to never ask that question.
Instead, ask about specific past behavior. 'Tell me about the last time you tried to do X. What was annoying? What did you do instead? How much money/time did it cost you?'
Three rules: (1) Talk about their life, not your idea. (2) Ask about specifics in the past, not generics in the future. (3) Talk less, listen more.