Today

Podcast Recommendations

Great listens for aspiring product designers and researchers

• Dive Club — Deep dives into product design and strategy
• How I AI — AI's role in design and creative work
• Lenny's Podcast — Product management, growth, and building products
• High Resolution — Conversations with design leaders

Listen while you walk to class, work out, or commute.

Why this matters

Every designer has had a "great idea" that users didn't want.

Validation is what separates professionals from amateurs.

The Mom Test teaches you to have honest conversations — so you don't waste weeks building something nobody needs.

Your D1 submissions are hypotheses

They're not commitments. They're not app ideas. They're educated guesses about problems that might be worth solving.

The goal this week: learn enough to commit to ONE direction with confidence.

You'll validate these hypotheses by talking to real people — not by guessing from your dorm room.

The Mom Test: 4 Rules

Named because even your mom will lie to you about your idea — she loves you too much to be honest.

1. Talk about their life, not your idea. Don't pitch — ask about their current behavior.
2. Ask about the past, not the future. "Tell me about the last time..." not "Would you use..."
3. Talk less, listen more. If you're talking more than 30%, you're doing it wrong.
4. Seek disconfirming evidence. Actively look for reasons your idea might be wrong.

Bad Questions vs. Good Questions

Transform these questions

Let's rewrite these together using the Mom Test rules.

1. "Would you pay for a meditation app?"
2. "Do you think a study planner would help you get better grades?"
3. "Wouldn't it be great if there was an app that reminded you to exercise?"

For each one: What's wrong with it? How would you ask about the same topic without leading the witness?

15-Minute Interview Structure

1. Context (2 min)"Tell me about yourself and your relationship with [topic area]"
2. Current behavior (5 min)"Walk me through the last time you [relevant activity]"
3. Pain points (5 min)"What was frustrating about that? What did you wish was different?"
4. Existing solutions (3 min)"Have you tried anything to solve this? What happened?"

Do not mention your app idea. You're gathering data, not selling.

Strengthen Your Hypotheses

1. Form groups of 3-4
2. Each person shares their top hypothesis (2 min each)
3. Group discusses: Real problem or invented solution? Who has this problem? What assumptions are embedded?
4. After discussion: identify your strongest hypothesis to validate first

You're NOT committing to an app yet — that comes after validation.